An interfaith guide to planned giving.

Planned gifts are typically the largest gifts received by a charity and can transform religious organizations and congregations to become more sustainable, impactful, and vibrant entities for decades to come. Encouraging planned gifts to congregations and religious organizations is essential at this time of tremendous generational wealth transfer; these gifts also provide an opportunity to enhance relationships between supporters and organizations. Many congregations and religious entities fear that they cannot raise these transformational gifts due to a lack of expertise among staff or volunteers, the limited financial resources of their constituents, or the simple discomfort of addressing ultimate issues with donors. Faithful Giving can help change those dynamics.

The book is intentionally inclusive of Christian and other faith traditions by offering several case studies from a variety of Christian denominations and other religions, including Roman Catholic, Episcopal, Presbyterian, Lutheran, Baptist, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, and others.

JAMES W. MURPHY, a Certified Fund Raising Executive, is Managing Program Director at the Episcopal Church Foundation (ECF). Active in ecumenical collaborations, he works with congregations, dioceses, and other Episcopal organizations to grow their endowments and develop their planned giving programs and various philanthropic efforts and resources. He holds a Masters in Christian Spirituality from General Theological Seminary, and a Bachelors from NYU’s Stern School of Business. He is a member of the Association for Financial Professionals (AFP) and the Philanthropic Planning Group of Greater New York (PPGGNY). He lives in New Jersey.

James W. Murphy's profile page

Robert F. Sharpe, Jr. was CEO of Encore, a leading philanthropic management consulting firm. Sharpe was chair of the philanthropy editorial board of Trusts & Estates magazine, and his remarks have been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Newsweek, Forbes, Smart Money, The Chronicle of Philanthropy, Trusts & Estates and Kiplinger’s. He lived in Memphis, TN before his death in 2022.

Robert F. Sharpe's profile page

Rupinder Singh Brar, is one of the founding members of the Sikh Community Center in Yuba City, California, where he volunteers his spare time by teaching Sikh history and philosophy to high school students. He is a practicing cardiologist in Yuba City, California, where he serves as a member of the board of directors at the local hospital and also the director of the Adventist Heart and Vascular Institute. He lives in Yuba City, CA.

Rupinder Singh Brar's profile page

Sarah Charters is the Acting President of The United Church of Canada Foundation as well as the Acting Director of Philanthropy for The United Church of Canada. Sarah oversees the Foundation, governance, granting and investing portfolios as well as fundraising, including planned giving, for both the Foundation and Church, working with donors and communities of faith on their financial stewardship and giving. Sarah is a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (Toronto Chapter) and is a Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE). She lives in Toronto, Ontario.

Sarah Charters' profile page

Charles Cloughen Jr. is the Director of Planned Giving for the Diocese of Maryland. He has been an Episcopal priest for more than 48 years, serving in parishes in Rhode Island, Connecticut, Texas, and Maryland. He lives in Towson, MD.

Charles Cloughen, Jr's profile page

Newly retired from the Stewardship & Gifts Office for the United Church of CanadaJane Harding worked with congregations and local areas of the church through assessment, planning and implementation of Stewardship and Legacy programs and with individuals who are inspired to leave a legacy to any area of the church including their congregation. She is an active member of the Association for Fund Raising Professionals, Volunteer Vancouver, and the Canadian Association of Gift Planners. Jane lives in Salmon Arm, British Columbia, Canada.

Jane Harding's profile page

Margaret M. Holman is president of Holman Consulting, a full-service fund-raising consulting firm she founded in New York City in 1991. She is an emerita president of the Philanthropic Planning Group of Greater New York. She is co-author of The Complete Guide to Careers in Fund Raising (Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company), co-author of Major Gifts Fundraising (Directory of Social Change in England) and is a contributing author of The Nonprofit Consulting Playbook (Charity Channel Publishing). She lives in New York City.

Margaret M. Holman's profile page

Davida Isaacson is the Senior Philanthropic Advisor for The Seeing Eye, Inc. in Morristown, NJ. After a successful career in trust and estate banking, Davida became the Director of Planned Giving and Endowments for WNET, the New York public television station. Following her tenure at WNET Davida became Executive Director of the Jewish Community Foundation of MetroWest (NJ) during which she oversaw planned giving initiatives for partner agencies. A nationally recognized speaker on all aspects of planned giving, Davida is an ongoing volunteer for the planned gift efforts at her synagogue, Adath Shalom. She lives in Wharton, NJ.

