5 Common Planned Giving Myths
Planned giving often ranks as one of the most intimidating forms of fundraising. However, planned giving is a sleeping giant, capable of directing significant donations to your nonprofit through donor-advised funds, bequests, and other planned giving vehicles. Help planned giving pay off for your organization by avoiding these five common mistakes in the planned giving sector.
Make These 3 Adjustments to Your Nonprofit Before 2024
Believe it or not, we’re officially at the halfway point to this year. As we continue to advance our missions in the months ahead, there are a few key tips that will set you up for success in 2024. Before we get swept up in year-end campaigns and Giving Tuesday efforts, take a moment to check in with these simple ideas for the months ahead.
The Second Worst Marketing Mistake
Of all the marketing mistakes I’ve seen nonprofits make in planned giving, perfectionism is the second-worst. The first-worst is not doing any marketing at all. If you wonder why your planned giving program is inching along at a snail’s pace, perfectionism might be the problem.
Nowhere To Go But Up
If you follow philanthropy news, you’ve seen the headlines: “2022 Worst Year Ever for Fundraising!” “2023 Shaping Up to Be Even Worse!”
Do You Really Need a Planned Giving Website?
A planned giving website gives our “silent donors” (the ones who choose not to tell us about a planned gift) a place to go for information. Even the oldest prospects are online these days — they’re connecting with friends and family on social media; getting news from their favorite network’s website; and learning more about the causes they love by visiting them online. An online presence for your planned giving program is a 24/7 tool.
Copywriting and Branding Essentials
We’ve all seen those late-night TV infomercials by high-energy pitchmen selling the same old products year after year since the ’90s: “Just set it, and forget it!”, “Operators are standing by!”, “But wait, there’s more!” Regardless of what you think about their advertising styles, many of those companies are still around and enjoying hefty bottom lines by selling Showtime Rotisserie Grills, ThighMasters, Snuggies, and Ginsu Knives. And their success rates can be traced to one common denominator: consistent branding.
Why You Need a Planned Giving Website
It’s time for a reality check: Your donors are on the internet—and your planned giving program should be, too. The argument that older donors aren’t computer savvy just doesn’t hold water anymore.
Energize Your Board with a Board Mentorship Program
Sometimes it seems like every nonprofit is currently searching for engaged, committed board members. You may live in a place where the usual CEOs, entrepreneurs, and political figures’ list of board assignments is already too lengthy to ask them to add your nonprofit too.
Master This Planned Gift: Charitable Gift Annuity
Charitable gift annuities are a dynamic planned giving vehicle that can provide a major gift to a nonprofit while also delivering peace of mind to your major donor.
Engage Major Donors with a Commissioning Club
The textbook definition of a commission is, “a fee paid to an agent or employee for transacting a piece of business or performing a service.” However I prefer to think of a commission, in terms of the nonprofit world, as connecting inspiration with financial and community support. Commissioning clubs provide a uniquely inspirational way to connect major donors intimately with the cause they care about.
