“But we want the cash, now,” we often hear. Well, we would have had the cash now if we had not deferred it in the first place.
February 23, 2020 Read more
Planned Giving Marketing
Year-end giving appeals are often poorly planned and executed. The best time to begin is between July and September, and making sure that you have a series of “touches” and not just one mailing planned.
November 27, 2019 Read more
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.
November 21, 2019 Read more
I am often asked, “Viken, do planned giving newsletters work?” Yes they do, but it is the wrong question to ask.
October 25, 2019 Read more
Again and again, Dr. Russell James found that formal and technical terms reduce the chances that a prospective donor will be interested in making a planned gift. And we’ve been saying that since 1998. Yet, many nonprofits still do not take the advice.
July 31, 2019 Read more
Planned giving productivity. It’s not about learning calculators, CRUTs and CRATs. Here are 5, simple helpful tips for you career — and mental health.
July 23, 2019 Read more
Recently, an IT functionary at a large Midwestern institution convinced the Development team to produce their planned giving website in-house. It took them 8 months.
July 20, 2019 Read more
Planned gifts are not always deferred. Some provide immediate cash, some come in sooner than you think, and here are a few tips to accelerate them.
July 20, 2019 Read more
“Direct mail is too expensive,” you say. Well, fine. Use something cheaper that does not work nearly as well.
June 27, 2019 Read more
“Oh, you’re one of those people who care about the black squiggly marks,” the Director of Development told me.
June 19, 2019 Read more
You can’t believe how hard it is for people to be simple, how much they fear being simple. They worry that if they’re simple, people will think they’re simpleminded. In reality, of course, it’s just the reverse. ~ Jack Welch, CEO, General Electric
June 14, 2019 Read more
A direct mail campaign that’s not so vanilla. Only in the for-profit world. Would you have had the stomach for it?
June 12, 2019 Read more