Category: Planned Giving Marketing

Man thinking against yellow background with text “Not serious about year-end giving?” suggesting hesitation about nonprofit fundraising decisions
Planned Giving Marketing
Viken Mikaelian

“We’re Not Sending a Year End Appeal This Year.”

Originally published: November 15, 2009 Déjà Vu All Over Again: 2008 Meets 2024 Back in 2008, the economy was in free fall. Nonprofits were panicking. Donor confidence had tanked. I wrote a piece that year urging fundraisers not to pull back on their year-end appeals. I argued that during downturns—especially during downturns—it’s more important than ever to stay visible and keep asking. Well, here we are again. 2024 wasn’t exactly a picnic either. Inflation remained stubborn. The markets shook confidence. Foundations tightened their grantmaking. And many nonprofits started singing that same old tune: “Let’s skip the year-end appeal this year.” If this sounds familiar, it should. What’s scarier than a red-tinted investment statement? Writing to your donors in an uncertain economy. Asking for support when wallets are shrinking. Worrying you might come across as tone-deaf or pushy. But let me tell you what I said back then—because it still applies now. The Worst Strategy Is Silence Some of my nonprofit friends recently told me: “We’re going to sit this one out. Donors are tapped. We don’t want to pressure anyone. We’re going to skip our year-end appeal.” To which I replied, as gently and tactfully as I did in 2008: “Are you nuts?” I get it. You’re nervous. You don’t want to seem insensitive. But here’s the truth: the organizations that pull back now will lose ground. Those who press forward—respectfully, confidently, and consistently—will win.   Tough Times? Think Bigger, Not Smaller During tough economic periods, the temptation is to shrink. Cut costs. Cancel outreach. Lay low and wait it out. That’s exactly the wrong move. When the economy shakes people up, donors don’t stop giving—they just start giving more carefully. They focus on causes they trust. Organizations they hear from. Missions that don’t go quiet in the night. Silence sends the wrong message. It implies you’re not needed. Or worse, not relevant. When the economy shakes people up, donors don’t stop giving—they just start giving more carefully. Viken Mikaelian Tweet A Planned Giving Twist Makes All the Difference One thing we emphasized in 2008—something most fundraisers still overlook today—is the power of planned giving, especially during uncertain times. Here’s why: Bequests make up over 75% of all planned gifts. They cost the donor nothing today. They create massive impact tomorrow. So yes, donors may be cash-strapped in the moment. But that doesn’t mean they can’t be generous. You just need to offer the right kind of opportunity. In your year-end appeal, include a simple, warm reminder: “You can make a lasting difference—without affecting your finances today—through a gift in your will or estate.” It’s elegant. It’s respectful. And it works. Let’s Retire the “Tax Break” Crutch In strong economic years, fundraisers love to lead with the old line: “Give by December 31st and get a tax deduction!” But when portfolios are down and donors are feeling the pinch, that message doesn’t land. It might even fall flat. So here’s the better play: Focus on mission, not money. Talk about impact, not incentives. Emphasize legacy, not liability. Smart fundraisers are shifting from transactional to transformational. Planned giving—done well—is the ultimate transformation. But What If They’re Feeling Jittery? That’s exactly why you need to reach out. Donors are human. When times get tough, they want to be reminded that they’re not helpless. That they can still do something meaningful. That their values still matter. Your job is to offer that path. To show them how their support—big or small, now or later—can make a difference. The biggest mistake nonprofits make is thinking they’re sparing their donors by staying quiet. In reality, they’re robbing them of the chance to be generous. You Only Need One We often remind our clients of this: You only need one planned gift to make the whole appeal worth it. Just one. It could be a $5,000 bequest—or a $500,000 one. The ROI on a planned giving appeal isn’t measured in immediate dollars. It’s measured in decades of impact. Use the Tools You Already Have Don’t overthink it. We’ve already created done-for-you year-end appeal letters you can purchase today. We also offer free downloads and templates you can use right away. And no—just because they’re free doesn’t mean they’re not powerful. Most nonprofits don’t fail from lack of resources. They fail from lack of action. So use what’s in your toolbox. Send the letter. Follow up. Stay visible. What’s Changed Since 2008? Honestly? Not much. Economic fear still paralyzes fundraisers. Some nonprofits still opt for silence over strategy. And many still believe that planned giving is too complex or too niche. But here’s what has changed: the organizations that didn’t go quiet in 2008 are thriving today. They built resilience. They deepened relationships. They learned that visibility during tough times earns loyalty for life. You can do the same—right now. Final Thoughts: The Principle That Never Changes When the economy goes down, people feel fear. But fear is not the time to vanish. Fear is the time to lead. Your donors are looking to you for steadiness, purpose, and clarity. If they see you pressing forward—optimistically and boldly—they’ll follow. So go ahead. Send the year-end appeal. Include a planned giving angle. Be visible. Be consistent. Be confident. As I said in 2008—and will gladly say again: Tough times don’t last. But tough (and smart) nonprofits do.  

