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James Gamble, of Procter & Gamble fame, once said, “Any fool can create a bar of soap. It takes a genius to sell it.” P&G’s genius was focusing on the fact that the soap floated — making it easy to find in the tub — not on how the soap was made.
Does the economy have you down? Fear not! People still have money to spend. In fact, for nonprofits, it’s ALWAYS a world of fundraising abundance!
Fact: Charitable Gift Annuity (CGA) rate tables or gift illustrations/examples really don’t work well. Non-profits want them in their CGA marketing pieces because they see them in everyone else’s stuff, but the reality is that they rarely bring in a gift. Or bring in the wrong type of gift. Instead, focus on donor stories in your CGA ads and other marketing!
“But we want the cash, now,” we often hear. Well, we would have had the cash now if we had not deferred it in the first place. Get started now! Don’t defer planned giving.
In philanthropy, rather than getting donors to raise cash, it is smarter to raise cash to get long-term donors. Sounds like a tongue-twister, but it’s not.
The congregation sighs and settles in for what the pastor knows is actually their least favorite Sunday. “Please take a look at the insert in your bulletin,” he continues. “You’ll see that we didn’t meet our budget again this year.” His audience knows where this is going: The church is struggling to accomplish its mission, but the congregation is not pulling its weight in terms of monetary contributions.
I recall one afternoon when the entire staff from the development office was running around like chickens with their heads cut off, screaming at everyone because a donor’s name was misspelled on the roster. Did the donor care?
“I really don’t want to go to that funeral. You think the family will notice if I’m not there? I mean, we’re sending them a thank-you note for her donation, and I already sent a sympathy card …”
Do you feel overwhelmed by all of the regulations affecting the planned giving industry? What compounds the situation is how others respond to new legislation such as the SECURE Act. What do they offer you? Subject matter genius attorneys who are super brilliant with tax laws.
Famous ad agency uses pigeons to pitch private jets. It’s true. Read on …
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