Several times a year, I hear from clients who have questions about other vendors’ latest products. Usually, those questions go something like this:
“Did you see the new Widget that Company B is offering? It practically guarantees donors will be knocking down our door. My boss wants us to buy it. Why don’t you offer it, too?”
The Widget never turns out to be anything ground-breaking. It’s usually just a slightly new spin on an old tool.
It’s a “new” calculator that lets donors estimate annuity payments and tax breaks. Or it’s an app that lets someone make monthly annual gifts from their smartphone. It might be a “new” eblast template, or even an online will maker.
The truth is, there’s really nothing new that’s going to make your planned giving program an overnight success. There are no new products or services that are going to have donors breaking down your door to help. No new “get rich quick” techniques to build your endowment.
What does work is what’s always worked: patience, persistence, and people skills.
