About Claudine

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Claudine A. Donikian, JD, MBA
President & CEO

Claudine A. Donikian, JD, MBA, has been the president/CEO and chief marketing officer of Pentera, Inc. since 2010 and is the first woman CEO in the planned giving marketing industry. Regarded as a top expert in the field, Claudine is a sought-after speaker and keynote speaker on the planned giving and AFP circuits and has presented new research studies at numerous national conferences as well as at the AFP International conference. As the chief marketing officer, she is the editor-in-chief for client marketing content and personally consults with a select group of Pentera's clients on their marketing strategy and execution. One of Claudine's professional areas of expertise is women in philanthropy, and she served as a member of the advisory board for the prestigious Women's Philanthropy Institute at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy for seven years and is also a recent member of the board of directors of the National Association of Charitable Gift Planners (CGP).

Claudine oversees all aspects of Pentera's business and marketing strategies as well as new-product development, with an emphasis on digital marketing, and she served on the Direct Marketing Association's Digital Innovation Committee. Under her leadership, the interactive department and client base has increased by 500%.

Claudine graduated Phi Beta Kappa and with highest distinction from Indiana University, received an MA in French from New York University, and holds a JD and an MBA from Boston College. She serves as a governor-appointed member on the board of directors of the Massachusetts Children's Trust Fund (a child abuse prevention agency) and has served on the boards of directors for the Brookview House (which provides housing for homeless women and children) and of the Philanthropic Planning Group of Greater New York in Manhattan (PPGGNY). She is an active member of CGP, PGGNE, and PPGGNY. Fluent in French, Claudine has also taught French for colleges, corporations, and adult education centers, where she was regarded as one of the top motivating teachers.

 

BOOK CLAUDINE TODAY TO SPEAK AT YOUR PLANNED GIVING COUNCIL

Most Popular Speaking Engagement Topics

Donor Stories in Planned Giving Marketing - To Use or Not to Use

The planned giving industry assumes that donor stories are an effective way to inspire other donors and to increase engagement, including response, in marketing materials. But what is it about donor stories that inspires prospective donors to make gifts? Could certain donor stories have the opposite effect and decrease engagement and response?

To date there has been no formal, large-scale research study conducted on planned giving marketing materials to support or counter those assumptions—until now. The Pentera research study to be presented analyzes two key e-mail metrics: The click-through rate and the response rate from tens of thousands of eNewsletters that went to millions of prospective donors over several years. The study includes the surprising key finding that certain types of donor stories can actually decrease response rates. Based on the findings of the study, we will recommend when to use donor stories in marketing materials and when not to as well as what types to avoid. Guidelines are presented on how to write effective donor stories and donor blurbs to get the best response rates possible.

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The Planned Giving Study: New Insights from Data on Planned Gifts

This session presents findings and recommendations from “The Planned Giving Study,” a multiphase research study commissioned by Ms. Donikian and researched by Indiana University that provides important new insights about actual donors of actual planned gifts and offers helpful recommendations for planned giving programs.

An in-depth analysis of legacy society membership data has been conducted. The study explored the following questions:

  • What are the characteristics of legacy society members? Are there any changes in membership profiles over time?
  • Who changed, or canceled, their planned gifts after they first joined the legacy society?
  • How do age, ethnicity, gender, family structure, and location influence bequest donor behavior?
  • Which types of planned giving vehicles and instruments did these members choose?
  • How much did members give or plan to give through their planned gifts?
  • Which types of programs received their planned gifts support?

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Click or Skip?
What Words Work Best with Donors in Planned Giving Marketing?

With e-mail engagement data, we know what percentage, how many, and exactly who is opening e-mails and clicking through on headlines. But what is it about the e-mail subject line or headline that is driving donors to want to click and read more? Alternatively, what keeps them from clicking to read more?

The findings to be presented will answer these questions and are based on a Pentera research study of client data spanning several years that looks at thousands of clients, thousands of e-mails, and tens of thousands of headlines, words, and phrases. We will delve into planned giving marketing messages and discover what factors increase or decrease engagement - that is, what marketing messages make donors want to read more. We will also propose how to use engagement metrics to boost your cultivation efforts.

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Women in Philanthropy: They Have the Wealth.
Do You Have the Tools to Reach Them?

The unequivocal truth is that women are changing the face of philanthropy. More and more philanthropic decisions are being made by women, who now control more than half the wealth in the United States—with that percentage projected to rise dramatically over the next several decades. At the same time, exciting new research shows that women are more philanthropic than men and that women donors think and act differently than their male counterparts.

The session will:

  • Explain the reasons for the historic wealth transfer to women.
  • Document the generosity of women.
  • Analyze how women philanthropists think differently, including key ways that women donors are different from men.
  • Present strategies for working with women donors.

