Gift Planning – GP 101
Tuesday, June 10, 2025
7:30am – 12:15pm
Kauffman Foundation & Conference Center
Limited Capacity – Register Today
About GP 101 | Speakers | Topic Descriptions | Schedule | Register
CFRE certification pending
No Virtual Program Available
Brynne Brown, Member, Lewis Rice
Brynne Brown is a Member with the Kansas City office of Lewis Rice, specializing in estate planning, taxation, and business law. She provides high-level service to individuals, families, both nonprofit and for-profit entities, and corporate fiduciaries. Brynne has extensive experience drafting and administering estate plans, forming public charities and private foundations, and advising on tax matters.
Brynne received her Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, with emphases in finance and economics, from the University of Missouri – Columbia, and her Master’s degree in Business Administration, with emphases in finance and management, her Juris Doctor, and her Master’s degree in Taxation Law from the University of Missouri – Kansas City.
Brynne was the Chair of the 2021 Building Blocks Conference, was a speaker at the 2024 Building Blocks Conference, and has been a member of Mid-America Charitable Gift Planners. Brynne lives in Kansas City with her husband, Eric, their daughter, Nora, and their senior Boxer pup, Watson.
Rob Bull, President & CEO, The Compass Group
As president & CEO of The Compass Group, Rob Bull brings his deep expertise and dedication to advancing fundraising excellence to the firm. In this role Rob guides the company’s exceptional consulting services while driving Compass’ strategic growth and development. Rob is a positive change agent, taking a values-driven approach to the evolving world of philanthropy and the mission-based institutions Compass advises.
Rob’s career spans more than three decades of fundraising consultation resulting in nearly $2 billion in philanthropic gifts across the sectors of conservation, education, healthcare, and arts. His experience includes six years with the national consulting firm Ketchum, Inc. where Rob honed his professional fundraising skills. At Ketchum, Rob overlapped with Compass founder Frank Pisch, later joining him as one of Compass’ first employees at the growing consulting firm. Together the two built Compass into a top national fundraising consultancy and in 2019 Rob was appointed president of the firm. In 2024, Rob acquired the company from Frank and he continues to serve as Compass’ strategic leader.
Rob’s resume includes two stints as an in-house fundraiser. He began his career in the advancement office of Washington College where he spent several years collaborating with volunteers, exceeding development goals, and gaining expertise in higher education. Later in his career, Rob joined the National Trust for Historic Preservation as chief development officer, spearheading multimillion-dollar fundraising efforts and facilitating operational excellence.
In addition to his role as a seasoned fundraiser and consultant, Rob is an educator, teaching individuals and institutions next-level success through his dynamic speaking, presenting, and lecturing in the classroom and beyond.
A longtime champion of historic sites focused on African American heritage, Rob also serves as an official lecturer for both the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Through these roles, Rob engages with sites nationwide to impact outreach and elevate fundraising capabilities of these small yet significant organizations.
Rob’s volunteer experience also underscores his dedication to fundraising. He serves as a trustee for his alma mater Goucher College and is currently co-chairing the College’s Undaunted campaign, which recently surpassed its $100 million fundraising goal. He is a former president of the Alumnae/i Association of Goucher College and former chair of The Greater Goucher Fund. Rob also serves on the Board of Directors for the League of Historic American Theatres and is a member of the Leadership Institute Faculty for the Southeastern Museums Conference.
Rob holds a Master of Science degree in Organizational Leadership and Management from Antioch University New England and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre and Arts Administration from Goucher College. He has completed coursework at Antioch University in pursuant of his doctoral degree within the Graduate School of Leadership and Change.
Cole Eason, Vice President of Advancement, Truman Heartland Community Foundation
Cole Eason joined Truman Heartland Community Foundation in early 2020 as the Vice President of Advancement. In this role he works closely with donors and their advisors to encourage partnership with Truman Heartland for their philanthropic planning. He helps our non-profit partners build their own planned gift programs, and works with financial, legal and, tax advisors to help create tax-efficient charitable gift plans designed to achieve their client’s philanthropic goals.
Cole is a fundraising professional as well as an estates and trusts attorney who has implemented multi-million-dollar charitable campaigns. Before joining the Truman Heartland Team, he worked in university advancement overseeing both major gift and planned gift programs.
Cole currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Mid-America Planned Giving Counsel and is also a member of the Kansas City Estate Planning Society. A graduate of the University of Missouri Kansas City School of Law and member of the Missouri Bar, he began his career as a trial attorney and has served as an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney for Jackson County Missouri.