Davida Isaacson's profile page

Roger Janes serves as Stewardship Staff resource for the Newfoundland and Labrador Conference, in 2015, Roger was named Stewardship & Gifts Officer for the Atlantic Region, and eventually for all of Eastern Canada and Bermuda for the United Church. He provides leadership, support and resources to communities of faith in the areas of congregational stewardship, denominational fundraising and planned giving. He lives in Grand Falls - Windsor, NL, Canada.

Roger Janes' profile page

Anwar Khan is President of Islamic Relief USA. With more than 25 years of experience working in the field of humanitarian and development assistance, Mr. Khan grew up in the U.K. and moved to America to help found Islamic Relief USA. Mr. Khan has served on several boards and was an advisor for U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)’s Advisory Committee on Voluntary Foreign Aid (ACVFA), and the U.S. State Department’s Religion and Foreign Policy Working Group. Currently, he serves on the board of World Food Program USA, Joint Learning Initiative and the Alliance to End Hunger. He is on the Advisory Council for Muslim Philanthropy Institute at Indiana University. He lives in Alexandria, VA.

Anwar Khan's profile page

Yvonne Jones Lembo serves as a Regional Gift Planner with the ELCA Foundation. With more than 20 years of experience in non-profit development, Yvonne’s gift planning expertise has helped families, congregations and ELCA organizations in the Mid-Atlantic harvest more than $30 million for their stewardship, mission and legacy goals. She holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Harvard University and received the Master of Divinity with honors from the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia (LTSP). Yvonne completed courses in the Certified Estate and Trust Specialist program with the Institute of Business and Finance. She lives in Camden, DE.

Yvonne Jones Lembo's profile page

In January 2015 Karl Mattison re-joined the Presbyterian Foundation as the Vice President of Planned Giving Resources and of the Planned Giving Navigator program. He had previously served as the first Executive Director for the Presbyterian Endowment Education Resource Network and as the Washington, DC representative for the Presbyterian Foundation. Prior to a career in banking, Karl studied, taught and volunteered extensively in Russia and the former Soviet Union. A graduate of Davidson College, Karl also studied abroad at Moscow Aviation Institute and did his graduate coursework in Russian studies at Georgetown University. He lives in Silver Spring, Maryland.

Karl Mattison's profile page

M. Yaqub Mirza is President and CEO of Sterling Management Group and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Amana Mutual Funds. He is a member of the Board of Directors, University Islamic Financial Corporation, a banking subsidiary and a member of the Board of Trustees, George Mason University Foundation, Inc. Dr. Mirza is President and Trustee of Center for Islam in the Contemporary World at Shenandoah University. He is also a member of the Council of Advisors, Muslim Philanthropy Initiative at Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, Indiana University. He is the author of Five Pillars of Prosperity: Essentials of Faith-Based Wealth Building (White Cloud Press, 2014). He holds a PhD in Physics and MA in Teaching Science from the University of Texas at Dallas. Dr. Mirza lives in Herndon, VA.

M. Yaqub Mirza's profile page

Peter Misiaszek, MA CFRE is the Director of Stewardship Development for the Anglican Diocese of Toronto. From 2010-2012, the Diocese of Toronto ran a diocesan-wide major fundraising campaign that realized over $35,000,000 in revenue and secured significant ministry investment across several program areas. Nearly 9,000 members of the Anglican church in Toronto made a financial contribution to this effort. Peter is a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) and is a Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE). He holds an MA in Political Science from the University of Waterloo. Peter lives in Whitby, Ontario, Canada.

Peter Misiaszek's profile page

Lucinda Mosher is the author of two books in the Faith in the Neighborhood series, Belonging and Praying. She holds a Th.D. from General Theological Seminary, and teaches extensively in universities, seminaries, and parishes about world religions and inter-religious relations. She lives in northeast Florida.

