CONFERENCE
Three cities. One conversation that's long overdue. Whether you're deepening your expertise in complex giving vehicles, looking to connect with like-minded advisors, or simply searching for CE hours that actually feel worth your time, you found the right room.
Raleigh, NC
September 15, 2026
Charlotte, NC
September 16, 2026
Charleston, SC
September 22, 2026
More Than a Conference. A Community of Kingdom-Minded Givers.
Plan to Give is a complimentary continuing education conference hosted by NCF Carolinas — the regional home of the National Christian Foundation, the nation's largest Christian donor-advised fund provider. Each year, we bring together financial professionals from across the Carolinas for a morning of practical education, honest conversation, and real connection.
This isn't a sales pitch. It's an investment in you and in the clients you serve. We believe advisors who understand the full landscape of charitable giving tools are better equipped to lead their clients toward decisions that create lasting Kingdom impact. So we created a room for that.
Why Advisors Keep Coming Back
1. CE Credit That's Actually Worth It
Earn continuing education hours across three practical, professionally led sessions covering complex giving strategies, non-cash asset giving, real estate, business interests, and more. No fluff. No filler.
2. A Network That Shares Your Values
This isn't just a professional development event it's a gathering of advisors who believe generosity is more than a tax strategy. Connect with peers who bring their faith into their work with the same intentionality you do.
3. Hosted. Fed. Fully Complementary.
Breakfast and lunch are on us. Your seat is on us. Because we're here to invest in the advisor community, not to collect from it. Just register, show up, and leave better than you came.
A Morning Built Around What Matters Most
The Plan to Give conference is structured to move fast and go deep. Three focused sessions with space to breathe, connect, and ask the questions you never get to ask at other events.
Session topics may include:
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Non-cash asset giving: unlocking generosity beyond the checkbook
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Donor-advised funds and how to introduce them confidently to clients
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Estate and legacy planning through a biblical stewardship lens
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Complex giving vehicles for business owners and high-net-worth families
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Real stories from donors who gave differently, and what it changed
Full session schedule will be announced for each city.
Describe your image
Backed by 40+ Years of Moving Money Toward What Matters
NCF Carolinas is part of the National Christian Foundation — a network that has mobilized more than $25 billion for churches, ministries, and causes in all 50 states and 90+ countries, serving more than 90,000 charities. When we say we know generosity, we mean it, and we built this conference to share everything we've learned with you.
Partner With Us. Invest in the Carolinas Advisor Community.
Plan to Give is more than a conference, it's a platform. And for the right partners, it's an opportunity to put your name, your mission, and your message in front of a room full of trusted financial professionals who share your values.
We offer partnership opportunities across all three events — in Raleigh, Charlotte, and Charleston — giving you regional presence and the kind of authentic alignment that comes from showing up in a room that already believes what you believe.
PREVIOUS PARTNERS
2026 PARTNERS
SAVE YOUR SEAT
Three cities. One morning. A conversation your clients will thank you for. Attendance is completely free, but seats do fill up. Register today for the city nearest you and come ready to grow.
CONFERENCE SCHEDULE
7:30AM BREAKFAST
8:00AM REGISTRATION
8:15AM WELCOME & INTRODUCTIONS
8:30AM SESSION 1 - Advising Women & Widows
9:40AM SESSION 2 - Real Estate Giving
10:50AM SESSION 3 - Real Case Studies
7:30AM BREAKFAST
8:00AM REGISTRATION
8:15AM WELCOME & INTRODUCTIONS
8:30AM SESSION 1 - NextGen
9:40AM SESSION 2 - Charitable Giving Landscape
10:50AM SESSION 3 - Faith Driven Alternative Panel
12:00PM LUNCH
SPEAKERS
Parker Samelson
Parker Samelson speaks on next-generation stewardship, family legacy, generosity, and calling. He is co-author of Becoming Ascendants: A Framework for Next Generation Stewardship, co-host of the Ascendants podcast, and facilitator of Magnify, a community for Christian next-gens. He also serves as Vice President at National Christian Foundation Rocky Mountains, cultivating networks of givers, investors, advisors, and leaders to advance generosity and kingdom-minded stewardship. Parker is Co-Founder of Ivywild Capital, a real estate private equity firm that has deployed over $30 million across Colorado. He is a graduate of Wheaton College.
Erik currently serves in a market intelligence role at the National Christian Foundation (NCF), where his work helps inform organizational growth strategy. In addition, he leads NCF’s new Private Foundation Services program, developing and guiding a new offering designed to better serve families and individuals who utilize private foundations for their charitable giving. He also consults with a range of nonprofit and for-profit ventures.
Erik is the founder of M6:33 Capital, an impact investment fund focused on supporting companies that use business as a platform for sharing the Gospel. The fund is currently in a season of dormancy.
Prior to NCF and M6:33 Capital, Erik spent nearly two decades in fundraising roles, working primarily with private foundations and family offices. During this time, he also served for nine years as a consultant to the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), where he developed professional development programming to equip advancement professionals in their work with private foundations.
