Category Archives: Planned Gifts
Death and Taxes
Nothing is certain, it is said, except death and taxes. Now that another tax season has come and gone – and legislative changes to the charitable income tax deduction have again been proposed – those of us in the development field can also count on speculation about the extent to which tax considerations drive planned [...]
Still Putting Off Planned Giving?
One need not look very far to find a development program with a planned giving effort not yet up to speed. Many reasons are cited: We’re in a capital campaign, we don’t have enough staff, or I just don’t know enough about it. The greatest opportunities appear to be found in the small shop. Here [...]
New Year’s Resolutions
Yes, I know, a copout of a blog topic. It’s been a tough year. Nonetheless, what better time to combine a little soul searching and desktop planning? Forgive me for offering, for your consideration, a few possible resolutions for the New Year: 1. Make major gifts a genuine priority of your organization. Support your decision [...]
Year-End Gifts of Securities
Jackie Franey, Donor Relations Director at the Communities Foundation of Texas, recently reminded us that yet another year of uncertainty surrounding tax law revisions and economic instability makes charitable year-end planning more important than ever. Ongoing market volatility, combined with increasingly unmet community needs, suggests donors remain cautious and selective about their year-end giving. As [...]
The Successful Planned Giving Visit
We tend to needlessly overcomplicate planned giving. One unintended consequence is a failure to build relationships with our donors and prospects. During the 2011 Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP) international conference in Boston, presenters Liz Cahn and Joe Tumolo outlined their steps for a successful fundraising visit: • Make The Time: Schedule out more time [...]
Share Planned Gifts to Receive Planned Gifts
Establishing a comprehensive Planned Gifts program can be intimidating for any development director, particularly in a “small shop”. As in any other fundraising program, though, the most productive planned gifts efforts involve simply reaching out to one donor at a time with concise, easy to understand information and tips. By educating your constituency about planned [...]
Planned Gifts: The Process that Pays
Planned giving is a necessary process that takes time. It takes time for a prospect to decide to even consider making an estate gift. It takes time for a prospect to decide to meet with his or her estate planning professionals. It takes time for a provision that has been made to come to the attention of the organization. It takes [...]
Where Have All the (Planned) Donors Gone?
A mere 21% of Americans have a will and an expectation to leave money to charity through it, according to a recent national survey by Opinion Research Corporation (ORC) for The Non Profit Times. This is down sharply from a similar study in 2007, which showed just over half either without wills or charitable intent through their estate planning provisions. Women [...]
Planning for Planned Gifts
$10-$15 trillion? The largest ever transfer of intergenerational wealth happening now? Every fundraiser’s ears perk up at these kinds of statistics, but the reality is that most charities will not be flooded with estate gifts because 90% of donor mortality simply results in lost current giving. In fact, in a recent nine-year study that tracked 20,000 Americans over the age [...]
Planned Gifts Checklist
Regardless of the size of your non-profit, you can make planned gifts a part of your culture. Feature planned gift opportunities throughout your development program from your website to your collateral materials. What are some approaches? Planned giving can be intimidating and confusing so use testimonials from current planned gift donors. Share real life examples. [...]