Lucinda Allen Mosher's profile page

Randall Nyce is an Everence® Stewardship Consultant, helping families, businesses, non-profits, and congregations with stewardship and charitable gift planning. Active in the community, Randy volunteers as board chair of Healthy Niños Honduras. He serves at Salford Mennonite Church as board chair and previously served on the boards of Delaware Valley MEDA, MAMA Project, Kairos School for Spiritual Formation, and Franconia Mennonite Conference. He is a graduate of Eastern Mennonite University and has a certificate in Urban Studies from The School for Urban Mission, Washington, DC, holding The Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy® (CAP®) designation from The American College. Randy lives in Souderton, PA.

Randall Nyce's profile page

Amy Palmer is currently the Director of Development for the Adrian Dominican Sisters in Adrian, Michigan where she provides leadership for the Congregation’s fundraising initiatives including planned giving, monthly giving, major gifts and donor stewardship. She is a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), National Association of Charitable Gift Planners, United Way Retirees Association and The Nonprofit Alliance. Amy is the Vice Chair of the Lenawee Community Mental Health Authority Board of Directors. She is a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) and has earned her Certificate in Philanthropic Psychology from The Institute for Sustainable Philanthropy. She lives in Britton, Michigan.

Amy Palmer's profile page

Peter C. Pereira, CPA not in Public Practice, was the Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer of The Episcopal Church in Hawai’i,1991 - 2022. Peter oversees the full financial operation of Hawaii’s Episcopal Diocese including oversight of the combined endowment portfolio of the Diocese worth over $45 million. A member of a number accounting and fundraising organizations including the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), Hawaii Society of Certified Public Accountants (HSCPA), Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), and the Hawaii Planned Giving Council, Peter especially enjoys meeting with prospective donors, learning their church story and connecting the dots for the purposes of planned giving. He lives in Mililani, Hawaii.

Peter C. Pereira's profile page

Arlene D. Schiff is the National Director of the LIFE & LEGACY® program of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation (HGF). In this role she works directly with 36 communities in addition to overseeing LIFE & LEGACY’s implementation in 72 communities (and more than 750 organizations) throughout North America toward a goal of building organizational endowments through after-lifetime giving. Prior to joining HGF, Arlene served as the Executive Director of the Jewish Federation of the Berkshires in Western Massachusetts, a position she held for 12 years. Arlene is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts and holds a MA from Harvard University. She lives in the Berkshires in western Massachusetts.

Arlene D. Schiff's profile page

Pandit Roopnauth Sharma currently is engaged in senior positions in the following diverse community organizations: President of the Hindu Federation, an Umbrella body representing significant Hindu Temples in Ontario; President Canadian Multi-faith Federation (CMF), an umbrella body representing over thirty faith groups; Vice president and Hindu Chaplin for Interfaith Chaplaincy (IFC) in support of Spiritual care services at Correctional Services Canada (CSC); Founder and Spiritual Leader Mississauga Ram Mandir (Hindu Temple). He was ordained via the method of Lineage and Heritage and lives in Mississauga, Ontario.

Pandit Roopnauth Sharma's profile page

Perkin F. Simpson is the Executive Director of Urban Alliance, a faith-based non-profit located in East Hartford, CT. Perkin oversees all aspects of the organization, including communications and gift development. Prior to this role, he worked for the American Baptist Foundation, the denomination’s center for planned giving for 13 years. His prior career experiences also include positions at Prudential Financial, UBS PaineWebber, and The Hartford Insurance Company. He is holds a Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy (CAP®) designation and is pursuing his doctorate in Financial and Retirement Planning Services from the American College. He lives in West Granby, Connecticut.

Perkin F. Simpson's profile page

Stacy B. Sulman, J.D., is the Vice President for Personalized Philanthropy and Legal Affairs for the American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science, where she has worked for over 13 years. Among other responsibilities, Stacy oversees planned giving, including the organization’s loyalty and legacy societies, estate settlements, and gift annuity administration. Stacy teaches Planned Giving at New York University’s Heyman School for Philanthropy and Fundraising, and speaks on various aspects of planned giving to local, regional, and national groups Stacy currently serves as Immediate Past President of the Philanthropic Planning Group of of Greater New York. She lives in Randolph, NJ.

Stacy Sulman's profile page

Fr. David P. Uribe, OMI is the Oblate Executive Director/Oblate Chaplain Director for the Oblate Missionary Society, Inc. (OMSI), a fundraising organization for the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate of the United States Province. As priest-director, he oversees OMSI, a merged direct mail program based in San Antonio, TX (Oblate Missions) and Belleville, IL (Missionary Association of Mary Immaculate), including the Charitable & Planned-Giving team that offers major donor services and solutions: planned-giving, donation designations, annuities and overall donor relations. Prior to priesthood, he was a career counselor and internship coordinator at St. Edward’s University networking with many nonprofits, businesses and corporations at the local, state, national and international levels. He lives in Belleville, IL.

