Faith, Family, and the Fiduciary: Navigating Religion in Estate Planning
Trusted professional advisors have the rare opportunity to know the deeply held personal values, convictions and beliefs of clients. Understanding a client’s faith and belief perspective can materially strengthen the development and execution of estate plans that reflect client wishes and legacy concerns – and it can also strengthen the relationship between an advisor and their client.
This presentation, Faith, Family and Fiduciary: Navigating Religion in Estate Planning, will outline how the religious expectations and requirements of Christianity, Islam and Judaism can impact testamentary objectives such as estate distribution, dispute resolution, charitable intent and use of a living will or advance directive documents for clients who practice different religions. Ethical implications, generational differences, and legislative requirements will also be discussed. Following the keynote presentation, a panel of philanthropic, legal and financial experts will discuss successful philanthropic case studies.

Stacy E. Singer
Stacy E. Singer is a Senior Vice President, National Practice Leader for Trust Services at The Northern Trust Company, where she works closely with trust professionals on all aspects of the delivery of fiduciary services to clients nationally. She previously served as the National Director of Estate Settlement Services at Northern. Ms. Singer joined Northern Trust in 2003.
Ms. Singer was previously a Vice President in the Estate Administration Division at Harris Trust & Savings Bank in Chicago. Prior to Harris, she was a member of the estate and succession planning department at Burke, Warren, MacKay & Serritella, P.C.
Ms. Singer is the past President of the Board of Directors of the Chicago Estate Planning Council and a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, where she serves as Illinois State Chair. She is a professor in the University of Miami School of Law’s Heckerling Graduate Program in Estate Planning. She has written extensively for numerous publications, including Trusts & Estates, Advancing Philanthropy and Estate Planning.
She holds a B.A., with distinction, from the University of Michigan and received her J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School in 1992.
A Panel Discussion: From Life Events to Legacy – Partnering with Community Foundations in Charitable Planning
Our panelists will explore the role of charitable planning in today’s advisory landscape and how community foundations can serve as strategic philanthropic partners for clients and families. The discussion will highlight opportunities to incorporate charitable conversations into client relationships, navigate life and liquidity events, and evaluate giving strategies, including Donor Advised Funds, private foundations, and other charitable vehicles. Panelists will also address key technical and legal considerations, including Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs), IRA charitable rollovers, and other common planning considerations, providing practical insights advisors can use to support clients’ philanthropic goals.
Jonathan is a nonprofit and tax-exempt organizations attorney in Holland & Knight’s Dallas office and Chair of the firm’s Tax-Exempt Organizations and Philanthropy Practice Group. He advises charities, private foundations, trade associations, and other nonprofit organizations on governance, tax compliance, fundraising, advocacy, and charitable planning matters. Mr. Blum brings experience from both private practice and in-house counsel roles with national nonprofit and private foundation organizations. A frequent speaker on nonprofit governance, philanthropy, and tax-exempt organization issues, he previously served as an adjunct professor at Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law.
To learn more about Jonahtan visit here.
Neil is a founding partner of RSA Family Wealth at Rockefeller Capital Management and has more than 26 years of experience providing financial planning, investment management, and wealth structuring services to high-net-worth individuals and families. A Certified Investment Management Analyst® (CIMA®) and former Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Neil holds undergraduate and Master of Professional Accounting degrees from The University of Texas at Austin. He began his career with PricewaterhouseCoopers and has been recognized on the Forbes Best-in-State Wealth Advisors and Best-in-State Wealth Management Teams lists. Neil is actively involved in community leadership and nonprofit organizations, serving on several boards and advisory committees in North Texas.
To learn more about Neil visit here.
Sandy is a CPA/attorney, practicing for over 50 years. He received his Juris Doctor from SMU in 1970 and for years has helped high net worth clients with their tax planning and financial consulting. For over 25 years Sandy’s well-respected tax and accounting firm had a history of fostering long-term relationships. The firm, Stanford M. Kaufman and Associates just recently partnered with MRM CPAs & Advisors to expand their footprint across the DFW metroplex, sharing the same dedication to client services. Sandy has been involved civically in a variety of nonprofits that assist everything from children with disabilities and their families to senior care communities, community foundations and professional organizations. trusted accountant in serving complex real estate clients, high net worth families, and family offices in Addison, Texas for more than 40 years.
Krista is an estate planning attorney with more than 15 years of experience focusing on trusts, estates, probate, and trust and estate administration. She earned her Juris Doctor from the University of San Diego School of Law and advises clients on the development, implementation, and administration of comprehensive estate plans. Krista has extensive experience guiding trustees and families through fiduciary responsibilities, probate matters, and trust and estate administration. Her practice is dedicated to helping individuals and families create multigenerational estate planning strategies that provide long-term stability and peace of mind.
To learn more about Krista visit here.
Megan is President and CEO of the Dallas Jewish Community Foundation (DJCF) and the Southwest Community Foundation (SWCF), where she oversees more than $384 million in charitable assets, including donor-advised funds, endowments, scholarships, and nonprofit agency funds. She works with individuals, families, financial advisors, family offices, and nonprofit organizations to develop effective philanthropic and charitable giving strategies. Prior to joining DJCF in 2022, Megan spent 15 years with J.P. Morgan, advising corporations, families, foundations, and endowments. She holds a Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy® (CAP®) designation and brings extensive experience in wealth management, philanthropic planning, and donor-advised fund strategy.
To learn more about Megan visit here.
2026 Sponsor Listing
2026 Sponsor Listing
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