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Marketing Legacy Gifts: Strategies That Work

With this timely and informative presentation, you will take an in-depth look at current donor and marketing research and learn how one national marketing expert shapes established marketing theory into strategies that work for marketing legacy gifts. Also drawing from research, testing, and feedback from Pentera's client base, Pentera's CEO and Chief Marketing Officer Claudine Donikian will share Pentera's innovative and proven strategies used by a growing number of today's charitable organizations and explain why they succeed. You will leave with a solid foundation in marketing legacy gifts to various target markets and with tips that you will be able to implement as soon as you get back to the office.

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Testimonials

"We could definitely benefit from your expertise."

"Claudine, I really got a lot out of your presentation on Tuesday at State Street's Annual Philanthropy Conference - thank you! As a next step, I would love to meet with you. We could definitely benefit from your expertise for our young planned giving program."

- Patricia Kelleher Bartram, Executive Director
Catholic Community Fund and Catholic Health Foundation of Greater Boston

"Thank you for the great tips."

"I attended the NOPGC/AFP luncheon in Cleveland today, and I thought you were excellent. One of the best NOPGC luncheons I have been to so far. Thank you for the great tips, and I will keep you in mind as I continue to build our planned giving program. Great company with great energy. Thank you."

- Karen Tigue, Donor Relations Officer, Cleveland Zoological Society

"Thoughtful, engaging, and directly on-point."

"Claudine recently presented to our planned giving council and discussed her presentation. Her advice was thoughtful, engaging, and directly on-point. Our membership raved about her presentation and took away immediate pointers that could be applied in their own shops."

