Original Canadian Gift Planning Course

Join us for the next Original Canadian Gift Planning Course 

February 9 - 13, 2026

Banff, Alberta

 

Registration will open in August 2025

“This course is full of great content for any gift planner, but the nuggets of real life examples and the networking experience you get from attending  is pure gold.”

- Christina Beeston, Development Officer, Children Believe

 

Quick links

About the Course

The Original Canadian Gift Planning course is the longest-running and one of the most respected courses available on philanthropy in Canada. Originally developed in 1990, this comprehensive 5-day course provides in-depth education on the full range of gift planning issues: from detailed information on the tax aspects of gift planning to topics such as working with donors, program marketing, stewardship, and ethics. This course provides an unrivaled educational experience, balancing formal classroom learning, in-depth discussions, group work, and case studies, while always incorporating adult-learning principles.

Who Should Attend

The Original Canadian Gift Planning course is suitable for charity-based gift planners, senior executives, board members as well as professional advisors, accountants, insurance agents and estate planners involved in charitable giving.

The Experience

This comprehensive course covers all aspects of gift planning from the very technical to importance of building relationships with donors. You will spend the week with colleagues from across the country, learning from each other as well as the two outstanding faculty selected specifically for their expertise. Be assured you will be part of a very intense, educational experience and a fun and unforgettable week where you will be fully immersed in the world of gift planning.

Some of the topics covered:

  • Tax Aspects of Gift Planning in Canada
  • Charitable Bequests & Endowments
  • Publicly Listed Securities
  • Charitable Gift Annuities
  • Cultivation of Prospects
  • Gifts of Life Insurance
  • Planned Giving Topics
  • Recognition of Donors
  • Stewardship
  • Marketing
  • Starting a Gift Planning Program
  • Dealing with the Subject of Death
  • Ethical & Liability Issues
  • Group Case Studies

See the agenda (2025)

Subject to change
 

Are you unsure about where to begin or which course is right for you? We have two recommendations for you:

Our Professional Development Roadmap is a helpful guide for gift planners and fundraisers in their journey to becoming a successful charitable gift planner.

This Course Descriptions document contains a brief description of each of our 4 courses in one place, to help you decide which is the right fit for you at this point in your career.

Dates

Monday, February 9 - Friday, February 13, 2026

Faculty

To be confirmed

 

IMPORTANT:

As this is an intensive and highly interactive course starting early each morning and featuring required evening activities, attendees are strongly encouraged to stay at the hotel. This ensures that individuals, and their team members, get the most out of the course. All registrants must purchase the meal plan and attend the meals. If you have any questions about this, please contact Erin Kuhns at ekuhns@cagp-acpdp.org or 888-430-9494 Ext. 222.

Course Location

The Banff Centre
107 Tunnel Mountain Drive
Banff, Alberta T1L 1H5
Main phone: 403-762-6100
https://www.banffcentre.ca/

 

Transportation

There are two popular shuttle services that run regularly between the Calgary Airport and The Banff Centre. Original Course attendees are responsible for organizing their own transportation. If you use either of these shuttle services, you must reserve your space in advance.

Banff Airporter
https://banffairporter.com/rates/

Brewster Express
https://www.banffjaspercollection.com/brewster-express/fares/

Click here for directions to The Banff Centre.
https://www.banffcentre.ca/maps-and-directions

 

Pricing

There are two payments for this course:

  1. Tuition & meals (paid to CAGP Foundation)
  2. Accommodation (paid to The Banff Centre)

1. Tuition 

Tuition cost (Tax exempt):

Early Bird Price 
CAGP Member: To be confirmed
Non-member: To be confirmed

Regular Price 
CAGP Member: To be confirmed
Non-member: To be confirmed

Deadline to register for the course is Wednesday, January 7, 2026

Meals

Meal Plan – to be paid to CAGP Foundation with registration:
Meal plan includes breakfast, lunch, dinner & coffee breaks between Monday afternoon and Friday lunch.

Per day: To be confirmed
Meal plan for 4 days (including service charge and tax): To be confirmed

Total to be paid on registration (tuition + meals): 

Early Bird Member: To be confirmed
Early Bird Non-member: To be confirmed

Regular Member: To be confirmed
Regular Non-member: To be confirmed

2. Accommodation 
To be paid directly to Queen’s Landing Hotel upon checkout (but reservation must be made by the participant and secured with a credit card):

Per night: $220 + taxes
Accommodation for 4 nights (Monday – Thursday, including tax): $880 + taxes

 

Social Activities

To be confirmed

 

CE Credits

Full participation in the Original Canadian Gift Planning Course is applicable for up to 30.5 credits* in Category 1.B – Education of the CFRE International application for initial certification and/or recertification.

Remember! As a CAGP member, you receive a 20% discount off of your CFRE certification or recertification.

 

MFA-P  Full participation of the Original Canadian Gift Planning Course is applicable for a maximum of 15 credits toward the MFA-P relicencing. 

Original Course Cancellation Policy – Please read carefully

Should you have to cancel your registration for the Original Canadian Gift Planning Course, please be aware of the following cancellation policy:

Tuition
Before November 1, 2025 – Full refund, less a $150 administrative fee*
November 2 – December 1, 2025 – 50% refund, less a $150 administrative fee*
After December 1, 2025 – No refund*

*IMPORTANT: Registration is transferable within your organization at any time, subject to a $150 administration fee.

Accommodation
In the event an attendee cancels a reservation less than 14 days prior to the arrival dates, the attendee shall be charged for each night’s accommodation as a cancellation fee at group rates.

All cancellations must be received in writing.

We are unable to waive this policy in the event of COVID-19 related cancellations. 

CAGP Foundation reserves the right to amend or cancel the event.

If an event has to be cancelled or rescheduled we will contact you as soon as possible to notify you of the change. You will be offered an alternative date or a full refund.

In the event of a cancellation, we will not reimburse travel, accommodation or other costs related to the event.

Need a little more convincing? Read what our past attendees had to say:

“This week, I had the honour to attend CAGP Foundation Original Canadian Gift Planning Course at the Banff Centre. It was the most rewarding professional education experience of my career." - Delphine Hasle, CFRE

“Fantastic all-around course put on by two excellent presenters who have been in the trenches. Highly recommend this course to anyone wanting to create or revamp their legacy giving program." - 2020 Course attendee

“This course is a comprehensive foundation for Gift Planning. The fine balance of both technical aspects and practical application provides the perfect springboard for any Development Department.  The facilitators provided both valuable insight and wit. This was time well spent." - 2020 Course attendee

Have questions? 

Contact the Manager, Education and Training:1-888-430-9494 Ext. 222 or email education@cagp-acpdp.org.

Photo credit: Paul Zizka Photography 

This education session is offered by:

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