Expand your charitable planning expertise beyond traditional vehicles.

While donor advised funds and private foundations serve many clients well, the charitable planning landscape offers numerous additional strategies that may better align with specific philanthropic and estate planning objectives. This presentation provides a comprehensive overview of alternative charitable vehicles and techniques often overlooked in standard planning discussions.

 We will examine various charitable planning structures, analyzing their benefits, limitations, and optimal applications within different estate planning contexts. Participants will gain practical knowledge of when and how to implement these alternatives to better serve clients with diverse charitable and financial goals.

Elizabeth Miller, CFRE, CAP 

Elizabeth, a Certified Fundraising Executive and Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy, has dedicated her career to fund-raising for Alaska nonprofits. After a 30+ year career at United Way of Anchorage, she joined the team at Alaska Community Foundation in July 2019 as the Vice President of Development and Communications where her focus in on assisting families and individuals with their current and legacy charitable giving goals, helping to ensure their ideals and values extend to future generations.

 A life-long Alaskan, Elizabeth grew up in Talkeetna. She attended college in Spokane, WA, where she graduated from Gonzaga University with a bachelor’s degree in international business.

 She and her husband of almost 30 years have one daughter, a graphic design artist in Portland, OR. After losing their dog last year Elizabeth and her husband are looking for a new pet to join their family. Elizabeth enjoys hiking and completed the Camino de Santiago in Spain in the spring/summer of 2019. 

David G. Shaftel, J.D., LL.M(Taxation)

 Dave Shaftel has been practicing law in Anchorage, Alaska, since 1970. He was born and raised in California, where he obtained an A.B. degree from Stanford University (1964) and his J.D. degree (1967) from the University of California (Berkeley). In 1977, Dave obtained an LL.M. (Taxation) degree from New York University. Since that date he has been in private practice in Anchorage.

 Dave has been very involved in Alaska’s development of new estate planning vehicles. He has been active in participating in the drafting of new Alaska legislation. 

 Dave has written extensively about Alaska’s self-settled discretionary spendthrift trusts, family limited partnerships, family limited liability companies, and Alaska’s optional community property system. He has participated as part of the faculty in numerous professional continuing education programs sponsored by the Alaska Bar Association, ALI-ABA, the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, the University of Miami Heckerling Institute on Estate Planning, Southern California Tax and Estate Planning Forum, the Great Western Tax & Estate Planning Conference, the Anchorage Estate Planning Counsel, and various private groups.

 Dave is a member and the former Alaska Chair of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel “ACTEC”. Dave was the founder of the Taxation Section of the Alaska Bar Association and has been a director of the Estate Planning Section of that association. He is a former president of the Anchorage Estate Planning Council and is a former director and one of the founding members of the Alaska Community Foundation. Dave is a director of the Alaska SPCA. He has been active in community activities, including municipal boards and task forces, local community council, and youth sports activities. Dave is a member of the Alaska, California, and Washington Bar Associations.

Dave’s wife, Harriet, is retired from the University of Alaska. Their oldest son works for NOAA in Alaska, middle son is an attorney in Colorado, and daughter is in environmental engineering in Alaska. Dave and Harriet have five grandchildren.

 Kevin Gray

Originally from Corvallis, Oregon, Kevin moved to Alaska in 1990 to join his wife whom he met while consulting for Alaska Commercial Company. For over 25 years, he has provided executive leadership for software/IT & technology companies, satellite and wireless telecommunications companies, Alaska Native Corporation subsidiaries, and geological consulting/mineral exploration and development entities.

As CFO for Alaska Community Foundation, Kevin is responsible for all financial aspects of the Foundation, including accounting, investments, planning and budgeting, and administration. He has been involved in the charitable sector through Rotary and several other nonprofits he supports regularly. He is also constantly amazed at the generosity of Alaskans and inspired to help donors find the most advantageous and meaningful method of donating to the causes they care about.

In his time away from the office, Kevin can be found at the family cabin on Nancy Lake, exploring the Alaskan wilderness on his snowmachine, fishing, or enjoying music.