While the planned giving world isn’t exactly the wizarding world of Harry Potter, believe it or not, there really are some magic words — “power words,” if you prefer — that can make bringing home the endowment bacon a lot more likely.
While the planned giving world isn’t exactly the wizarding world of Harry Potter, believe it or not, there really are some magic words — “power words,” if you prefer — that can make bringing home the endowment bacon a lot more likely.
Before she became ill, I used to see Jessica every Sunday night when her parents came to play in the little mixed-couples pickup basketball league at the gym. At that time — and this was thirty years ago — Jessica was about one year old. Cute kid. An only child who was barely talking yet.
[An Interview With Viken Mikaelian.] After seeing vendors like Freewill, Nonprofit Docs, LegalZoom and other vendors popularize an online will planning module, it just made sense for us to develop our own. After all, we’re in the planned giving marketing business, and this is just one more way we can help our clients succeed.
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.
Many nonprofits have found a welcome source of revenue through monthly donors in the years since the pandemic. These repeat donors are your best planned giving prospects. Why? You are always on their minds.
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.
It has taken nearly twenty years of persistent lobbying by a handful of key players in the nonprofit sector, and in the end they had to accept some steep compromises, but as of January 1st, if you are age 70-1/2 or older, you can make a direct "rollover" from your traditional IRA into a charitable remainder trust or a gift annuity contract.
If you’ve named a charity as the beneficiary of an asset such as an insurance policy or retirement account, you know that the beneficiary designation forms typically request that charity’s name, address and tax identification number (TIN). And if there's a mistake?
Do you know what CGA's are? Is your non profit offering them? The donor benefits are even more attractive than before, so if your nonprofit is not currently offering CGAs, now is the time to start!
In this fast-paced ever-changing world, the nonprofit landscape can ebb and flow on a year-to-year basis. So how does your nonprofit remain relevant while navigating the internal and external opportunities and pressures that impact the organization?
Some people will be able to postpone taking Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) to a later date. Once we reach a certain age, we must begin taking distributions from our retirement accounts, such as IRAs, 401(k)s, and 403(b)s. The amount of these distributions is determined by a specific calculation that takes into account our age and the total balance of the account. Generally, the older we get, the larger these distributions get so that the account is as close to $0.00 as possible when we die.
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.
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.
Great donor stewardship is essential for your non-profit. The stewardship process starts with the thank you letter. If your supporters don’t feel properly thanked, it is highly unlikely that they will continue to give. In this article, we’re going to show you how to write an amazing major donor thank you letter for your non-profit organization.
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).
"The appeal letter has had a huge impact! We are starting to get in responses to the appeal — some very positive ... and some very angry. We can't do this again.”
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.
Online will planning is the latest tool in fundraisers' arsenal—and it’s taking over the internet by storm as more nonprofits realize its potential. But online will planning tools can not replace your planned giving website. Instead, focus on using both tools as part of an integrated planned gift strategy for your non-profit.
Year-end gifts usually make up the bulk of most nonprofits’ yearly cash donations (about 31% in December; 12% in the last three days of the year). Which is why it literally pays to keep your donors up-to-date on tax-law changes. Now, more than ever, helping your donors stay up to date with their tax planning can have huge year-end fundraising benefits for your non-profit.
Don’t write your will and when you die, you’ll be declared “intestate” ... a fancy word that essentially means, “they didn’t think a will was important, so now the government gets to decide what to do with all their stuff.” Read this article to learn why you should write your will today!
When charities refuse to accept donations of life insurance, they miss out on a multi-trillion-dollar asset class and a valuable alternative to cash gifts. Likewise, when policyholders surrender or sell their insurance policies, they often miss out on the opportunity to support charities that they care about.
Do you have an estate plan? Many people think estate planning is unnecessarily complicated - but it doesn't need to be. A qualified estate attorney or easily accessible online tools can help you create a will that will make things easier on your heirs and ensure that your wishes are known to those who follow you.
Not so long ago, the outlook for fundraising reflected the sunny optimism of the overall economy. Our donors had secure, well-paying jobs (often two per household); the value of their McMansions and vacation condos was projected to follow an endless upward arc; and when they opened their retirement-plan statements, the ending balance was always gratifyingly larger than the previous month’s.
I’ve written before about the dangers of the DIY (do-it-yourself) mentality in nonprofit fundraising. The most frightening thing is the amount of time you’ll spend doing everything but meeting with donor prospects. Here's how you can make your fundraising more successful by outsourcing some of your development needs to outside fundraising experts.
Making Estate Planning Accessible, Simple, Personal, Secure and FREE!
Bequests are up, cash is down. Empower your donors to plan their will and invest their legacy in the cause they support the most.
2103 Bayshore Boulevard
Unit 1501
Tampa, FL 33606
Products & Services
Subscriptions
Special Links
Copyright 2024 © PlannedGiving.Com
Please reach out. Note: if you give us your mailing address (or PO Box), we’ll send you a complimentary Planned Giving Gift Comparison Chart.