- Melissa Cliett Levesquem, President, Cornerstone Philanthropic Advisors LLC

Prior Speaking Engagements

  • Keynote Speaker: New Jersey Council of Charitable Gift Planners Annual Conference
  • Keynote Speaker: Charitable Gift Planners of Central Ohio Conference
  • Keynote Speaker: Charitable Gift Planners of Kentuckiana Mini-Conference
  • Keynote Speaker: Planned Giving Council of Greater Philadelphia (PGCGP) All Day Conference
  • Keynote Speaker: Planned Giving Council of Greater Philadelphia (PGCGP) - 2018 Planned Giving Day Conference
  • Keynote Speaker: New Hampshire & Vermont Council of Charitable Gift Planners Conference
  • Keynote Speaker: Saint Louis Planned Giving Council
  • Keynote Speaker: Planned Giving Group of Northeast Florida Annual Symposium
  • Joint Presentation with Debra Mesch, PhD - Webinar with Indiana University School of Philanthropy
  • Joint Presentation with Russell James - Maine Planned Giving Conference
  • Joint Presentation with Una Osili, PhD - 2016 National Conference on Philanthropic Planning (NCPP)
  • Joint Presentation with Una Osili, PhD - 2015 National Conference on Philanthropic Planning (NCPP)
  • Greater Cincinnati Planned Giving Council March Virtual Meeting
  • Georgia Planned Giving Council March Meeting
  • Colorado Planned Giving Roundtable (CPGR) November Meeting
  • Northern Ohio Charitable Gift Planners Planned Giving Days Conference
  • Western Maryland Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals
  • Northwest Planned Giving Roundtable March Virtual Meeting
  • Mid-America Charitable Gift Planners
  • North Carolina and South Carolina Planned Giving Virtual Conference
  • Partnership for Philanthropic Planning of Rhode Island (PPPRI) March Virtual Meeting
  • Planned Giving Council of Eastern Wisconsin February Virtual Meeting
  • Hampton Roads Gift Planning Council January Virtual Meeting
  • Chesapeake Planned Giving Council of January Virtual Meeting
  • Planned Giving Roundtable of Arizona (PGRTAZ) November Virtual Meeting
  • Charitable Gift Planners of Tampa Bay November Virtual Meeting
  • Quad City Planned Giving Council November Virtual Meeting
  • Minnesota Gift Planning Association Annual Virtual Conference
  • Planned Giving Council of Siouxland November Virtual Meeting
  • Charitable Gift Planners of Nebraska November Virtual Meeting
  • Planned Giving Council of San Antonio (PGCSA) October Virtual Meeting
  • Planned Giving Council of Central Pennsylvania September Virtual Meeting
  • National Capital Gift Planning Council (NCGPC) Planned Giving Days Virtual Conference
  • Pittsburgh Planned Giving Council May Virtual Meeting
  • Maine Planned Giving Council June Virtual Meeting
  • Planned Giving Council of Greater Philadelphia March Educational Program (PGCGP)
  • Planned Giving Group of Connecticut (PGGCT) March Virtual Meeting
  • Charlottesville Area Planned Giving Council February Meeting (CAPGC)
  • Philanthropic Planning Group of Greater New York (PPGGNY) January Virtual Meeting
  • Planned Giving Roundtable of Southeast Michigan February Meeting
  • Charitable Gift Planners of Northeast Indiana February Meeting
  • Charitable Gift Planners of Tampa Bay January Meeting
  • Planned Giving Council of Greater Philadelphia Conference
  • Minnesota Planned Giving Council Annual Conference
  • Smokey Mountain Planned Giving Council October Meeting
  • Charitable Gift Planners Conference (National)
  • National Capital Gift Planning Council (NCGPC) Planned Giving Days Conference
  • Planned Giving Group of New England April Meeting
  • Planned Giving Council of Northeast Florida March Meeting
  • Partnership for Philanthropic Planning - Rhode Island Chapter November Breakfast Meeting
  • Philanthropic Planning Group of Greater New York (PPGGNY) Luncheon
  • Planned Giving Seminar “Building Bridges Between Major and Planned Gifts”
  • Philanthropic Planning Group of Greater New York (PPGGNY)
  • Charitable Gift Planners of Kentuckiana Mini-Conference
  • Partnership for Philanthropic Planning of Rhode Island (PPPRI)
  • Big Ten Planned Giving Conference
  • AFP International - New Orleans
  • 2018 CASE IV District Conference
  • Charitable Gift Planners of Central Florida
  • 2018 CASE D1 CONFERENCE
  • Chicago Council on Planned Giving
  • Alabama Association of Charitable Gift Planners
  • Pittsburgh Planned Giving Council
  • Planned Giving Council of Greater Philadelphia
  • National Association of Charitable Gift Planners
  • Planned Giving Forum of Greater Sacramento
  • Colorado Planned Giving Roundtable
  • Northern Ohio Planned Giving Council
  • Arizona Planned Giving Council
  • Washington Planned Giving Council
  • Planned Giving Council of Houston
  • Planned Giving Group of New England Meeting
  • CASE District VIII Conference
  • Planned Giving Group of Connecticut
  • PGCSA - Planned Giving Council of San Antonio
  • Planned Giving Group of Indiana
  • PGCGP - Planned Giving Council of Greater Philadelphia - 2016 Planned Giving Day Conference
  • Chesapeake Planned Giving Council (CPGC)
  • Pentera Planned Giving Seminar
  • National Capital Gift Planning Council (NCGPC) - Planned Giving Days
  • Philanthropic Planning Group of Greater New York (PPGGNY) - Planned Giving Day in NYC
  • Partnership for Philanthropic Planning (PPP) Webinar
  • Greater Naples Area Planned Giving Council
  • National Capital Gift Planning Council (NCGPC) Monthly Meeting
  • American Council on Gift Annuities (ACGA) Conference
  • Upstate New York Planned Giving Council
  • Georgia Planned Giving Council (GPGC) Quarterly Event
  • Planned Giving Round Table of Orange County (PGRTOC)
  • Partnership for Philanthropic Planning of Rhode Island (PPPRI)
  • Gift Planning Council New Jersey (GPCNJ)
  • Pentera Advanced Seminar
  • Chicago Council on Planned Giving 2015 Webinar Series
  • Nebraska Partnership for Philanthropic Planning
  • Minnesota Planned Giving Council (MPGC) 38th Annual Conference
  • Pentera's Comprehensive Planned Giving School
  • Chicago Council on Planned Giving (CCPG) - Annual Symposium
  • Northern California Planned Giving Conference (NCPGC) - all-day conference
  • SSgA Conference, Boston
  • Planned Giving Group of Indiana - Indiana Philanthropy Day
  • Philanthropy Partners of the Cape and Islands Philanthropy Day
  • Planned Giving Group of Connecticut
  • Northern Ohio Planned Giving Council
  • ALDE International Educational Conference
  • Philadelphia Planned Giving Day - all-day conference
  • Chicago Council on Planned Giving
  • Philanthropic Planning Group of Greater New York (PPGGNY)
  • PGMarketer Webinar
  • Evansville Area Fundraising Council
  • St. Bonaventure University
  • Western Regional Planned Giving Conference - annual all-day conference
  • Planned Giving Council of Central Massachusetts
  • Partnership of Philanthropic Planning Orange County
  • Suburban Chicago Planned Giving Council
  • Gift Planning Group of Northeastern New York
  • Savannah Area Planned Giving Council
  • Central Ohio Planned Giving Council
  • Planned Giving Roundtable of San Diego
  • Planned Giving Council of Cape Cod
  • New York Philanthropic Planning Symposium
  • Mid-Michigan Planned Giving Council
  • AFP Massachusetts Chapter
  • American Dental Association Foundation
  • Planned Giving Group of Indiana
  • Greater Chattanooga Area Planned Giving Council
  • Northern Ohio Planned Giving Council
  • Planned Giving Roundtable of Arizona
  • AFP Connecticut Chapter
  • Evansville Planned Giving
  • Chesapeake Planned Giving Council (CPGC)

Request for Claudine to Speak at Your Planned Giving Council!

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