Author: Patrick O'Donnell

A picture of a granddaughter whispering into her grandfather's ear, to illustrate a PlannedGiving.Com post on Planned Giving Power Words That Work.
Bequests
Patrick O'Donnell

Planned Giving Power Words That Work

While the planned giving world isn’t exactly the wizarding world of Harry Potter, believe it or not, there really are some magic words — “power words,” if you prefer — that can make bringing home the endowment bacon a lot more likely.

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Online Will Planner on iPhone Tablet
Estate Planning
Patrick O'Donnell

Online Will Planners: Interview With Viken Mikaelian

[An Interview With Viken Mikaelian.] After seeing vendors like Freewill, Nonprofit Docs, LegalZoom and other vendors popularize an online will planning module, it just made sense for us to develop our own. After all, we’re in the planned giving marketing business, and this is just one more way we can help our clients succeed.

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Estate Planning
Patrick O'Donnell

If You Don’t Write Your Will …

Don’t write your will and when you die, you’ll be declared “intestate” … a fancy word that essentially means, “they didn’t think a will was important, so now the government gets to decide what to do with all their stuff.” Read this article to learn why you should write your will today!

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How to get Advisors on Board
Planned Giving for Financial Advisors
Patrick O'Donnell

Getting Advisors on Board (Cole Eason Q&A)

Cole Eason, JD, is Vice President of Advancement at the Truman Heartland Community Foundation, where he works with donors and advisors to encourage philanthropic partnerships. We recently sat down and chatted with Cole about the ways in which financial, legal and tax advisors can help clients create tax-efficient charitable gift plans that achieve their client’s philanthropic goals while still allowing advisors to manage that client’s portfolio.

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15 Conversation Starters With Your Donors
Stewardship and Relationships
Patrick O'Donnell

15 Donor Conversation Starters

Even the most socially adept among us need a little help to get the conversation started. That’s why we’ve developed these 15 donor conversation starters along with the “why” behind each one. Use them the next time you meet with a donor or prospect. They’ll help break the ice, establish trust, and get you started on the path to building a meaningful, mutually beneficial relationship. 

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Church Planned Giving Programs
Sustainability
Patrick O'Donnell

Why Church Planned Giving Programs are Essential

Many churches focus only on the collection plate… meaning they are leaving millions of dollars on the table. Major donor efforts (and church planned giving programs) are essential to the financial health of your congregation. Read this article to learn why planned giving is essential for your church.

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