Questions and Answers on the 50 (Previously 47) PGTS Standards.
Overview of the Revised NAD PGTS Standards
Revised Standards Implementation Process
01 – Who Is Required To Be Certified
PGTS Standard NAD Working Policy S 40 25 All personnel performing discretionary and/or fiduciary functions of trust development or management shall hold and maintain a PLANNED GIVING & TRUST SERVI…
Read More02 – Conflict of Interest Statements
PGTS Standard In the context of Planned Giving & Trust Services (PGTS), who must sign a Conflict of Interest Statement when making decisions on behalf of or working for the PGTS department? Genera…
Read More03 – Fidelity Bond
PGTS STANDARD When your attorney writes their opinion regarding the liability your organization assumes when offering Planned Giving & Trust Services (PGTS) to your constituents there is real risk…
Read More04a – Attorney Opinion Letters
(Formerly Standard 05a) PGTS Standard Opinion Letter’s Purpose The purpose of the written attorney opinion letter is to inform the organization’s administration of the potential risks that certa…
Read More04b – Joint Representation
(Formerly Standard 05b) PGTS Standard Joint Representation North American Division (NAD) Planned Giving & Trust Services (PGTS) Standard 4b potentially generates the most discussion of all the PGT…
Read More04c – Attorney Disclosures
(Formerly Standard 05c) PGTS Standard This article is the last in a series of three articles that have dealt with the nuances of North American Division (NAD) Planned Giving & Trust Services (PGTS…
Read More05 – Documents Prepared by Attorney
(Formerly Standard 04) PGTS Standard It is a common practice for legal documents such as wills, trusts, powers of attorney, advanced directives, and charitable gift annuities to be prepared by a paral…
Read More06 – Holding Title to Trust Assets
PGTS Standard Fiduciary Responsibility Understanding what your fiduciary responsibility requires is very important when owning real estate or holding any deeded property in a fiduciary capacity. Not f…
Read More07 – HIPAA
PGTS STANDARD 7. An opinion has been obtained from an attorney licensed to practice in the applicable jurisdiction regarding the implications of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act…
Read More08 – CGA Rates
PGTS Standard 8. Gift annuity rates are in accordance with denominational policy. (NADWP S 40 45) [PGO, PGP, PGTS] North American WP S 40 45 Gift Annuity Agreements— 1. Approved Organizations— General…
Read More09 – Hazardous Waste Assessment
PGTS Standard 9. When real properties are accepted into trust or in other instances where legal title is taken (either in a fiduciary or non-fiduciary capacity) on behalf of the trust or estate on or…
Read More10 – Investment Policies
(Formerly Standard 7) PGTS Standard Standard #10 concerns the fiduciary investment of revocable or irrevocable trust funds and applies to all accredited organizations that serve as trustees. All these…
Read More12 – Trust Investment Instructions
(Formerly Standard 8) PGTS Standard Fiduciary Investment Responsibility Standard #12 concerns the fiduciary investment of revocable trust funds and applies to all accredited organizations that serve a…
Read More13 – Trust/Estate Loans.
