Estate Planning Council of Rochester, NY

What Estate Planning Council of Rochester, NY does

The Estate Planning Council of Rochester, NY is a local chapter of the National Association of Estate Planners & Councils (NAEPC), operating as a 501(c)(6)-style nonprofit professional association based in Rochester, New York (mailing address in Penfield). Founded in 1934, the council serves approximately 168 to 200 established estate planning professionals across legal, accounting, financial planning, insurance, and trust disciplines who subscribe to the team concept of client service. Its core products are membership access, a searchable member directory, recurring educational programming (seminars, workshops, annual flagship events featuring nationally credentialed speakers such as Susan Rounds on Family Dynamics and SECURE Act 2.0 updates), and structured pathways to the AEP and EPLS designations administered through NAEPC.

The council operates on a modest technology footprint: a public website at epcrochester.org for marketing, events, and applications, and a member portal hosted on NAEPC's national platform (council.naepc.org) that handles login, directory, renewals, and event registration. There is no proprietary technology stack, mobile app, or API surface; the offering is relationship-, event-, and content-driven rather than software-driven.

Revenue mechanics rely on three streams: (1) annual membership dues, processed as recurring subscriptions via the NAEPC portal (specific fee schedules are not publicly disclosed); (2) event registration fees for member and non-member attendees; and (3) corporate sponsorship from a tiered Platinum and Gold sponsor program anchored by regional professional firms including EFPR Group, ESL Trust Services, Mapstone Veritas, Elevatus Wealth Management (Platinum), and Harris Beach, Oakwood Financial, Woods Oviatt Gilman, Cobblestone Capital, and the Rochester Area Community Foundation (Gold). Go-to-market is event-driven and community-led, with LinkedIn and the website as primary channels and NAEPC's national AEP designation pathway as a key demand-generation lever. The council is governed by an elected board (President, Vice President, 2nd Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Immediate Past President, Past President, and ~18 board members) and supported by a single full-time Executive Director, Diana M. Smith.

Name

Estate Planning Council of Rochester, NY

Legal name

Estate Planning Council of Rochester

Website

https://epcrochester.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2024

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Estate Planning Council of Rochester is a local NAEPC-affiliated nonprofit professional association serving approximately 168-200 estate planning professionals across legal, accounting, financial planning, insurance, and trust disciplines in the Rochester, NY region through membership, education, and a multidisciplinary referral network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Rochester, New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: The organization generates revenue through membership dues paid by estate planning professionals. Members renew annually and pay fees as part of the National Association of Estate Planners & Councils affiliated council network.
2. Event Registration Fees: The council organizes educational programs and events (e.g., September 2026 program with Susan Rounds on Family Dynamics). Event registration is processed through the website with options for member and non-member attendees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Estate Planning Council of Rochester is a multidisciplinary nonprofit professional association that sells annual membership to approximately 200 estate planning professionals (attorneys, CPAs, financial planners, insurance professionals, and trust officers) in the Rochester, NY region. Its sellable offerings are professional membership in the council and the recurring educational events and conferences it hosts, supported by a member directory, NAEPC-affiliated designation pathways (AEP, EPLS), and Platinum/Gold corporate sponsorships.

Product overview

The Estate Planning Council of Rochester operates as a membership-based professional association, not a technology product company. Its core offerings consist of membership services, educational programming, and professional development resources delivered through a website platform. The organization provides membership access to a network of 200 estate planning professionals, maintains a member directory of 168 professionals, hosts educational events and programs, and supports professional designations including the Accredited Estate Planner (AEP) and Estate Planning Law Specialist (EPLS) certifications through its affiliation with the National Association of Estate Planners & Councils (NAEPC). The NAEPC Journal of Estate & Tax Planning serves as the primary publication for industry insights and technical updates.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Estate Planning Council Membership

