This annual event is an opportunity to recognize the crucial role that philanthropy plays in our society, and to celebrate the donors whose gifts make your mission possible.

Conceived of by Douglas Freeman, a lawyer with a longtime focus on philanthropy, National Philanthropy Day was first officially recognized in 1986. It’s coordinated and supported internationally by the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

More than three decades later, National Philanthropy Day is still the perfect time to thank your supporters, champion your organization’s important work, and showcase your planned giving program. Honoring the individuals, organizations and businesses in your region that give so generously of their time, talents, and resources for the benefit of your organization’s mission is an integral component of an effective donor stewardship program.

But November might as well be called “National Philanthropy Month.” After all, there’s Thanksgiving (Nov. 24) and Giving Tuesday (Nov. 29) to consider as well. Giving Tuesday was created in 2012 as “a day that encourages people to do good.”

And when you tie in National Estate Planning Week (Oct. 17-23), it makes the first two full months of fall an indispensable time to touch base with your supporters!

Because we’re committed to your success, we’ve put together a collection of free marketing materials for you to use and adapt. You can choose from emails, social media posts, website content, postcards, or any combination that makes sense for your organization.

Did we mention that they’re free? And they’re not just run-of-the-mill, boilerplate templates. This is highly adaptable, premium content we’re providing free to get you on the fast track to a thriving planned giving program.

And if you really want to drive home the message, coordinate the free campaign materials below with a targeted direct mail postcard campaign. Contact us to get started today!

Your Next Steps

1. Review the marketing content in our Outreach Section to determine what fits your organization’s marketing strategy best. We encourage you to have 2-3 touchpoints at a minimum. (for instance, a Thanksgiving thank-you postcard/email campaign; a National Philanthropy Day thank-you letter campaign targeted to your top supporters; and a print/social media campaign for Giving Tuesday.
2. Schedule your content to go out between October 1 and November 1.
3. If you need graphics or brochures customized or would like to map out your gameplan, feel free to schedule a time with us.
4. Keep in mind that all of the planned giving content we’re providing can be adapted to any medium. You could even create your own print campaign (but we could create one with you that’s even more effective!).

5. Be sure to use the hashtags #NationalPhilanthropyDay and #GivingTuesday in your respective social media materials.