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Luxury Motor Coach
Planned Giving Marketing
Chase Magnuson

Luxury Motor Coach Donation

Owners of luxury motor coaches and RVs, such as Marathon Coaches and other high-end brands, can have the best of both worlds: a vacation with all the comforts of home, and an opportunity to shape their philanthropic legacy that also provides a current charitable tax deduction.

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Stoplights
Planned Giving Marketing
Viken Mikaelian

The Illusion of “New” in Planned Giving Marketing

Several times a year, I get emails or phone calls from clients excited about the latest buzz in planned giving marketing. It usually starts with something like this: “Have you seen the new Widget that Company B just launched? It practically guarantees donors will be knocking down our door. My boss thinks we should buy it. Why don’t you offer something like this?” I’ve been in this industry long enough to know what’s coming next. The “Widget” is rarely—if ever—something revolutionary. It’s usually just a repackaging of an existing concept with a fresh coat of paint. A “New” Twist on Old Tools These so-called groundbreaking tools often fall into predictable categories: A “new” planned giving calculator that estimates annuity payments and tax benefits. (Didn’t we already have a dozen of those?) An app for making monthly recurring gifts—essentially a more streamlined version of existing donation platforms. A pre-designed eblast template that’s just a fancier version of what fundraisers have been using for years. The latest online will-maker, promising to revolutionize estate planning with artificial intelligence (but still lacking the personal touch that actually inspires donors to act). At the end of the day, these are just different ways to present the same old concepts. They might have minor tweaks or a sleek user interface, but they don’t change the fundamentals of planned giving. No Magic Bullet for Planned Giving Success Let’s get one thing straight: there is no single product, service, or strategy that will make your planned giving program an overnight success. No widget is going to flood your inbox with eager donors. No new software will miraculously build your endowment. And despite what the latest marketing emails might claim, there’s no “get-rich-quick” formula for growing legacy gifts. What does work? The same things that have always worked: 1. Patience Planned giving is a long game. Unlike major gifts, which often involve donors writing a check today, legacy gifts take years—sometimes decades—to mature. Success comes from planting seeds early and nurturing donor relationships over time. 2. Persistence Consistent messaging, education, and outreach are the real drivers of planned giving success. It’s about staying in front of your donors with thoughtful content and meaningful conversations—not chasing the latest flashy trend. 3. People Skills Donors don’t make legacy gifts because of a new widget. They give because they have a deep emotional connection to your mission. The most effective planned giving programs are built on authentic relationships, trust, and meaningful engagement. Stop Chasing Trends—Focus on What Works The next time you hear about the “latest and greatest” planned giving tool, take a step back. Ask yourself: Does this truly offer something new, or is it just a repackaged version of an old idea? Will it genuinely move the needle on donor engagement, or is it just another shiny object? Is it a tool that strengthens donor relationships, or is it just a gimmick? Planned giving success isn’t about jumping on every new trend. It’s about building a strong foundation through patience, persistence, and people skills. That’s what’s always worked—and it’s what will continue to work, no matter how many new widgets hit the market.

