Give & Take

When I was a kid, I had to write prompt, heartfelt thank-you notes to anyone who sent me a gift—even when it was my aunt who just passed away, who always sent me the same thing: a pair of Argyle dress socks. As Mom used to say, “They took the time to think about you and send you a gift. You can take the time to say thank you.”

Originally published: November 15, 2009 Déjà Vu All Over Again: 2008 Meets 2024 Back in 2008, the economy was in free fall. Nonprofits were panicking. Donor confidence had tanked. I wrote a piece that year urging fundraisers not to pull back on their year-end appeals. I argued that during downturns—especially during downturns—it’s more important than ever to stay visible and keep asking. Well, here we are again. 2024 wasn’t exactly a picnic either. Inflation remained stubborn. The markets shook confidence. Foundations tightened their grantmaking. And many nonprofits started singing that same old tune: “Let’s skip the year-end appeal this year.” If this sounds familiar, it should. What’s scarier than a red-tinted investment statement? Writing to your donors in an uncertain economy. Asking for support when wallets are shrinking. Worrying you might come across as tone-deaf or pushy. But let me tell you what I said back then—because it still applies

Owners of luxury motor coaches and RVs, such as Marathon Coaches and other high-end brands, can have the best of both worlds: a vacation with all the comforts of home, and an opportunity to shape their philanthropic legacy that also provides a current charitable tax deduction.

Several times a year, I get emails or phone calls from clients excited about the latest buzz in planned giving marketing. It usually starts with something like this: “Have you seen the new Widget that Company B just launched? It practically guarantees donors will be knocking down our door. My boss thinks we should buy it. Why don’t you offer something like this?” I’ve been in this industry long enough to know what’s coming next. The “Widget” is rarely—if ever—something revolutionary. It’s usually just a repackaging of an existing concept with a fresh coat of paint. A “New” Twist on Old Tools These so-called groundbreaking tools often fall into predictable categories: A “new” planned giving calculator that estimates annuity payments and tax benefits. (Didn’t we already have a dozen of those?) An app for making monthly recurring gifts—essentially a more streamlined version of existing donation platforms. A pre-designed eblast template

Have you ever wondered why your planned giving newsletters are not getting a good response? Because chances are they are not even getting read.

The nonprofit world needs more Debs—people who say it like it is, who recognize planned giving is for average ordinary people, who aren’t afraid to say the hard things when they need to be said.

Did you know that people now have shorter attention spans than... goldfish? As wild as that sounds, there was a study by Microsoft suggesting just that. Whether it’s true or not, one thing is clear: human attention spans are short. This creates a big challenge for anyone trying to build an online presence for their giving programs.

A client told me recently that we should be publishing more about what’s NEW in planned giving. Seems reasonable, right? Everyone likes new stuff. We all want to know the trends, be on the cutting-edge, sound knowledgeable at professional events.