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Session 1: OBBBA Impact on Nonprofits and Charitable Giving

• Lizbeth Nevarez, CPA, GHJ, Nonprofit Tax Practice Leader

This session will take a deep dive into the latest legislative bill shaping the charitable landscape and unpack what it means for donors, nonprofits, and the communities they serve. Together, we’ll explore how these provisions could reshape giving incentives, influence fundraising strategies, and chart the future of nonprofit operations.

Session 2: Navigating Uncertainty in Your Gift Program

• Rebecca L. Gennaro, CAP®, Senior Philanthropic Advisor, Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.
• Danielle Gordon, CSPG, Associate Vice President of Philanthropy, Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County
• Bill Knox, Senior Director, TIAA Kaspick’s Technical Consulting and Strategic Innovation Projects

Nonprofits today are operating in an unpredictable and challenging environment—federal policy changes, tariffs that ripple through markets, economic uncertainty, and taxation shifts are shaping both donor behavior and institutional strategy. These pressures directly affect gift conversations, board planning, and the stability of fundraising programs.

This panel will go beyond tax implications and focus on what charitable gift planners and advisors need to know to navigate uncertainty with clarity, including:

• Emerging trends and legislative/economic changes: tariffs, market fluctuations, and tax policy—and how they may influence charitable giving.
• Donor psychology under uncertainty: how economic pressures shape giving behavior, motivations, and timing, and strategies to keep donors engaged.
• Key tools and structures: when 501(c)(3)/501(c)(4) structures, Charitable Remainder Trusts, and Charitable Gift Annuities can mitigate risk or provide stability in volatile conditions.
• Leadership and messaging strategies: equipping boards and staff to communicate resilience and maintain donor trust.

Session 1 Speaker

Lizbeth Nevarez, CPA, is GHJ’s Nonprofit Tax Practice Leader, who has more than 17 years of public accounting experience providing tax and consulting services. She is the Secretary for GHJ Foundation, GHJ’s vehicle for purposeful and proactive giving to the community. Additionally, Lizbeth co-sponsors GHJ’s Women’s Empowerment Cohort, which is part of GHJ’s DEIA initiative.

Lizbeth is a frequent speaker on nonprofit tax issues. She has completed the Riordan Leadership Institute’s Board service program through the Los Angeles Junior Chamber of Commerce, which cultivates business professionals for lifelong service in the nonprofit community. She has also taught courses on Form 900 basics and private foundations through CalCPA.

Outside of her work with GHJ, Lizbeth serves on the board of several nonprofits. She is part of the Mexican American Opportunity Foundation Board, which supports the socio-economic betterment of the greater Latino community of California. Her board involvement also includes the Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County, which provides free legal assistance to nearly 160,000 individuals and families throughout Los Angeles County every year. Lizbeth has been recognized as a Leader of Influence: Minority CPA and Nonprofit and Philanthropy by the Los Angeles Business Journal for her contributions to the community and accounting industry. She is also a recipient of the L.A. Times’ DEIA Visionaries award.

Session 2 Speakers

Rebecca L. Gennaro, CAP®  Rebecca Gennaro is a senior philanthropic advisor and executive director with Wells Fargo Bank Wealth & Investment Management. She  works with individuals and families to define and help achieve their charitable objectives as part of their overall wealth plans. This may include gift and tax planning, multi-generational planning, reviewing estate plans, and the creation and management of donor advised funds, private foundations, charitable trusts, and other charitable planning strategies. She also works extensively with nonprofit organizations, where she advises in the areas of gift planning, endowment management, board governance, and other management issues. She has worked in the philanthropic space for almost 20 years.

Rebecca earned her Bachelor of Arts with honors from the University of California Riverside and her Juris Doctor from Pepperdine University School of Law. She is a member of the California State Bar (not currently practicing) and holds the Charted Advisor in Philanthropy (CAP®) designation from The American College of Financial Services.

Investment and Insurance Products are:

• Not Insured by the FDIC or Any Federal Government Agency
• Not a Deposit or Other Obligation of, or Guaranteed by, the Bank or Any Bank Affiliate
• Subject to Investment Risks, Including Possible Loss of the Principal Amount Invested

Wells Fargo Wealth & Investment Management offers financial products and services through affiliates of Wells Fargo & Company. Trust Services are available through Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. and Wells Fargo Delaware Trust Company, N.A.

Wells Fargo & Company and its affiliates do not provide tax or legal advice. This communication cannot be relied upon to avoid tax penalties. Please consult your tax and legal advisors to determine how this information may apply to your own situation. Whether any planned tax result is realized by you depends on the specific facts of your own situation at the time your tax return is filed.

Danielle Gordon, CSPG is the Associate Vice President of Philanthropy at the Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County where she oversees all Individual Giving and Advancement Systems teams including major and planned giving. Previous to this position, she spent more than a decade working in the independent school community, mostly as Director of Development at The Webb Schools and the Raymond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology. She loves demystifying planned giving and helping every donor see that planned giving is for them! Outside of work, you can usually find her at a concert, dance class, or cheering on her kids from the stands at their baseball and basketball games. She lives in Atwater Village with her husband, two sons, and two dogs. 

Bill Knox serves as the Senior Director of TIAA Kaspick’s Technical Consulting and Strategic Innovation Projects groups. Having practiced in charitable giving for over 20 years, Bill provides tax and technical advice to Kaspick and its clients in all aspects of estate and gift planning and gift administration. He serves as the legal expert to a number of charitable affinity groups and regularly presents on a variety of topics at events across the country. Bill holds a BA in political science from the California State University, Chico. He received his JD from the Columbus School of Law at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., and his LL.M in Tax from Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, CA. 

Schedule:

8:30 am – 9:00 am Breakfast

9:00 am – 10:00 am, Session 1

10:00 am - 10:15 am, Break

10:15 am - 11:15 am, Session 2

11:15 pm - Adjournment

Fee:

$50 Members, $75 Nonmembers

Location:

Braille Institute
Weingart Center
741 N. Vermont Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90029

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Cancellation Policy

SoCalCGP regrets that refunds will not be given for no-shows. A refund of full registration is permitted prior to an event by submitting a written request to [email protected]. 

SoCalCGP reserves the right to change speakers and/or cancel an event due to unforeseen circumstances without penalty. The total amount of any liability of SoCalCGP will be limited to a refund of the attendee’s registration fee.

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Continuing Education

SoCalCGP is approved as continuing education provider #3889 of MCLE credit by the State Bar of California and designated this activity for a maximum of 2.0 hours of credit.

SoCalGP is also approved for CFRE continuing education credits. Full participation in the education session is applicable for 2.0 points in Category 1.B – Education of the CFRE International application for initial certification and/or recertification.

Certified Specialist in Planned Giving (CSPG) continuing education credits for Planned Giving are self-reported and the appropriate attendance certificate will be provided after the event.

An application for continuing education credits for CFP® is submitted when the course content is within the CFP® Board guidelines.

Continuing Professional Education (CPE) credits for CPAs through the California Board of Accountancy are self-reported and it is the obligation of each licensee to select a course of study consistent with CBA requirements.