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Planned Giving Marketing
Viken Mikaelian

Deb “Got It”

The nonprofit world needs more Debs—people who say it like it is, who recognize planned giving is for average ordinary people, who aren’t afraid to say the hard things when they need to be said.

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Several goldfish swimming
Planned Giving Marketing
Viken Mikaelian

Goldfish & Videos

Did you know that people now have shorter attention spans than… goldfish? As wild as that sounds, there was a study by Microsoft suggesting just that. Whether it’s true or not, one thing is clear: human attention spans are short. This creates a big challenge for anyone trying to build an online presence for their giving programs.

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Nothing new under the sun
Planned Giving Marketing
Viken Mikaelian

Nothing New Under the Sun

A client told me recently that we should be publishing more about what’s NEW in planned giving. Seems reasonable, right? Everyone likes new stuff. We all want to know the trends, be on the cutting-edge, sound knowledgeable at professional events.

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Blocks spelling sell and tell as in story selling and telling
Planned Giving Marketing
Patrick O'Donnell

Storytelling is Old. You Need Storyselling.

Storytelling is your nonprofit’s most powerful marketing tool. But everyone else is using it, too. If you want to stand out from the crowd, you need storyselling—a strategic form of storytelling designed to motivate your donors and prospects to action.

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"Forget about it" word balloon
Planned Giving Marketing
Viken Mikaelian

Forget What You’ve Heard About Planned Giving

Forget what you’ve heard about planned giving. Just do the math. Baby Boomers, who are among the wealthiest and most charitable Americans, are dying at a rate of about 6,000 per day. And unless your nonprofit has a planned giving program, that means about $6 billion in estate dollars is being lost every day. Unless you’re planning to fail, it’s time to reprioritize that marketing budget. By the way, we also “explain” what’s a billion. It’s an eye-opener.

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Frustrated young fundraiser at desk, overwhelmed by complex planned giving tasks without proper training or mentorship.
Planned Giving Marketing
Viken Mikaelian

“Entry-Level Nonprofit Fundraiser”: A Wave of the Past?

