Pooled Trusts Intensive

Wednesday, October 16, 2024

8:00 a.m. - 8:15 a.m.

Welcome and Announcements

8:15 a.m. - 9:45 a.m.

Lessons Learned: Protecting the Trust's Assets from Corporate Misconduct
Stephen Dale and David Goldfarb
[Description Coming Soon]

9:45 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.

Break and Visit with Sponsors and Exhibitors
Sponsored by Special Needs Alliance 

10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

Administering Stand Alone Trusts: Differences and Similarities to the Pooled Trust and the Many Considerations in Between
Megan Brand, Bradley Frigon, and Peter Wall
Whether your organization is already administering stand alone trusts or you’re in the beginning stages of considering it, the presenters will cover the benefits, potential pitfalls and what to consider from administrative, legal, tax and investment perspectives. Through the use of case studies, an overview of discretionary distribution language, remainder person considerations, and fiduciary liability will be provided as well as a review of case law.

11:30 a.m. - 12:00 a.m.

What It's Like To Be Regulated
Kerry Tedford-Coles
Recent misconduct by a pooled trust administrator has resulted in a call for more oversight of not for profit trustees. The presenter will discuss what is it like to be a pooled trust organization regulated by the State of Connecticut Department of Banking. This will include annual bank exams (audits), quarterly requirements and building a relationship with the banking regulators.

12:00 p.m. - 1:15 p.m.

Lunch
Sponsored by Life Enrichment Trust

1:15 p.m. - 2:05 p.m.

Breakout Session 1

• Empowering Impact: Best Practices in Charitable Giving for Pooled Trusts
  Kevin Hayde
  Today, more than ever, pooled trust organizations play a vital role in efficiently managing charitable funds to create meaningful and lasting impact. This presentation will revisit/review The National Pooled Trust Standards Committee’s ‘Guidelines for Pooled Trusts’ as the guide for meeting the aspirational standards of:
  
  •    Aligning Mission and Vision with Charitable Fund utilization
  •    Transparency and Accountability
  •    Impact Measurement and Evaluation – defining success
  •    Collaboration and Partnerships
  •    Governance oversight of an organization’s charitable funds
  
  Through this presentation, attendees will gain insights into the critical role of pooled trust organizations in effective charitable fund management and leave equipped with actionable strategies to enhance their philanthropic impact. The goal is to improve the nature and quality of pooled trust program services for its constituents. Guidelines will be made available at the session.
  
  
• SSA Special Initiatives
  Ben Belton (invited)
  [Description Coming Soon]

2:10 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Breakout Session 2

• Compassion Fatigue: Understanding the Challenge and Cultivating Resilience
  Brenna Galvin and Teresa Whitton
  Learning Objectives
  •   Gain an understanding of Compassion Fatigue and burnout, including definitions, causes, and common symptoms.•   Learn effective coping strategies and self-care techniques to mitigate the impact of •   Develop skills to recognize the signs of Compassion Fatigue and burnout in oneself and others, and to implement proactive measures to prevent its onset or alleviate its effects

• Your Beneficiary Up and Left: What are the Liabilities and Responsibilities of the Trustee?  
  Karen Konvicka and Kristi Papez
  What happens when a beneficiary moves to another state?  This session will discuss continued distributions and transfers to other pooled trusts or stand-alone trusts, and the trustee’s duty to find a missing beneficiary.  We will also focus on protecting the trustee when exercising discretion to transfer to another pooled trust or accepting an account from another pooled trust.  The Uniform Trust Act, Uniform Decanting Act and Uniform Guardianship Act will serve as a basis for discussion.

3:00 p.m. - 3:20 p.m.

Break and Visit with Sponsors and Exhibitors
Sponsored by Special Needs Alliance

3:20 p.m. - 4:10 p.m.

Breakout Session 3

• Sex, Drugs, and Rock n' Roll: Atypical Beneficiary Distribution Requests
  Megan Brand, Marco Chayet, and Peter Wall
  All trustees have "that" story - the discretionary distribution request that catches you and your team a bit off-guard.  This session will address how and from whom such requests are made, sole benefit impact, discretionary distribution language drafting and implications, beneficiary expectation setting, and distribution funding mechanisms. Music and gig-themed trivia and fact patterns abound - as well as a case law review and interactive case studies!

• Charting the Course Navigating Succession Planning
  Barb Helm and Kevin Hayde
  

  Succession planning is a critical aspect of organizational management that is often overlooked, particularly in not-for-profit (NFP) organizations. While NFPs are driven by altruistic motives rather than profit, they are still complex entities with missions, strategies, and operations that require effective leadership. This presentation will provide a working definition of succession planning while analyzing the components of the same:

  •    Preservation of Mission and Values
  •    Continuity of Leadership
  •    Capacity Building and Talent Development
  •    Stakeholder Confidence and Trust
  •    Adaptation to Changing Context

  Through this presentation, attendees will be shown examples of how both Arcare and Wispact, Inc. have organized their succession plans and the governance oversight of those plans.

4:15 p.m. - 5:15 p.m.

Call to Action/Legislative Update
Kerry Tedford-Coles, Roxanne Chang, and David Goldfarb
Staying current with legislative, regulatory and policy updates that impact people with disabilities is a necessity to properly support pooled trust beneficiaries. This session will review the most current legislative, regulatory and policy updates that trustees need to know. Session experts will also provide an overview of proposed changes along with what pooled trust administrators can do to help institute change.