Fellowship
Fellows of The Institute of Stewardship and Philanthropy (ISP) are highly qualified attorneys, accountants, financial advisors, trust officers, and planned giving officers who meet stringent professional and educational standards. Through a thorough application process, ISP chooses those applicants who have uncommon experience, credentials, and education.
Once an applicant's credentials are accepted by ISP, the applicant must pass a comprehensive examination covering estate, wealth, and charitable planning. For those applicants who do not pass the comprehensive test, ISP provides coursework that will prepare the applicant for the test. A Study Guide is available for the examination. Applicants also have the option of forgoing the examination and may instead begin their coursework in preparation for taking the examination when their coursework is completed.
Applicants who are accepted and who pass the comprehensive examination become Adjunct Fellows. After three consecutive years in good standing as an Adjunct Fellow, he or she may apply to become a full Fellow of The Institute. After three consecutive years in good standing as a Fellow, he or she can apply to become a Senior Fellow of The Institute.
To become a Full Fellow of The Institute, an Adjunct Fellow must meet the following standards:
- Taught or taken at least 50 hours of charitable courses in the prior 3 years.
- Been active in one or more charities as an Officer, Director, or advisor for the last 3 years.
- Submit a short essay (3,000 to 5,000 words) on how his or her charity or charities has impacted the community.
To become a Senior Fellow of The Institute, a Fellow must meet the following standards:
- Taught or taken at least 75 hours of charitable courses in the prior 3 years.
- Been active in one or more charities as an Officer, Director, or advisor for the last 3 years.
- Made a significant and outstanding contribution to a charity or charities, reflected by special recognition. (Requires 4 references from peers in the community.)
- Been published in a magazine, article, journal or book as to some aspect of charitable giving.
All Fellows of The Institute are expected to be active in their communities in philanthropic causes, giving of their wealth as well of their time. In addition, Fellows are expected to mentor or teach colleagues, clients, charitable officers, and donors about philanthropy. From time to time, ISP or The Estate and Wealth Strategies Institute will hold Enclaves at the MSU campus and other sites and will request Fellows to teach or submit research about philanthropic topics. Fellows will also be included in research projects to discover better methods of fundraising and planned giving.
There is a $500 application fee that covers the first year's dues and will be refunded if an applicant's credentials are not accepted. Annual dues thereafter for Fellows are currently $500.
Fellows of the Institute receive all of the benefits that Members receive.
Fellows must be recertified each year. Recertification includes the following requirements:
- Statement that the Fellow's professional status remains in good standing with all of his or her licenses and professional designations.
- The Fellow has taken at least 40 hours of live or virtual continuing education, including at least 10 hours of charitable training and 3 hours of ethical training. At least 5 of the 13 hours must be courses that have been accredited by The Estate and Wealth Strategies Institute at MSU.
Accreditation
The Fellow must take a yearly examination provided by ISP that addresses current developments in charitable fundraising and planning. The examination will be based on a yearly Study Guide furnished by ISP.
In addition to the benefits of membership, Fellows can use ISP letterhead and calling cards. The template for each will be furnished by ISP to the Fellow. Fellows will also receive a Certificate of Fellowship and yearly Certificates of Good Standing.