(Formerly Standard 13) PGTS Standard NAD WP S 40 55 Specifically Invested— All church entities acting as trustee of revocable trusts shall serve as such only in those cases where trust funds are inves…
Read More14 – Fiduciary Ownership Documented
(Formerly Standard 12) PGTS Standard Documents of Ownership If your organization accepts fiduciary responsibilities on behalf of members/donors and there are vehicles, mobile homes, and/or real estate…
Read More16 – Gift Acceptance Policy
PGTS Standard New GAP Requirement As of January 1, 2023, every Planned Giving & Trust Services accredited organization must have its own gift acceptance policy (GAP). Even God has a GAP, and his p…
Read More17 – Returning Original Documents
PGTS Standard 17. Written requests are obtained and appropriately verified by a method approved in writing by legal counsel who is authorized to practice in the applicable jurisdiction for the transfe…
Read More18 – Determining Invalid Wills
PGTS Standard 18. To consider a will no longer valid documentation must be in the file approved by legal counsel who is authorized to practice in the applicable jurisdiction. [PGP, PGTS] Determining t…
Read More19 – Issuing Receipts
(Formerly Standard 13) PGTS Standard Issuing Receipts Issuing the proper receipt is not just a PGTS Standard; it is a governmental requirement for the donor to receive their charitable tax benefit, an…
Read More2024 General Conference Corporation-CGA Rates
PGTS Standard 8. Gift annuity rates are in accordance with denominational policy. (NADWP S 40 45) [PGO, PGP, PGTS] North American WP S 40 45 Gift Annuity Agreements— 1. Approved Organizations— General…
Read More2024 IRA-Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD)
The new year brings exciting changes! In 2024, IRA-qualified charitable distribution (QCD) transfers for outright gifts are permitted up to $105,000 and up to $53,000 for the one-time electi…
Read More23 – Storing Files
PGTS Standard All physical files with current or potential fiduciary duties and all current legal documents are kept in properly secured fire-resistant files/vaults. All other fiduciary files and non-…
Read More25 – Checklists
(Formerly Standards 25, 32, and 33) PGTS Standard Charitable Gift Annuities a. A checklist of procedures to be followed in establishing new trusts and Charitable Gift Annuities. As soon as the first c…
Read More28 – Tax Reports
(Formerly Standard 14) PGTS Standard The keywords in this standard are “required,” “accurately,” and “timely.” This includes all types of federal and state taxes: income taxes, property taxes, trust,…
Read More29 – Interim Distributions
(Formerly Standard 27) PGTS Standard Donor-Centered Services Every planned gift will come to an end at some point in the future. Revocable planned gifts may be canceled or changed before maturity, whi…
Read More30 – Beneficiary Receipts
(Formerly Standard 28) PGTS Standard Types of Maturity Distributions There are two types of maturity distributions: those made to your organization and those made outside your organization. Those that…
Read More32 – Assets Not Commingled
(Formerly Standard 10) PGTS Standard Fiduciary Funds This standard requires all PGTS funds held in a fiduciary capacity on behalf of the donor must be kept in a bank account separate from funds the or…
Read More36 – List of POAs
PGTS Standard Planned Giving & Trust Services standard #36 requires organizations to create and maintain a list of their Powers of Attorney (POA) so that the organization may be aware of all known…
Read More38 – Reasonable Time
(Formerly Standard 30) PGTS Standard Defining Reasonable Time In describing legal processes, it is wise to not define things with too much detail. For example, the amount of time needed to process a m…
Read More39 – Trust and Estate Accounting
(Formerly Standard 16) PGTS Standard Standard #39 concerns the methods of evaluating non-cash assets when the trust or estate* becomes the legal owner of these assets. Decisions the organization makes…
Read More47 – Trust Revocations
(Formerly Standard 26) PGTS Standard Every planned gift will come to an end at some point in the future. Revocable planned gifts may be canceled or changed before maturity. When a trust agreement is r…
Read More48 – Returning Revoked Trust Assets
(Formerly Standard 29) PGTS Standard Returning Assets Standard #19 requires your organization to issue a receipt to the trustor when an asset is placed into a revocable trust. If at some time in the f…
Read More49 – Written Requests
(Formerly Standard 31) PGTS Standard Written Instructions Any Any time a trustor wants to withdraw assets from a revocable trust, there must be signed written instructions from the trustor that clearl…
Read MoreInsuring Real Property – Standard 15
Standard 15 – Insuring Real Property All insurable real property held as an irrevocable trust/estate asset is insured. For revocable trusts, all insurable real property assets should be insured u…
Read MoreReviewing File Management Procedures
File Management Procedures Effective file management procedures are integral to the smooth operation and success of planned giving and trust services offices. These offices play a critical role in man…
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