What People Are Saying
“If you are looking for practical and passionate presentations on how to improve your legacy planning program, Cathy Sheffield is your go to source. Her presentation, Discovery: How to Learn About a Donor’s Assets, will help you learn more about your donors using conversations. Cathy will provide you with practical questions that will help you, help your donors tell you their story. I highly recommend Cathy Sheffield to you and your organization.”
- Stephen M. Davis, Senior Planned Giving Director, Medical College of Wisconsin & Froedtert Hospital Foundation
"Cathy Reagan Sheffield has never worked a day in her life. Working with nonprofits and their goals is not a job to her, but rather her life mission. Her thoughtfulness, compassion, and expertise in both major and planned gifts has brought help to college students and helped patients receive better care these last 15+ years to our community. I have known Cathy for nearly 10 years. I owe my own career to her as she has mentored me during this time. She would be a valuable asset to any organization, and I highly recommend her."
- Holly Hull Miori, CFRE, Director of Development and Alumni Relations, The University of Texas at Dallas
"I owe my career to Cathy Sheffield. When she hired me in 1997, I found a lifelong mentor, friend, and colleague who continually inspires me to focus on the joy of facilitating philanthropy. Cathy is genuine, knowledgeable, and an incredibly skilled fundraising professional. Her immense care and concern for people, coupled with her knowledge and respect for the organizations and missions she represents are evident as soon as you meet her. She truly brings value to all that she commits herself to - whether it be her work, volunteerism, or her relationships. I am truly grateful to have worked for her at the beginning of my career, as she provided a foundation that continues to serve me well twenty years later!"
- Gwen Notestine, Senior Director of Development, The University of Texas Health Science Center
“Cathy is a consummate professional both in her knowledge of integrated philanthropy and her ability to effectively convey information to others. Her speaking and planning abilities are top notch. She was intimately involved with helping me develop an introduction to charitable gift planning curriculum for the Dallas Council of Charitable Gift Planners. We put together a six month course on implementing a charitable gift planning program for nonprofits that think they should be doing gift planning but don’t think they have the staff, knowledge or budget to implement it. We showed them how. Cathy was on the faculty for the program and put together an outstanding program and presented it flawlessly. She is engaging, warm and welcoming and one of the friendliest people I have the honor of knowing. Her professional qualifications and personal attributes make her a stand out individual in our philanthropic community.”
-Kent Weimer, CAP®, Senior Charitable Advisor, Parkland Foundation, Dallas, Texas
"I have had the privilege of hearing Cathy present on several occasions. She has a thorough knowledge and understanding of planned giving vehicles and concepts, and how we as professionals can better work with our donors to address philanthropy and estate planning concerns and needs. Cathy shares basic concepts and complex gift arrangements in easy to understand language, with a well-prepared outline to guide the audience through the steps involved, regardless of the "degree of difficulty". Cathy supplements the nuts and bolts with personal stories (hers and others) to fully illustrate concepts in real-life situations. I would highly recommend her as a facilitator, presenter, and consultant."
-Melissa Wagner Filipi, Executive Director, Community Services Fund of Nebraska
"Working with Cathy at the beginning of my gift planning career is one of the best decisions I've ever made. Her experience, knowledge and connections with other gift planning and allied professionals are invaluable. Cathy is one of the key reasons why I have enjoyed success in this profession.
I recently attended Cathy's talk on blended gifts during the 2017 DFW AFP Conference. Her understanding of the tools available for gift planning - from the simple to the highly complex - and ways to combine them for the best possible outcome is unmatched. She has a refreshing perspective on collaboration among development professionals that encourages a focus on what's best for the donor while creating impactful opportunities for philanthropy. Cathy is my go-to for questions about creating best-case scenarios."
-Joni Hart, Director, Major Gifts, Region II, American Cancer Society
"Cathy has a rare gift of enthusing others by virtue of her knowledge and passion for her subject matter. What a highlight! Cathy blessed the attendees of the Association of Lutheran Development Executives IGNITE 2019 Conference with her creativity, friendliness, and generosity."
- Jeff Frosch, Director of Alumni and Donor Relations, Concordia University
"I have had the honor of serving with Cathy Sheffield in many professional capacities, including as a co-presenter. Cathy is a consummate professional and very generous with her knowledge and expertise. Her leadership is always successful."
- Christopher Kelly, Director of Major & Planned Giving, Schoolcraft College Foundation
The University of North Texas Health Science Center Foundation
