October 3 – Rebecca Locke, Executive Director, Gift Planning at the American Red Cross, “Overcoming Myths of Planned Giving with Your Colleagues”

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Overcoming Myths of Planned Giving with Your Colleagues

Have you ever worked with colleagues, or a boss, or a Board member that doesn’t quite “get” planned giving? Maybe some of your coworkers have believed some of the myths that surround our work. Those misconceptions have often been barriers to working fully with donors to help them achieve their philanthropic goals for organizations that they love. So we decided to name those myths and help our colleagues be a part of the great work of gift planning. In this presentation, I’ll share a few of the myths that get in our way and how we engage with coworkers to overcome those misconceptions.

Rebecca Locke, Executive Director, Gift Planning at the American Red Cross

Rebecca L. Locke is the Executive Director, Gift Planning for the American Red Cross, a role she assumed in late 1999. With more than 40 Gift Planning team members, the Gift Planning unit leads all planned gift work for the American Red Cross working with donors interested in bequests, charitable gift annuities, charitable trusts, gifts of property, and other complex assets. Previously Rebecca had served as the Regional Development Manager, Southeast Region as one of the first two R.D.M.’s in the new Chapter Advancement Unit formed at Red Cross National Headquarters in 1996. In that role, she established the first American Red Cross field-based Gift Planning program in Florida, and directed the organization’s first three Gift Planning Officers in that state.

Prior to joining the NHQ Development team, Rebecca had served in chapters for more than fifteen years with roles in annual giving, major gifts, disaster fund raising, direct mail, and planned giving. She served in the Metropolitan Atlanta Chapter for four years as the Director of Annual Giving. She began her career with the Red Cross as a youth volunteer, and served in multiple positions including Assistant Chapter Manager with the Mid-South Chapter in Memphis, TN. Outside the Red Cross, Rebecca served as the Executive Director of a health-related nonprofit, and in the profit world with a data management firm. She serves as Supporting Co-Chair of the Board of the American Council on Gift Annuities and chaired ACGA’s 2014 Conference on Planned Giving. Rebecca is a graduate of the National Planned Giving Institute at the College of William & Mary as well as Tennessee Technological University.

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