Blog

In last week’s blog by my colleague, Gary Laermer, he explored why it’s so powerful to present donors with a blended ask that connects immediate impact with long-term change. When donors can see both the urgency of today and the legacy of tomorrow, something shifts in the conversation. It becomes less about a single gift and more about the donor’s lifetime impact.

But many of you may still have questions.

Over the years I’ve lost count as to how many times a nonprofit colleague has asked “do we have a donor for this program?” My response is almost always the same: “Please send me 3 sentences on the societal problem you’re proposing to solve and 3 sentences on how your program or project solves the problem, and I’ll get back to you.”

For many of us, planned giving seems intimidating—all those complex financial instruments and legal terminology. But here's the thing: the donors you need to reach, especially those born between 1965 and 1980, don't want to hear about charitable remainder trusts on your first conversation either. They want to know how they can make a real difference while being smart about their finances.

Gen X donors are hitting their peak earning years right now, and they will be the primary recipients of the Boomer estates. So, they’re thinking about legacy in ways that might surprise you. Let's break down how to reset your planned giving approach to connect with this unique generation.

The time between Thanksgiving and year-end offers a prime window for fundraising, as people often feel a heightened sense of generosity and motivation to support causes they care about. This season can be a tremendous opportunity to engage donors, share your mission’s impact, and inspire end-of-year contributions. Here are some practical fundraising strategies and tactics to maximize your campaign success during this season:

The Great Wealth Transfer is underway. Up to $90 trillion is expected to be passed on from wealthy, older generations over the next twenty years. $60 billion of that is predicted to be gifted in 2024.

If you’ve been neglecting your planned giving efforts - or putting them off entirely – it’s time to stop.

Besides the potential for transformational gifts, your organization should absolutely invest time in seeking planned gifts now for several compelling reasons:

August is Make-A-Will Month. What an opportunity for your organization to raise awareness about the importance of estate planning!

Using the concept of "Make-A-Will" to encourage donors can be a powerful strategy for your planned giving and endowment programs. Here are several ideas you can implement this month to capture donors' attention on this important topic.

Every nonprofit organization builds its success on well-defined strategies. But what happens when those strategies, once so promising, start to show cracks? Knowing when to adjust the strategies in your strategic plan and when to give your strategy time to play out can be a critical turning point for the leadership of your organization. How can you tell if something is amiss?

Congratulations! The gift agreement is signed, and the joyful donor has made a bequest in their will. As a result, they have become a member of your legacy giving society. They are looking forward to your annual dinner and receiving the regular newsletter. But is that all there is for the next, ten, fifteen, or twenty years?

If you’re anything like me you may have become used to – or perhaps dependent on – directional apps, like Google Maps. I even put on directions to pick up my son from daycare, just so I know exactly the best way to get there and when I will arrive. Evidently, I like having certainty and a plan.

These apps are written with algorithms that assess available routes (plus traffic or accidents) to produce the most efficient directions.  What if we could apply something similar for fundraising professionals?

Organizations with a strong endowment fund generally have a story about how they got there. It's a story of two parties.