http://plannedgiving.com/blog Planned giving information and resources. Tue, 07 Sep 2010 19:46:25 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en These days it’s not hard to find bad news about the economy. It’s a much bigger challenge to avoid it. But planned giving fundraisers might want to look a little more closely at some of that gloomy stuff because it could be there’s a silver lining in them thar clouds… Case ... http://plannedgiving.com/blog/2010/09/07/bad-economic-news-maybe-not/ Who could forget Toa Tie, the Chinese monster so gluttonous that it ate itself? Unfortunately, lots of young people in China are forgetting him. Or, at least, they’re forgetting the symbol that stands for him in their written language. That’s what’s being reported in an AFP story dated 8/26/2010. And the forgotten ... http://plannedgiving.com/blog/2010/09/03/don%e2%80%99t-forget-simplicity-it-works/ By Matthew Wilson How do you view planned giving? Is it simple, or complicated? One of the biggest misunderstandings I see in the non-profit world is the mistaken belief that planned giving is complex and mysterious. A development officer is asked to take on the new responsibility of initiating and developing a planned ... http://plannedgiving.com/blog/2010/09/02/planned-giving-simple-stuff-or-just-for-harvard-lawyers/ Did you know that most companies base 80% of their hiring decision on technical skills, yet 85% of turnover is due to behavioral incompatibility? We’re so hung up on fulfilling technical requirements that we frequently forget we’re dealing with people, and fail to identify or analyze the necessary people skills required. People ... http://plannedgiving.com/blog/2010/08/30/should-you-develop-people-skills-or-technical-skills/ By Anne Melvin Why is it that we so often look at a gift negotiation as a cat-and mouse game — as a struggle between what “we” want and what “they” want? Perhaps we forget the simple fact that fundamentally, we both want the same thing: Prosperity and growth for the charity. Prospect ... http://plannedgiving.com/blog/2010/08/27/negotiation-101-how-both-sides-win/ Imagine a public radio station cooperating with a music store in a “Public Radio Means Music” combined sale/membership drive. Or a pet store and an animal shelter that join forces to help fund a spay/neuter program while attracting new customers to the store. Studies show that when a business partners with ... http://plannedgiving.com/blog/2010/08/25/guerilla-marketing-ideas/ Few non-profits succeed with Facebook. Why? Because they neglect the time and effort needed to do it right. Successful social networking requires: Circular promotions from all venues Constant day-to-day monitoring Publications to your Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn sites Embracing the ... http://plannedgiving.com/blog/2010/08/23/forget-facebookin-%e2%80%94-unless%e2%80%a6/ Some organizations have trouble getting out of their own way. Recently, an IT functionary at a large Midwestern institution went over the heads of her planned giving officers to cancel a contract they had just signed for a VirtualGiving website. Apparently this IT person was feeling territorial and thought, “Why buy ... http://plannedgiving.com/blog/2010/08/17/planning-to-develop-your-website-in-house/ By Chase Magnuson Many charities shut themselves off from this significant source of revenue because they’re leery of getting involved in what they see as a complex area. The attitude is, “We’re risk-averse. We don’t have procedures in place to deal with gifts of real estate. Plus, we’ve either had bad experiences, ... http://plannedgiving.com/blog/2010/08/17/not-ready-for-real-estate-think-again/ More than 30 years ago, comedian Steve Martin did a routine that featured the line, “I have four dollars -- I guess I’ll throw it in the street.” These days, four dollars looks infinitely smaller than it looked back then. In 21st Century America, we’ve been desensitized to dollar amounts up ... http://plannedgiving.com/blog/2010/08/16/every-dollar-looks-big-to-a-nonprofit/