Planned Giving: Turning Donor Consideration Into Donor Action

* Never forget, for the majority of planned-gift donors, the bequest or annuity is their major gift. They do not view themselves as capable of making large cash contributions. As such, they warrant special, personalized attention around their consideration of planned gifts.

Conversely, almost all major donors are capable of making an additional planned gift.

Although this form of the gift may not be as appealing to the donors who are accustomed to the excitement generally associated with large gifts of cash, do not forget to ask for a planned gift from major donors.

* Finally, always remember that the personal insights you gain from donor meetings and calls are often the best information you will get for directing future cultivation strategies. If we meet with more legitimate planned-gift prospects, we will close more gifts. Remember, your best planned-giving prospects are charitably inclined donors; if you are not meeting with them, another nonprofit probably is.

Lawrence Henze is managing director at Target Analytics, a Blackbaud Company. This story is excerpted from the whitepaper, “How the Right Marketing Strategies Can Enhance Your Planned Giving Program”.