Please help me congratulate our Legacy Gift Planner Bob Golberg. Yesterday, he received the 2014 Clinton A. Schroeder Distinguished Service Award from the Minnesota Planned Giving Council!
I first met Bob after he retired from a remarkable career in planned giving that spanned five decades. In 2011, Southwest Initiative Foundation posted a job opening for a Planned Giving Officer.
I received a call from Bob after he had spotted the posting. He shared that he began his nonprofit career at the Minneapolis YMCA and went on to start planned giving programs at Minnesota State University-Mankato and the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation.
I had to pinch myself to make sure it wasn’t a dream! To land a talent like Bob for our start-up planned giving program seemed too good to be true. In just under three years, Bob has transformed the way we work with financial professionals and donors. He tenaciously pushed for us to create new tools, publish new pieces and host new events focused on charitable giving.
What we discovered in getting to know Bob is that his dedication to his profession, his donors, and his colleagues stood out long before we met him. He is a charter member and frequent presenter for the Minnesota Planned Giving Council, and to date, Bob has secured over $31 million in planned gifts.
He has been a champion of the idea that anyone can leave a legacy with some thoughtful and creative planning. And, he is a really nice person. He’s positive, gracious, kind, and intelligent. He connects with people – donors and colleagues – in such a warm, genuine way.
And, it’s ultimately the donors who benefit from Bob’s work. He has a knack for listening and sharing stories. As he visits with people, the wheels start to turn. Suddenly, there are options for making a gift that had never been considered.
I can’t think of a better person for this honor. Thank you, Bob, for in your words “failing retirement” so you could continue impacting the field of philanthropy. You inspire us to be the best we can be in service to our donors and the profession.
