Breaking the Myth: You Don’t Need a Law Degree
Let’s dispel one of the biggest myths in fundraising: that planned giving is only for experts with a Harvard Law degree—preferably the kind who believe every problem needs a 20-page policy paper and a new government subcommittee.
If you’re a development officer with a strong background in annual or major gifts, and someone has just tapped you to “start a planned giving program,” you might feel the urge to panic. Or worse—you dive into the deep end by attending advanced seminars on charitable lead trusts, gift annuities, and other exotic instruments you’ve never dealt with before.
While these technical concepts have their place, they represent only a fraction of what you need to build a successful planned giving program. And too often, this approach leads to “majoring in minors.”
We see it all the time: smart, capable fundraisers get overwhelmed by the technical jargon, get distracted by complexity, and miss the big picture. If this sounds like you, take a deep breath. You don’t need to be a tax attorney. You don’t need a decade of experience in estate law. And you certainly don’t need to be a Harvard lawyer.
The Core Truth: Keep It Simple
Let’s be clear: about 90% of all planned gifts are simple bequests. These are the most common, easiest-to-understand, and most cost-effective gifts for your donors to make. Bequests don’t require trust agreements, actuarial tables, or gift annuity contracts.
Whether you’re fundraising for Harvard, the Chattanooga Symphony, or a local soup kitchen, the story is the same—most legacy gifts come in the form of straightforward bequests. Donors want simplicity, and your job is to make that simplicity accessible.
So why do so many of our peers gravitate toward the complicated stuff? Because it feels productive. But here’s the hard truth: complexity is the enemy of execution.
Start With One Simple Question
We’ve coached thousands of nonprofit professionals, and here’s the single most powerful question you can ask a loyal donor:
“Have you ever considered including us in your will or estate plan?”
That’s it. No Latin phrases. No tax codes. No technical diagrams. Just a direct, thoughtful question that starts a meaningful conversation.
This one sentence has resulted in countless bequests. The best part? It respects the donor. It starts where they are. And it opens the door for future conversations without intimidation.
When you focus on simplicity and clarity, you increase the likelihood that your message will stick. Planned giving becomes less of a legal puzzle and more of a natural extension of the donor relationship.
Leverage What Already Works
At PlannedGiving.com, we specialize in making complex things simple. From our turnkey micro-sites to our popular LegacyPlanner™, we’ve proven that success in planned giving is about starting small, scaling smart, and keeping your messaging clear.
The LegacyPlanner™ is a simple free will-planner that nonprofits can embed into their donor experience—completely eliminating the “legal intimidation” factor for your prospects. No Harvard degrees required.
We also publish GIVING Magazine, a resource that shares strategies, thought leadership, and case studies from the best minds in fundraising. And if you’re new to all of this and wondering how to even begin, our Boot Camp is a great place to start.
The Bottom Line: Don’t Overthink It
If your job is to raise money—and you’ve been successful with annual or major gifts—planned giving should be your next logical step. You already have the skills. You already know your donors. You just need the right frame of mind.
So skip the legalese. Put away the pie charts. Stop majoring in the minors. And start having authentic conversations with your most loyal donors.
Because in the end, planned giving isn’t about being smarter than everyone else. It’s about being consistent, clear, and committed.