Erik Fast
Brett helped launch Oak City in 2012 and rejoined the team in 2021 to focus on client development. During his time away from Oak City, Brett scratched an international entrepreneurial itch before spending 5 years in venture banking at Square 1 Bank. Most recently, Brett managed the Wolfpack Investor Network, an angel investing network housed at NC State University.
A graduate of NC State’s Poole College of Management, Brett lives in Raleigh, NC with his wife, Lindsey and their three daughters. He enjoys playing golf, is a member at Providence Church and serves on the First Tee – Triangle’s Game Changers Council.
Brett Danforth
Mr. Batchelder serves as Chief Financial Officer at Sovereign’s Capital. Previously, Bret held a variety of leadership positions in finance, investment management and operations. After starting his career in commercial and investment banking, working with middle market companies throughout the United States, Bret was a Managing Director with Cherokee Investment Partners, LLC, where he helped raise $2.2 billion across five institutional private equity funds and invest this capital in the acquisition, cleanup, development, and sale of approximately 550 environmentally contaminated real estate assets in the United States, Europe and Canada. In parallel, he helped launch and manage a New Markets Tax Credit allocation program for economic development and job creation in distressed urban and rural communities. He has also invested personal capital in numerous early stage and middle market companies, sitting on the boards of several and serving as CEO or CFO of others.
Mr. Batchelder earned his MBA in Finance and Accounting from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management and holds a B.A. in Political Science from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he was a Morehead-Cain Scholar. He is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and successfully completed the CPA Exam (Illinois Certificate Number 70,958). Mr. Batchelder has also completed a postgraduate program in artificial intelligence and machine learning through the McCombs School of Business, University of Texas at Austin.
Bret Batchelder
For over 25 years, Julie has led organizations and shaped communication strategies. After earning a journalism degree from Boston University, she landed her dream job at NBC the same week she became a follower of Christ through Redeemer Presbyterian Church in NYC. She then spent 11 years helping to start with Priority Associates, a CRU ministry to young professionals in NYC and Orlando. Julie later served as VP of Communication and Programming at Generous Giving. Today, as President of Women Doing Well, she lives out her passion for women, leadership, and “cultivating change.” She lives in Richmond, Virginia with her husband, Gary, and their daughter, Ella.
Julie Wilson
Brandon Davis serves as the President of NCF Carolinas, an affiliate of the National Christian Foundation. Brandon has over 25 years of finance, insurance, wealth management and charitable giving experience. He served as a Wealth Advisor with Rinehart Wealth & Investment Advisory, providing clients with comprehensive financial planning. He also served as Principal and Vice President of The Morehead Group.
Originally from Hickory, North Carolina, Brandon graduated with distinction from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. After graduation, he joined Wachovia Capital Markets as a corporate financial analyst and as an associate in the bank’s institutional investor management group. He is a Certified Financial PlannerTM professional.
Brandon was the Past President of the Financial Planning Association of Charlotte and is a member of the Charlotte Estate Planning Council and Kingdom Advisors. He is an active member of Uptown Church where he also serves as a Finance Deacon.
Brandon Davis
Jay Mink split his formative years between Los Angeles and Toronto, Canada. By God's grace, he moved South to the Queen City in 1997 to finish his undergraduate degree at UNCC.
He and his wife Ashley met as volunteer leaders with Charlotte Young Life and married in 2001. They now have three teenage children with their oldest attending Samford University.
Jay launched a marketing and advertising agency in 2002 and spent 15 years leading the company in service to a diverse group of for-profit and nonprofit clients. Of those, the most personally rewarding were churches, ministries and missions’ agencies. Jay transitioned to spend the last 3 years with an international mergers and acquisitions firm as Senior Director helping advise business owners in growth strategies and exit planning.
Joining NCF, Jay brings his kingdom-minded motivation and business background to bear in supporting fellow believers in maximizing their charitable planning for God's glory.
Jay Mink
Kate Gardner a next-generation investor and philanthropist with a passion for holistic stewardship and community-building. Kate co-authored Becoming Ascendants and co-hosted the Ascendants podcast with Parker Samelson. Her personal story includes an inheritance event at 21 that has lead to a life of stewarding resources from a faith-based lens with a particular focus on international missions and impact investing. She graduated from Princeton University, hails from Washington, DC, and has been a resident of Nashville for 5 years. She also spends her time on localized relationships, prayer, and helping other Next-Gens through a faith-based community called Magnify and media around philanthropy. She seeks to encourage other inheritors and business families to seek relational health, creativity, and purpose in the way they both wrestle with and embrace stewarding resources and living a legacy.
Kate Gardner
As Senior Vice President of Investments, Mark is responsible for leading NCF’s day-to-day investment management operations and driving the development and implementation of a comprehensive investment strategy. He is instrumental in helping to shape and grow NCF’s investment policies and programs in collaboration with NCF’s Investment Committee and National Board of Directors. With nearly 25 years of leadership experience in the investment management industry, Mark has a strong track record of successfully managing complex portfolios and driving strategic investment initiatives. His leadership ensures that NCF’s investment programs remain aligned with the foundation’s mission while delivering long-term financial sustainability for charitable impact.
