Jarvis Christian University’s Dominique Grate to Present at National Charitable Gift Planning Conference
HAWKINS, Texas — Dominique Isaac Grate, CFRE, CAP, Interim Vice President for Institutional Advancement and Development at Jarvis Christian University, will take the national stage this fall as a presenter at the National Association of Charitable Gift Planners (CGP) Conference 2026, October 14–16 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The conference brings together charitable gift planning professionals from across the country for education, professional development and the exchange of emerging ideas in philanthropy. Charitable Gift Planners
Grate will present “The Last Tithe: Reframing Planned Giving as Lifelong Stewardship,” a session exploring how culturally meaningful language and trusted community relationships can make planned giving more accessible to donors who have traditionally been underrepresented in legacy philanthropy.
CGP describes the session as an opportunity for professionals to learn how culturally meaningful language can reduce barriers to legacy commitments and expand participation among longtime supporters. The session is featured within the conference’s programming focused on expanding the philanthropic pipeline and maximizing donor impact. Charitable Gift Planners
The presentation draws connections between charitable gift planning and the tradition of stewardship found within African American churches and communities. Rather than beginning conversations with the technical language often associated with estate and financial planning, “The Last Tithe” invites donors to consider legacy giving as an extension of the generosity and stewardship they have practiced throughout their lives.
For Jarvis alumni and community leaders, Grate’s national presentation represents an opportunity to bring perspectives rooted in the communities Jarvis serves into a broader philanthropic conversation.
“Jarvis has always prepared its graduates to lead and serve beyond the boundaries of the campus,” said the Rev. Rodney C. Curry, a Jarvis alumnus and senior pastor of College Hill Missionary Baptist Church in Tyler. “Dominique’s presentation demonstrates how our University continues to contribute to important national conversations while remaining connected to the churches and communities that have sustained institutions like Jarvis for generations.”
Curry earned his bachelor’s degree from Jarvis and has served as senior pastor of College Hill since 2015.
Bishop Rodney Atkins, Jarvis’s Director of Library Services and Auxiliary Bishop of the Texas Southwest Second Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction of the Church of God in Christ, emphasized the importance of connecting stewardship with legacy.
“Our churches have always understood the importance of giving, sacrifice and stewardship. Expanding that conversation to include what we leave behind is essential to strengthening our churches, families and institutions for generations to come. This work challenges us to think about stewardship not only in terms of what we give during our lifetime, but also the legacy our faith and generosity can create beyond it.”
Grate’s selection as a presenter reflects Jarvis Christian University’s growing presence within the philanthropic and advancement profession and highlights the expertise being developed and practiced through the University’s institutional advancement program.
The presentation also advances a larger conversation about expanding access to planned giving. By connecting professional gift-planning strategies with language, institutions and traditions already familiar within communities, “The Last Tithe” encourages fundraisers and advisors to reconsider how legacy giving opportunities are introduced.
For Grate, the national platform provides another opportunity to carry the Jarvis story beyond Hawkins while contributing to a profession increasingly focused on expanding participation in philanthropy.
CGP Conference 2026 will be held October 14–16 in New Orleans. Charitable Gift Planners