Professional advisors are powerful agents for philanthropy. Accountants, attorneys, financial planners, life underwriters, trust officers, and other wealth strategists are all uniquely positioned to help their clients make a meaningful impact for their favorite causes. Effectively engaging these individuals in your organization’s mission can help you build a robust network of highly-effective ambassadors. But how should not-for-profits go about doing this? What are the advisors’ interests and key concerns? And how can your organization best position itself to support advisors in achieving their goal of helping their clients?
Join us for a lively discussion with a panel of distinguished local advisors as we explore the above questions and other key issues such as:
- How advisors raise the subject of philanthropy with their clients
- What resources a not-for-profit should have available to aid advisors in talking to their clients
- How not-for-profits can reach out to advisors for help with charitable giving issues
- Ways in which the new tax law has affected advisors’ approaches to charitable giving with their clients and their clients’ philanthropy
- What charitable giving trends advisors are currently seeing
- The best practices for approaching advisors about referral and volunteer opportunities
Speakers:
Michael Sitrick, JD (Panel Moderator), Vice President for Advancement, The DuPage Foundation
Michael Sitrick, JD, is vice president for advancement of the DuPage Foundation. There he works closely with people, organizations, and their advisors to help them accomplish their charitable goals. He concentrates on facilitating outright and deferred gifts of appreciated property and demonstrating the impact of philanthropy and endowed funds to the community. Michael graduated magna cum laude from Millikin University in Decatur, IL, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management and earned his Juris Doctor from Loyola University Chicago School of Law. After completing his studies, he worked at two Chicago area law firms where he concentrated in civil litigation before returning to the DuPage Foundation in 2013.
Michael is a member of the DuPage County Bar Association (DCBA) where he serves on its Judiciary Committee and Public Interest and Education (PIE) Commission. He is also the immediate past president of Suburban Chicago Planned Giving Council, a member of the DuPage County Estate Planning Council, and a past board member of the West Suburban Philanthropic Network (WSPN).
Michael is a two-time recipient of the DCBA Board of Directors’ Award, a past recipient of WSPN's Distinguished Service Award, and one of the Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce’s Inaugural “Four Under 40” recipients. In his spare time, he enjoys performing as an actor and featured tenor soloist with area theatrical and musical groups. He lives in Lombard with his wife, Elizabeth.
Nancy Brackmann, CTFA, CFP®, Vice President & Senior Trust Officer, U.S. Bank
Nancy Brackmann, CTFA, CFP®, a vice president and senior trust officer for U.S. Bank Private Wealth Management, provides personal trust and estate services to individuals and families at all stages of life. She helps manage the complexities of wealth preservation and distribution for her clients and their families. In addition, she supports accounts for corporations and non-profit organizations and is in charge of the administration of trusts where U.S. Bank has been named trustee. Nancy began her career in the banking and financial services industry in 1995. Prior to joining U.S. Bank, Nancy was a vice president and fiduciary officer with J.P. Morgan’s Private Bank. In this role, she provided trust and estate planning guidance to high net worth families, individuals, and foundations.
Nancy holds the designation of Certified Financial PlannerTM (CFP®) and Certified Trust and Financial Advisor (CTFA). She is a member of the Northwestern Medicine Philanthropy Regional Advisory Council, Kane County Development Commission, the DuPage Estate Planning Council, the Kane County Farm Bureau and a Board Member of the Suburban Chicago Planned Giving Council.
Betsy Brosnan, CPA, Partner, Sassetti, LLC
Betsy Brosnan, CPA, is a partner at Sassetti, LLC, a CPA firm with offices in Naperville and Oak Park, Illinois. She specializes in taxation and entrepreneurial accounting. Betsy’s experience includes tax planning, tax research and tax compliance in the business, individual, fiduciary/estate and not-for-profit areas. She holds an undergraduate degree in accounting from the University of Notre Dame and a masters in taxation from DePaul University and is a member of the Illinois Society of CPA’s and the AICPA.
Betsy is a member of the Board of Trustees of the DuPage Foundation, and serves as the chair of the Foundation’s Audit Committee. She is a past treasurer of the Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce, and has served on the boards and committees of various other local charities throughout the past thirty-five years. Betsy is passionate about commitment to family and community involvement.
Derek Johnson, JD, Attorney, Bellock & Coogan
Derek Johnson, JD, has been an attorney with the law firm of Bellock & Coogan, Ltd. since 2014. Prior to joining the firm, Derek graduated with distinction from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2002, and received his law degree with Honors from the Chicago-Kent College of Law in 2007. Derek is a passionate and devoted estate planning lawyer whose areas of concentration include trust and estate planning and administration, estate and gift tax returns, business succession planning, business formation, organization and maintenance, business transactions (e.g., shareholder or buy/sell agreements, membership interest purchase agreements, and asset purchase agreements) and general contract review and drafting.
Derek is a member and former chair of the DuPage Foundation’s Next Generation Initiative and a member of the Board of Directors for Clare Woods Academy (a/k/a Bartlett Learning Center, Inc.) in Wheaton. In his free time, Derek enjoys exercising, exploring new music and movies, and spending time with his family and friends. Derek and his wife have a young son who seems to have an endless amount of energy and quite the T-Ball swing, and a young daughter whose smile and laugh melts their hearts.
Sean Sebold CFP®, CFA, President, Sebold Capital Management
Sean Sebold CFP®, CFA,is president of Sebold Capital Management and has 20 years of experience in the financial planning and investment management industries. His diverse background and experience, ranging from the floor of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange to a Global Consultancy in Andersen Consulting, provide a unique vantage on wealth management. By focusing on the distinct needs of business owners, leaders and their families, Sean is able to guide the client through life decisions that bridge the gap between wealth and quality of life. Sean, a strong believer that education and knowledge provide value, is a part of a small group of advisors that have earned both the CFP® certification and the CFA Charter. Both designations are the highest level of certification in their respective field. His formal education began with a BA in English from Villanova University. He completed his CFP® education at the College for Financial Planning and went on to obtain an MBA with majors in Finance, International Business, and Marketing from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School.
Sean is an active guest commentator, speaker, and has been quoted in many articles and publications including The Wall Street Journal, AARP Magazine, and Crain’s. His community involvement includes serving as a member of the Legislative Committee for the Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce and sitting on the Board of Hesed House. He is also a past-president and past-chairman of the Financial Planning Association of Illinois, the largest FPA chapter in the country. After serving at the state level, Sean chaired the Financial Planning Association’s National Pro Bono Advisory Committee. He also served on the Illinois State Treasurer’s Advisory Council on Financial Education and Literacy. When not working, Sean spends his time with his wife, four children and two dogs. He enjoys golfing, tennis, sailing and reading.