Jay Gilman, Vice President, The Compass Group
Jay Gilman brings over 15 years of nonprofit experience to The Compass Group. As both an independent consultant and with CCS Fundraising, Jay has raised tens of millions of dollars in partnership with over a dozen organizations in arts and culture, pediatric health, higher and primary education, conservation, multi-institutional collaborations, and public-private partnerships.
In addition to his consulting work, Jay has experience in the arts and culture sector having previously served as the artistic director of Minnesota Fringe and several similar roles. This gives him a unique perspective informed by cross-functional work in both programming and fundraising. Jay led several innovative, growth-oriented strategies while at Fringe including launching a membership model to reinvigorate annual giving, funding and launching three new programs, and expanding accessibility services to better accommodate patrons with disabilities.
As a passionate peer-educator, Jay has led conference workshops for the League of American Orchestras, Folk Alliance International, the Midwest Center for Nonprofit Leadership at University of Missouri-Kansas City, Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance, and National Guild for Community Arts Education. He supported 60+ mid- and senior-career professionals as a teaching assistant and grader at UPenn and its Center for Social Impact Strategy.
Jay is also a strong advocate for public arts funding, having served as a grant evaluator for the National Endowment for the Arts, Missouri Arts Council, Minnesota State Arts Board, and the Twin Cities’ Metropolitan Regional Arts Council.
Jay holds a certificate from BoardSource in Nonprofit Board Consulting (CNBC) and is a member of both the National and Mid-American Charitable Gift Planners associations (NACGP and MACGP). He earned his M.Sc. in Nonprofit Leadership from UPenn’s School of Social Policy while cross-enrolled in Wharton MBA courses, and his interdisciplinary B.A. from Goucher College. Since graduating, Jay has been honored to serve in a variety of volunteer leadership capacities for Goucher including as president, vice president, and as a board member of Alumnae and Alumni of Goucher College.
Krista Hurd, Director of Development, Community LINC
Krista Hurd currently serves as the Director of Development at Community LINC where she is responsible for the development and growth of robust and sustainable development programs. Concurrently, she maintains her engagement with major and gift planning donors and enjoys sharing the important mission of the organization, equipping and empowering families to establish stable housing and lasting independence with a vision to end family homelessness in Kansas City.
Before her tenure at Community LINC, Krista embarked on her fundraising journey over a decade ago at Children’s Mercy Hospital where she began her career in Gift Planning. Krista played a pivotal role in revitalizing and launching an extensive gift planning program, as well as establishing the inaugural gift planning stewardship initiative. Additionally, she served as a major gift officer, specializing in blended gifts and integrating gift planning into regular conversations with supporters.
In 2021, Krista assumed the position of Director of Donor Development followed by Director of Leadership Gifts at the PKD Foundation. During her tenure, she developed the foundation’s gift planning program and focused on fortifying and expanding their initiatives in mid-level giving, major gifts and gift planning.
Krista is dedicated to enhancing fundraising initiatives by optimizing strategies for greater efficiency. She is passionate about cultivating strong relationships with donors, assisting them in realizing their philanthropic objectives, and ensuring their contributions leave a lasting, meaningful legacy.
Ed Roberts, Divisional Director of Capital Campaigns, The Salvation Army Kansas/Western Missouri Division
Ed has 35 years of experience in the gift planning profession, including over 30 years with The Salvation Army. He has broad experience in working with donors and their advisors on planning a legacy for family, community, and causes close to the donors’ hearts. Ed is a Past President of Mid-America Charitable Gift Planners. He has presented to the Kansas City, Wichita, and Joplin chapters of the National Association of Charitable Gift Planners, and to The Salvation Army National Development Conference.
Ed enjoys hiking and biking, writing poetry for family and work events, traveling to national parks, and singing in the Kansas City Symphony Chorus. He and his wife Judy of 38 years have two sons and four grandchildren
Rebecca Zandarski, Director of Gift Planning for Kansas City Ballet
Rebecca is a seasoned gift planning professional with a track record of securing transformational gifts through donor-centric strategies. A Certified Specialist in Planned Giving (CSPG) and Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE), Rebecca excels in using marketing tools to analyze donor data, identify prospects, and guide them toward making legacy commitments.
Passionate about building meaningful relationships, Rebecca believes in leveraging storytelling, personalized engagement, and targeted marketing to inspire making gifts of assets. A skilled leader in donor stewardship, Rebecca is dedicated to advancing gift planning programs that align with both donor values and organizational impact.
Panel Discussion
Laura Martin, Manager of Philanthropic Giving, Children’s Mercy Hospital
Jennifer Wampler, Chief Philanthropy Officer, KC Ballet
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