Meeting/Event Information

Join us for a day of training, networking opportunities, and community building!

Whether you're a nonprofit professional, financial advisor, attorney, or simply someone who believes in the power of philanthropy, this event is your opportunity to be a part of something truly impactful. Together, we can pave the way for lasting change and transform our communities through strategic charitable gift planning.

Schedule at a glance:

10:00 AM - Registration & Networking
11:00 AM - Getting Real about Real Estate Giving: Join Christa Kemp of the
                   Vermont Land Trust and philanthropy advisor Rick Peck for a lively
                   discussion about their experiences raising real estate gifts that have
                   had a game-changing impact on philanthropic missions across NH
                   and VT.
12:00 PM - Lunch & Annual Meeting
                  (there will be vegetarian and gluten-free options)
1:00 PM -   Learning Labs: Round table breakout sessions on a variety of 
                   professional topics. Engage with and learn from your peers.
                  The 3 Sessions (choose 1):
                  - Marketing: Discussion around what has worked for your organization
                  and what has not
                  - Donor Stewardship: Let's brainstorm some creative and meaningful
                  ways to thank supporters
                  - Planned Giving in a Small Shop: How to find space for planned
                  giving while juggling many priorities
2:00 PM -  The Other Side of the Table: This panel discussion featuring Chris 
                  Chapman, Vice President and Principal at The Trust Company of
                  Vermont; Renee Harvey, Managing Partner and Counselor at
                  Caldwell Law; and Valerie Nevel, Vice President and Senior Financial
                  Advisor at Ledyard Financial Group will share insight about the ways
                  they work with each other and with philanthropy officers to help
                  donors’ dreams become reality.

Don't miss out on this chance to learn and connect!

meet our speakers

Rick Peck

Richard “Rick” Peck is an independent philanthropy advisor with Richard C. Peck Consulting, LLC. He is also the founder of The Philanthropy Guy, a leading-edge charitable giving resource hub. For six years until March 2023, Rick served as VP for Development and Philanthropy Services at the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation. Prior to this, Rick served Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health and the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College as Director of Individual Giving and Gift Planning, where he worked with patients, families, and medical school alumni to achieve their philanthropic goals. As President of the board of the International Association of Advisors in Philanthropy (AiP) and as a participant in numerous other community collectives, he's a prominent member of philanthropic networks and an experienced speaker. 

Christa Kemp

Christa serves as Vermont Land Trust’s Director of Donor Relations, responsible for major gifts and planned giving. She joined VLT in 2011, after working in Burlington as an investment advisor and retirement planner. A native Vermonter, she brings 30 years of experience working or volunteering on behalf of land and wildlife conservation. Christa especially loves connecting with people about VLT’s work and its impact on farming, forestry, climate, and recreation. When not on the phone or on the road, she is horseback riding, running, or skiing through her favorite town of Richmond.

Chris Chapman

Chris has spent nearly forty years as a trust officer, helping people with financial, tax, and estate planning in cooperation with their estate-planning attorneys and accountants.  For the past twenty-one years, he has been a Vice President with the Trust Company of Vermont in its Brattleboro headquarters.  He has been especially glad to help people who are charitably inclined to form strategies to accomplish strategic gifts that fit into their plans and needs involving income tax, estate tax, and long-term planning for themselves and their families.

Renée A. Harvey

Renée A. Harvey, Counselor at Law, has worked in the New York, Vermont and New Hampshire legal systems since 1990. She is a graduate of Vermont Law School and is licensed to practice law in the state and federal courts of Vermont and New Hampshire. Her practice focuses on estate planning and settlement, assisting clients with making informed decisions. She is a Respecting Choices® Advance Care Planning Certified Facilitator and she is a certified mediator. Renée also serves on the New Hampshire Bar Association’s Ethics Committee, the Patient Choices Vermont Advisory Committee, and is a lecturer at various local institutions. She is the managing partner of Caldwell Law.

Valerie J. Nevel, Esq.

Valerie has spent nearly 40 years working in the financial industry. For the past 25 years, she has worked as a Senior Financial Advisor and the Fiduciary Consultant for Ledyard Financial Advisors. Prior to joining Ledyard, she had a legal practice where she focused on estate planning, taxation, trusts, and charitable organizations. Valerie graduated from Boston University with a B.S. in Economics and from Boston College with a J.D. and MBA. She is a member of the New Hampshire Bar Association, NH Banker’s Association Trust Committee, and the New Hampshire Estate Planning Council where she previously served as president. Valerie is a NH native and is very involved in the local community. She has served on the boards of many local non-profit organizations including the Upper Valley Children’s Center, West Central Behavioral Health, WISE, and the Upper Valley Humane Society.

Important Member Registration Notes:

• Note that if you haven't already logged in to your member account for the first time, you must do that before you can renew your membership and get the membership ticket rate. Please search your inbox for an email from the Council titled "New Website and Member Login" and follow the prompts. 
• If you are a member of an organization that already has an active organizational membership, please have your organization's primary contact log in to the Member Area and add you by clicking "Add Contact to Organizational Membership" in the drop-down menu.  You will then receive your own member log-in via email and can sign up at member pricing!