David P. Uribe's profile page

“[A]n incredibly useful resource that will greatly benefit faith communities and organizations across the entire religious and cultural spectrum.”
—Charles Buck, CEO of United Church Funds (UCF)

“Faithful Giving is a must-read for practitioners, Imams, clergy, faithful philanthropists, and scholars of philanthropy. This book provides thoughtful insights and practical guidance from experts who daily navigate the challenges of planned giving and legal planning.”
—Shariq Siddiqui, JD PhD, director, Muslim Philanthropy Initiative, Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, Indiana University
“Having an active planned giving program is more important than ever for faith communities to thrive, grow, and plan for the future, especially during this critical time of change and transition in organized religion. . . . I recommend this valuable resource to all lay and clergy religious leaders who are looking for guidance and inspiration in launching a program in their own local contexts.”
—Donald V. Romanik, president of the Episcopal Church Foundation
“James W. Murphy’s book Faithful Giving: The Heart of Planned Gifts is a thoughtful and eminently practical handbook for anyone working in the field of planned giving with religious institutions. With respect given to each faith tradition, Jim sets forth practical and beautiful examples of institutions and donors working together for the better good. Any professional in the field of stewardship and faith traditions will be happy to have this book to call on for good stories and great resources.”
—Meighan W. Corbett, director of stewardship and development, The Riverside Church in the City of New York

“Jim Murphy has written a practical, readable manual for successful planned giving donations that elucidates the best practices in several faith traditions. This is a book I wish I had read ten years ago. I cannot give it a higher recommendation. It is now required reading for all my priests and lay leaders.”
—Kristina Rake, presiding bishop of American Apostolic Old Catholic Church (AAOCC)
“The relationship between faith and philanthropy is profound. Murphy and his guest authors thoughtfully explore this close relationship by examining planned giving traditions of many faiths. Case studies effectively illustrate key observations. This book will be valuable for all who wish to deepen their understanding of the important bonds of faith, philanthropy, and planned giving.”
—Philip M. Purcell, CFRE, MPA/JD, director of planned giving, The Salvation Army, Central Territory, and president-elect, American Council for Gift Annuities
“Jim Murphy has taken on the challenge of outlining the planned giving opportunity for faith-based organizations and has masterfully provided a roadmap that anyone from any faith can follow. The discussions and case studies from the variety of faith perspectives further ingrained in me that faith can be a driving force behind one’s philanthropic legacy, and it is up to each of us in our roles to harness and implement those aspirations in our own way. You will take away many practical approaches and reflections to build a successful program no matter how large or small.”
—Kevin McGowan, chief financial officer of Catholic Extension

“I found Faithful Giving to be incredibly well researched and thoughtfully structured (I love the ‘know thy’ framing especially). The case studies were enlightening, and I took something away each time (I especially liked the Muslim concept of endowing for G-d; really beautiful) . . . . It is very clear to me that Murphy and all of the contributors see planned giving as a way to help elevate both humanity and the human. I love this way of thinking about our work in raising these types of funds.”
—Dirk Bird, vice president of planned giving and endowment for Jewish Federations of North America

“Faithful Giving: The Heart of Planned Gifts is a wonderful book for the philanthropic community. Whether you are first starting to incorporate planned giving into your organization’s fundraising toolbox or your program has existed for years, this book provides excellent insights and guidance to jump-start your organization’s future.”
—William D. Samers, vice president of planned giving and endowments, UJA-Federation of New York
“A must-have book for diverse faith-inspired charities as well as donors, guiding them methodically and pragmatically to reach their philanthropic goals.”
—Sonia Dhami, trustee of the Sikh Foundation International, and president of ArtandTolerance.com
“There are so many great insights in this book! I love the simple yet profound reminder that when an organization receives a planned gift they have become a family member of sorts; that framing is so helpful, as is the interfaith exploration of this crucial topic.”
—Mark Elsdon, author of We Aren't Broke: Uncovering Hidden Resources for Mission & Ministry