The congregation sighs and settles in for what the pastor knows is actually their least favorite Sunday. “Please take a look at the insert in your bulletin,” he continues. “You’ll see that we didn’t meet our budget again this year.” His audience knows where this is going: The church is struggling to accomplish its mission, but the congregation is not pulling its weight in terms of monetary contributions.
In today’s economic environment, a legacy giving initiative can help you tap the hidden potential of your most generous and loyal donors and transform the growth trajectory of your organization.
Fundraising professionals focus on income as a measure of giving ability. The worried fundraiser thinks this way. “The prospective donor won’t give, because she won’t save money by being charitable. I won’t raise enough money to make my annual goals. My charity won’t accomplish its mission, and I’ll lose my job. What am I going to do?”
We were wrong. Aretha Franklin did write a will. Several, in fact. One found under her seat cushion.
The plain, unvarnished truth is that traditional wealth screening tools simply do not work in planned giving.