The Philanthropic Institute for Professional Advisors (PIPA) is a collaboration between the St. Louis Community Foundation, The Jewish Federation of St. Louis and the Roman Catholic Foundation of Eastern Missouri. These organizations are united in their goal of providing tools to professional advisors that will increase confidence in communicating with clients about charitable giving.
The Philanthropic Institute for Professional Advisors (PIPA) is designed to deepen understanding of the values that drive philanthropy and to help advisors align charitable strategies with client intentions.
As client expectations evolve, advisors are increasingly looking to integrate charitable planning into their practice – not only as a value-add, but to strengthen client relationships. PIPA meets this need by equipping advisors with practical tools, actionable giving strategies, and a peer network to support confident, effective philanthropic conversations.
The program asks for a participation commitment of five four-hour sessions throughout the year. Each session will provide insight and practical communication skills to benefit the class professionally and personally. The aim is to provide a very high level of content that is unlike the CE courses that advisors routinely attend. “Students” will graduate with a certificate, a new network of peers, and a deeper appreciation for the value of incorporating charitable planning into their practices.
Class of 2026 Schedule
Session One: Helping Client Families Align with Each other and their Values, Impact and Legacy
Date: Tuesday, August 11, 2026 | 9:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
Presenter: Patrick Sablich, Fifth Third Bank, National Director Family Wealth Services
Session Two: The How – and How Not – of Charitable Giving: Real World Lessons, Regulatory Realities, and Advisor “Save” Strategies
Date: Tuesday, September 15, 2026 | 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Presenter: Jeffrey Keiser, Chief Legal Officer & Director of Family Office Services, Archford Capital
Session Three: Understanding the Giving Glossary: Tools, Vehicles, & Strategic Application
Date: Tuesday, October 13 | 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Presenter: Ray S. Kreienkamp, Partner, Husch Blackwell
Session Four: Legacy Planning & Intergenerational Philanthropy: A Conversation with Foundation Experts and Professional Advisors
Date: Tuesday, November 17 | 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Presenters/Facilitators:
– Shelly Azar, Director, Legacy Giving at Jewish Federation of St. Louis
– Josina Greene, Director of Giving Strategies, St. Louis Community Foundation
– Michael Weisbrod, Senior Gift Planning Officer, Roman Catholic Foundation
Professional Advisor Panel:
– Abigail George, Senior Vice President, Director of Family Office, Busey
– Rene Morency, Corporate, Estate Planning, and Tax Counselor, Trusted Advisor, Pathlight Law
PIPA Culmination Reception: Cheers, Charity, & Reflections – Honoring the 2026 PIPA Cohort!
Date: November 17th, 2026 | 4:00p.m. – 5:30p.m.
Interested in viewing in-depth session descriptions with information on learning objectives, activity overviews, learning outcomes, and session deliverables? Click here: PIPA 2026 In-Depth Session Descriptions