Named customers5 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• National Association of Estate Planners & Councils (NAEPC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Estate Planning Council of Rochester is a local affiliated chapter of NAEPC. NAEPC operates the national technology platform (council.naepc.org) used by the council for member login, directory, and event management. NAEPC also administers the Accredited Estate Planner (AEP) and Estate Planning Law Specialist (EPLS) designations. Membership in an affiliated local council can fulfill requirements for AEP designation eligibility.
• EFPR Group LLP (Platinum Sponsor)flagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerEFPR Group LLP is a Platinum sponsor of the council. A partner from EFPR (Victoria Kleehammer, CPA) served as Immediate Past President of the council. EFPR is a Rochester-based accounting and business consulting firm, recently becoming a Springline company, with over 60 years of service to Western New York.
• ESL Trust Services (Platinum Sponsor)flagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerESL Trust Services is a Platinum sponsor of the council. ESL Trust Services is a chartered limited purpose trust company by the New York Department of Financial Services, affiliated with ESL Federal Credit Union, headquartered at 225 Chestnut Street, Rochester, NY. Board member Lauren F. Whiting, Esq. is associated with ESL Trust Services.
• Mapstone Veritas Financial Group (Platinum Sponsor)flagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerMapstone Veritas Financial Group is a Platinum sponsor of the council. The firm has $1.51B in assets under advisement (as of 12.31.25) and has been advising clients for 56 years. Brett Caroselli, Financial Advisor and Partner at Mapstone Veritas, serves as Secretary of the council.
• Elevatus Wealth Management (Platinum Sponsor)flagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerElevatus Wealth Management is a Platinum sponsor of the council. The firm is a registered investment advisor providing comprehensive financial planning and investment advisory services, located in Rochester, NY.
• Tompkins Financial AdvisorscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerTompkins Financial Advisors is represented on the council's board by Serena M. Compitello, Esq., Vice President and Trust Counsel. The firm administers trusts and estates for which it serves as fiduciary and partners closely with clients' attorneys on estate plans.
• Rochester Area Community Foundation (RACF) (Gold Sponsor)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerRACF is a Gold sponsor of the council. Rochester Area Community Foundation connects donors to the critical needs of the eight-county Rochester region and is involved in estate planning through its 'Ways to Give Through Your Estate' program, aligning with the council's mission.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• National Association of Estate Planners & Councils (NAEPC): National umbrella organization that the Rochester council is affiliated with as a local chapter. NAEPC operates the shared technology platform (council.naepc.org), administers the AEP and EPLS designations, and runs the NAEPC Journal of Estate & Tax Planning — making it the closest organizational analog at the national level.
• Boston Estate Planning Council: Another local NAEPC-affiliated estate planning council serving the Greater Boston legal, accounting, and financial planning community. Operates the same member-directory, event-programming, and AEP-eligibility model, making it a structurally identical peer in a different regional market.
• New York City Estate Planning Council: NAEPC-affiliated local council serving New York City estate planning professionals. Same multidisciplinary membership model, same NAEPC technology platform, same event-driven programming — direct peer differing primarily in scale and metropolitan market.

Broad incumbents

• American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC): National, invitation-only professional association of trust and estate attorneys. ACTEC serves a similar multidisciplinary estate planning audience at a higher credentialing tier and overlaps with the Rochester council's mission of cross-disciplinary estate planning collaboration.
• ABA Real Property, Trust and Estate Law Section: American Bar Association section serving attorneys practicing in trust and estate law. Represents the legal-discipline counterpart to the Rochester council and overlaps with member firms such as Woods Oviatt Gilman and Harris Beach.
• The Financial Planning Association (FPA): National membership organization for CFP professionals and financial planners. FPA overlaps with the Rochester council's CFP/CFA/CLU member base and pursues a parallel mission of continuing education and professional networking in adjacent financial services disciplines.

Regional players

• Philadelphia Estate Planning Council: Another NAEPC-affiliated local estate planning council serving the Greater Philadelphia region. Operates the same multidisciplinary networking model and shares the AEP designation pathway — a direct structural peer in a different mid-Atlantic metro.

Others

• American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA): National professional association for CPAs, which overlaps with the Rochester council's CPA member base (EFPR, Bonadio, Freed Maxick). Thematically related as a professional credentialing and continuing-education body serving one of the council's core member disciplines.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/estate-planning-council-of-rochester

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Estate Planning Council of Rochester, NY