Prior to coming to NCF, he was with Hartford Investment Management Company in Hartford, CT, where he served as Senior Vice President, Portfolio Manager, and Head of Strategic Investments. In addition, Mark served as Chief Financial Officer of TrustBridge Global, an international granting platform frequently utilized by NCF givers. His work across these roles demonstrates a deep commitment to financial excellence and global philanthropy.
He is both a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). He holds a BA in Accounting, Summa Cum Laude, from Gordon College in Wenham, Massachusetts.
Mark Whitsitt
Mike Schneider is the CEO and co-founder of Acre, a platform pioneering a new model of homeownership and investment to advance the American Dream.
He previously served as CEO of First, a real estate data and machine-learning platform he co-founded and grew to a strategic acquisition by RE/MAX. He then joined the leadership of RE/MAX as Vice President of Technology Strategy.
Before building First, Mike was on the founding team of Sovereign’s Capital, a multi-strategy platform focused on faith-aligned investing.
Mike holds degrees in Public Policy Studies and English from Duke University. He lives in Durham, NC with his wife Bethany and their four children.
Mike Schneider
Connie Hougland serves as VP, Charity Experience and Market Strategy for National Christian Foundation (NCF). Connie has been part of the NCF family since 2000.
She is passionate about the cause of generosity and works to help NCF support charities in serving givers and unlocking unique giving opportunities.
She is the author of What If God’s Got This: 6 Key Pillars for Sustainable Ministry. Connie was blessed to be married to her high school sweetheart, Blaine, for 37 years until the Lord called him home in the Spring of 2022 after a long battle with cancer. She continues to reside in the Kansas City area where she enjoys spending time with her family, especially her four grandsons Hudson, Sawyer, Mason and Miles.
Connie Hougland
Kate Gardner a next-generation investor and philanthropist with a passion for holistic stewardship and community-building. Kate co-authored Becoming Ascendants and co-hosted the Ascendants podcast with Parker Samelson. Her personal story includes an inheritance event at 21 that has lead to a life of stewarding resources from a faith-based lens with a particular focus on international missions and impact investing. She graduated from Princeton University, hails from Washington, DC, and has been a resident of Nashville for 5 years. She also spends her time on localized relationships, prayer, and helping other Next-Gens through a faith-based community called Magnify and media around philanthropy. She seeks to encourage other inheritors and business families to seek relational health, creativity, and purpose in the way they both wrestle with and embrace stewarding resources and living a legacy.
Daniel Hicks
Richard Newton, CTFA (Certified Trust and Financial Advisor), has worked in the Trust and Family Office Business for over 35 years. He served in a variety of positions in the Trust and Wealth Management Division of a large national bank for 20 years prior to pursuing a different vocational calling in the creation of Richard Newton & Associates, A Trust and Family Office Consulting Firm.
Since 2013 Richard has also been affiliated with the National Christian Foundation (NCF) as a Senior Gift Advisor and in late 2016 Richard became the Regional Director of the Raleigh Affiliate of NCF. At NCF, Richard serves people interested in giving with the goal to mentor on stewardship and generosity, build long lasting relationships, and fully identify, explain and facilitate complicated giving solutions and services. Richard loves the ministry work he gets to participate in daily. It is a great joy to service givers and ministries at the intersection of amazing work for the Kingdom! His personal focus is spending time discipling men as they journey in life and seek to keep Jesus a part of it.
Richard and Elaine have been married for 36 years and have two amazing daughters Liz, Emily and her husband, Michael. Richard enjoys cycling and all things outdoors…. his birthday is January 1 and he annually rides his birthday years in miles while down at Atlantic Beach NC!
Richard Newton
Josh Kristowski brings with him a variety of experiences that he hopes will serve NCF givers well. Starting his career in banking then transiting into business ownership shortly after college he gained an appreciation and interest in entrepreneurship, finance, tax, and accounting.
Josh has held roles as an operations and finance manager for an international start up, a corporate controller for a land brokerage firm, tax accountant, and most recently as a business analyst on the Network Relations team of NCF. He teaches adjunct classes in finance and business at the local technical college and is enrolled at Liberty University working toward a PhD. in entrepreneurship. Josh holds a bachelor’s degree in international business, an MBA in corporate finance, and is just finishing a M.S. degree in Business Analytics from Charleston Southern University.
Josh lives in Awendaw, SC just north of Charleston on a small hobby farm with his wife Amanda of 21 years and their four kids (Jak – 19, Grace -17, Ben – 15, and Brad – 11). The family homeschools, attends the Church at LifePark, are active in various local and church ministries. He loves spending his free time on the water, in the woods, or on the sports fields.
Josh has a passion for Gods people, building impactful relationships, and looks forward to being a part of what God is doing in the Charleston area.
Josh Kristowski
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NCF Carolinas
6115 Park South Drive
Suite 320
Charlotte, NC 28210