Nonprofits did not do well last year, and you wonder why. I recently came across a job listing that read something like this: “[A nonprofit] is seeking a planned giving advisor. This is a junior position for a fundraiser with 3 or so years of experience who wishes to move into planned giving. Focus is on bequests, CGAs, and marketing.” Now, for those of us who have been in the trenches of planned giving for a while, that one little word—junior—jumps off the screen. Not because there’s anything inherently wrong with junior hires (everyone starts somewhere), but because of what that label suggests in the context of planned giving fundraising. In fact, a response I saw to this posting was quite blunt: “Hiring a junior person for a planned giving program is a guarantee of underperforming … a recipe for failure.” Why? Not due to some prejudice against younger or entry-level fundraisers, but rather a legitimate concern about fit—or lack thereof. Planned giving often involves nuanced conversations with financially sophisticated individuals. It’s not an entry-level sport. And yet, some nonprofits seem to think they can start one with an entry-level bench. This brings us to a larger question: Is entry-level nonprofit fundraising—particularly in planned giving—a sustainable model, or a shortcut to mediocrity? “Economy Class” Is Still an Oxymoron What struck me more than the job listing itself was how it reflected a broader trend: the creeping adoption of a business model I’ll call the “entry-level organization.” This is the model where an organization’s entire staffing strategy revolves around hiring people straight out of college, paying them as little as possible, and replacing them just as quickly. These workers are young, cheap, eager, and—let’s be honest—usually expendable. The idea is not new. Take the retail book industry as a prime example. When brick-and-mortar bookstores began facing brutal price competition from online retailers, they responded by gutting overhead. That meant saying goodbye to knowledgeable, experienced sales staff and saying hello to an army of bright-eyed, underpaid 22-year-olds. The result? Sure, the labor costs dropped. But so did the customer experience. You might remember a store called Borders. They perfected this model. And then they flatlined. To a spreadsheet-driven executive, this kind of cost-cutting is a seductive idea. On paper, the math adds up. In practice, however, it fails spectacularly over time—especially in sectors that depend on trust, nuance, and long-term relationship-building. Sound familiar? The Planned Giving Parallel Planned giving fundraising is not retail. You don’t sell CGAs like you sell coffee mugs. You don’t walk a donor through a charitable remainder trust the way you recommend a summer beach read. These are deeply personal, often complex financial decisions involving taxes, legacies, and family considerations. In short, planned giving requires maturity, emotional intelligence, and technical fluency. That’s not to say entry-level nonprofit professionals shouldn’t be involved. Quite the opposite. We need a new generation of fundraisers who are trained, mentored, and equipped to become the future leaders of our sector. But here’s the catch: You can’t hire cheap and expect premium results. Nonprofits that treat planned giving like a low-cost experiment—assigning it to someone with no real training, guidance, or experience—are playing a short-term game in a long-term sport.  The Real Cost of “Cheap” In today’s economic climate, it’s tempting to chase short-term savings. Budgets are tight. Boards are cautious. And executives are often pressured to “do more with less.” Running your nonprofit like a (successful) business is imperative. But here’s the inconvenient truth: Under-investing in planned giving talent is a false economy. Hiring an entry-level fundraiser without pairing them with a mentor is not strategic—it’s reactive. It may check a box, but it won’t build a program. Instead of viewing young hires as a way to cut costs, we should view them as assets in training. That means building systems for professional development, mentorship, and long-term growth. Pair your junior staff with a seasoned fundraiser. Allow them to shadow donor conversations. Let them listen, observe, and learn the language of legacy. Think of it this way: In planned giving, the best returns take time. That applies to both donors and staff. So why not align your internal strategy with your external mission? A Smarter Alternative Rather than chasing quick wins through “youth exploitation,” nonprofits should invest in multi-generational skill-building. Mentorship over management: Don’t just assign tasks—offer guidance. Apprenticeship over assumption: Don’t assume your hire knows what a CRUT is—teach them. Long-term vision over short-term savings: Build your planned giving bench like you build your endowment—with patience and purpose. When you invest in your team the way you ask your donors to invest in your mission, you create something sustainable, ethical, and deeply effective. The Future Begins Now This is a concept that every planned giving officer understands: Legacy is built today. The same holds true for your team. Cheap savings today will never match the compound interest of a wise hire, a strong mentor, and a multi-year investment in talent. Yes, fundraisers have to start somewhere. But that “somewhere” should be in a supportive, strategic environment, not a sink-or-swim cost-cutting scheme. You cannot hire an entry-level fundraiser, throw them in the ocean without so much as a life preserver, and then expect success. Let’s retire the myth of the “entry-level organization” in the world of planned giving. The future of fundraising deserves better. And if you’re looking to build that future, start with your people. Key Takeaways Entry-level nonprofit fundraising has its place—but not as the sole strategy for planned giving programs. Treating planned giving as a “junior” role for an entry-level fundraiser sets up programs for mediocrity and failure. The better model is mentorship and multi-generational training that mirrors the long-term mindset of planned giving itself. Organizations that prioritize short-term savings over long-term investment will pay for it in missed opportunities and stagnant results. Want to build a sustainable, high-performing planned giving program? Start by investing in your team like you invest in your mission. Because in fundraising—as in life—the future begins now.

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Planned Giving Marketing
Viken Mikaelian

From Likes to Donations: The Currency of Nonprofit Marketing

You’ve seen it before: a nonprofit posts about a successful event on its Facebook page (or LinkedIn, or Twitter, or Pinterest, or…) and racks up thousands of likes and shares. The team high-fives and takes a bow and … then what happens?

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