Patrick O'Donnell

Most people create a will or trust and never look at it again. But life changes—marriages, births, moves, asset shifts—can render your estate plan outdated and ineffective. Failing to update it may mean your assets go to the wrong person or your heirs face unnecessary stress and taxes. Reviewing your estate plan ensures your wishes are honored and your legacy protected. It’s not morbid—it’s responsible planning.

Storytelling is your nonprofit’s most powerful marketing tool. But everyone else is using it, too. If you want to stand out from the crowd, you need storyselling—a strategic form of storytelling designed to motivate your donors and prospects to action.

The convenience of sending all those digital communiques zipping through cyberspace with a mere keystroke has caused us to forget some basic rules and best practices about emails — and good communication in general. Here are a few tips that will help your next email not only get read, but make a good impression and maybe even inspire your reader to take action.

If you’ve ever wondered just how important good estate planning is, take a look at this terrifying tale of high-net-worth horror about a family that lost $45 million—nearly half their estate’s value—to federal taxes. The worst part? The massive tax loss could have easily been prevented with some foresight, planning, and expert advice.

AI might look enticing, but when you strip away all the hype it’s a ticking time bomb. AI-created content has created some serious problems for its early adopters. Do you really want to lose donations over an easier way to write a caption?

You’ve finally decided to create an estate plan instead of taking the path of Abraham Lincoln, Bob Marley and Aretha Franklin. Congratulations! But how do you choose an executor or trustee? We have a few tips that will help.

The collection plate is drying up—and too many churches are praying instead of planning. Shrinking attendance, aging donors, and ignored legacy opportunities are putting ministries at risk. This isn’t a crisis of faith; it’s a crisis of fundraising strategy. Packed with real stats, biblical precedent, and blunt advice, this piece is a wake-up call for church leaders: Stop waiting on miracles. Start asking for planned gifts. Because “hope” isn’t a stewardship strategy.

We’ve all seen those late-night TV infomercials by high-energy pitchmen selling the same old products year after year since the ’90s: “Just set it, and forget it!”, “Operators are standing by!”, “But wait, there’s more!” Regardless of what you think about their advertising styles, many of those companies are still around and enjoying hefty bottom lines by selling Showtime Rotisserie Grills, ThighMasters, Snuggies, and Ginsu Knives. And their success rates can be traced to one common denominator: consistent branding.