If you are going to start or grow a planned giving program with intention, the first thing I highly suggest you do is join the legacy society yourself. After all, how can you expect others to join if you are not a member? Once you are a member, it changes the conversation from a request to an invitation. This approach makes it much less threatening. It’s not about knowing all there is to know about charitable lead trusts. It’s about being authentic; it’s about asking others to join you in taking a stand and making a deeper commitment for the greater good. It’s about showing others that there are ways to make larger gifts and still meet their personal needs and goals.
If you have a retirement plan at work, consider making your employer a partial beneficiary in that retirement plan for as little as five percent. You can easily take them out if they fire your butt. 😉 (more…)
Your donor’s first planned gift intention does not have to be the last. You would never think about asking a donor to make a major gift and never asking them to make another. But how many times do fundraisers do that with planned giving donors? They thank their donor for their intention, invite them to the annual luncheon, send them a birthday and holiday card. All good stuff, but there is very likely a percentage of your legacy society members who may be open to increasing their planned gift commitment. Research from Russell James has shown that many planned giving donors are likely to increase their outright giving as well provided they are staying connected to the mission and feeling good about their intention.
The best time for an individual to consider gift planning to create a future gift often comes as a result or in contemplation of a significant event or life transition.
For many of our donors, the start of a planned giving conversation can be as simple as thanking the donors for their loyal support, asking them why they are so loyal, and then asking them how they would feel about a conversation involving other ways to support your organization beyond writing a check.
One of my first planned giving conversations as a donor was with my friend Dave. Here are 5 key takeaways from that conversation. (more…)
In their book The Right Side of the Table, Scott and Todd Fithian suggest fundraisers draw a metaphorical line to differentiate between the types of conversations with donors and the overall approach to planned giving.
They encourage fundraisers to see philanthropy from two distinct levels: below the line (BTL) and above the line (ATL) BTL deals with the “how,” or the nuts and bolts of making a planned gift. This includes tax planning, financial planning tools, and the planned gift options. ATL covers why the donor cares, what they want to support, and when. From the donor’s dreams to creating a meaningful legacy to the values they want to pass on to their children, these are the rea- sons our prospects seek to donate. The key is always knowing where we are with a donor. This concept can completely change your view on how we should think and talk about planned giving. (more…)
Imagine you are looking to remodel your kitchen and you call several contractors to come out and give you an estimate. How would you feel if one of those contractors started unloading their truck in your driveway before you ever had a conversation? You open your garage door and there are tools and 2×4s strewn about. You might respond with, “What the heck are you doing? We have not even had a conversation. You don’t even know what I am trying to do!” How many times do we do that with a prospect or donor? We start by going right for the cash gift, or, if the donor mentions planned giving, we start talking about the gift options before we have any idea of what the donor wants to do and the impact they want to have. (more…)
