Author: Viken Mikaelian

Planned Giving and Social Media
Planned Giving Marketing
Viken Mikaelian

Considering Social Media for Planned Giving?

The No. 1 enemy of a social media program is figuring out how to monetize it. How do you measure ROI, when — as is the case with planned giving — you might not ‘see’ results for years? That is not a question we can easily answer — at least, not honestly — because it depends on factors unique to your organization.

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Share your story
Planned Giving Marketing
Viken Mikaelian

We Want Your Stories

We’re looking to compile the largest-ever collection of bequest-related stories — and give you and your nonprofit some publicity at the same time. In short, we want any bequest-related stories you think are important, interesting, amusing or informative.

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concerned people
Planned Giving Marketing
Viken Mikaelian

Online Will Makers: Eliminating the Stigma

I’ve always felt that encouraging donors to create a will is in the best interests of any nonprofit. After all, they can’t leave you a planned gift without one.

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Two Men Having a Difficult Legacy Conversation
Stewardship and Relationships
Viken Mikaelian

Initiating the Legacy Conversation

My Dad never wanted to talk about creating a will. “Don’t worry,” he’d say, “It’s not like I’m going to die tomorrow.” Then he’d change the subject—usually to the tomatoes he was growing—because he found talking about planning his estate too uncomfortable. Guess what? My Dad died without ever making that estate plan.

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Planning your will online
Estate Planning
Viken Mikaelian

Online Will Planning: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Over the past few years there has been a proliferation of online will planners, spurred on in large part by the number of people who adopted a no-contact, do-it-yourself approach to everything they could during the pandemic. Some are embracing the wave, some are despising it. Join our webinar to find out more.

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Boost your fundraising strategy
Planned Giving Marketing
Viken Mikaelian

10 Ways to Boost Your Nonprofit Fundraising Strategy

There are thousands of fundraising tactics out there—hundreds of ways to find donor, to communicate with them, and to ask them for money. There are some things that every nonprofit can be doing to raise more money and boost their development program. Here are ten ways to boost your nonprofit fundraising strategy.

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cat got your tongue
Planned Giving Marketing
Viken Mikaelian

Cat Got Your Tongue? Learn How to Start the Planned Giving Conversation

Even seasoned fundraisers sometimes have trouble initiating a conversation. However when you possess the ability to have an effective, engaging conversation, your prospects suddenly turn into donors; your donors turn into repeat donors; planned gifts increase, along with major and annual gifts; and your reputation grows (along with your career).

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365 Opportunities Year End Giving
Year-End Giving
Viken Mikaelian

Are You Ready for Year-End Giving?

The year-end giving season is coming fast, and there’s a lot to get done if you’re a fundraiser. After all, at least half of all nonprofits receive the majority of their annual donations during the holiday season. And according to studies by Network for Good, 12% of all giving happens in the last three days of the year! Use these tips to learn how to build a great year-end fundraising strategy for your non-profit.

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