In partnership with the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, please join us for a Distinguished Speaker Series program.
One Size Does Not Fit All – Selecting the Best Type of Charity to Achieve a Donor’s Philanthropic and Planning Goals
Presented by Michele McKinnon
Tuesday, January 20, 2026 – Joint Councils Meeting
5:15 p.m. – Registration and cocktails
6:00 p.m. – Dinner and opening remarks
6:15 p.m. – 7:15 p.m. – Program
Location: Michael’s On East
The marital deduction is often taken for granted because it is one of the few areas of estate tax law that has been relatively static for decades. The deduction often has subtleties, however, and sets traps for the unwary. This program will provide a review of the key requirements for and application of the marital deduction and will suggest practical uses for this nuanced tool.
CE Credit: 1.0 hour of continuing education for Attorneys, CFPs, CPAs, and Trust Officers
Registration Details:
As a benefit of Charitable Gift Planners of Southwest Florida membership, our members are invited to participate at a discounted rate of $40/CGPSWFL member. Please simply select "CGPSWFL" when completing the registration process. For non-members who would like to register as your guest, a $90 guest registration fee is required. After registering through the Community Foundation of Sarasota County's website, event attendees will receive a separate invoice from the Charitable Gift Planners of Southwest Florida. (For those who participate as a member of multiple organizations, please register as a Southwest Florida Estate Planning Council member if you are active with the SWFEPC.)
Click Here to Register
Registration Deadline: January 16, 2026
Please note: Please direct any registration questions about this event to Barbie Gonzalez (bgonzalez@cfsarasota.org) at the Community Foundation of Sarasota County. The CFSC office will be closed Monday, January 19, 2026, in observation of Martin Luther King Jr Day.
THANK YOU TO OUR PROGRAM SPONSOR:
ABOUT OUR SPEAKER:
Michele A. W. McKinnon
Partner, McGuireWoods LLP
Michele McKinnon is a Partner in the Richmond, Virginia, office of McGuireWoods LLP and is a member of its Private Wealth Services Group and head of its Nonprofit and Tax-Exempt Organizations group. With 40 years of experience, she represents many public charities, major colleges and universities, supporting organizations, private foundations, and charitable trusts in all aspects of compliance with the federal tax laws, as well as with governance, endowment, and investment matters. Her work also includes planned giving, estate planning, and estate and trust administration.
She is a Fellow in the American College of Trusts and Estates Counsel and a member of its Board of Regents. She previously served as ACTEC’s Virginia State Chair and is a past Chair of its Charitable Planning and Exempt Organizations Committee. She lectures and writes regularly including presentations for Heckerling Institute on Estate Planning, ACTEC, ALI-ABA, Southern Federal Tax Institute, and Virginia CLE.
Ms. McKinnon received her B.A. degree from the University of Virginia (1982), her J.D. degree, magna cum laude, from the University of Richmond (1985), and her LL.M. in taxation from the College of William and Mary (1992).
