Do You Know That 'Planned Giving' Is Bad for Fundraising?

That’s right. “Planned giving” is bad for nonprofit fundraising.

For years, I’ve been writing and talking about the problems with the term “planned giving.” Now, new research underscores what I’ve been advising: You should stop using the term!

Sometime ago, The Stelter Company conducted a survey that I cited in my book, "Donor-Centered Planned Gift Marketing." The company found that only 37 percent of Americans older than 30 have a familiarity with the term “planned giving.” We have no way of knowing what percentage of those claiming familiarity really, in fact, know what the term truly means.