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.
Good judgment comes from experience. Unfortunately experience comes through bad judgment.
Famous ad agency uses pigeons to pitch private jets. It's true. Read on ...
Don't let legislation paralyze your planned giving marketing efforts.
Your donors will be asking about SECURE, so you’d better know the facts and be ready with the answers — all of the answers. You need to position yourself as an expert resource.
What fundraiser has not faced a boss who doesn’t understand how planned gifts work, doesn’t want to learn, and thinks that planned gifts are an “easy out” for donors who should have made an outright gift?
Planned Giving is a way to make an impact and grow a meaningful legacy — both for yourself, and for your favorite nonprofit — in ways that you likely had never imagined.
I'll be blunt: You can get lucky with lust, but you get married and stay married with trust. You’re probably thinking, “What does that have to do with marketing or fundraising?” Well … read on ...
Do for profits copy nonprofits? Often. Does the nonprofit sector copy the for-profit sector? Not often enough. Read on how being challenged can help our sector.
Extreme achievers (musicians, actors, artists, entrepreneurs, athletes ...) have a dark side we don’t often hear about, and sometimes don’t want to hear about. John Lennon was one of them.
We are studying the SECURE Act and its effects on Philanthropy. We will release our take and advise effective ways you can shift your marketing focus to raise more and larger gifts.
Six fundraising experts discuss the future of planned giving and the movement to merge planned giving with major gifts and principal gifts.
Unlike the traditional planned giving newsletter that is challenging to implement, the Newslet addresses your need to deliver your message in an affordable and expeditious manner.
Most nonprofits have a reversed Darwinian approach to new idea generation. Instead of survival of the “fittest” they strive for survival of the “safest.”
Everyone focuses on the importance of planned giving from a financial perspective. When in fact, it's about legitimacy and credibility. If you have both, the money will follow.
Year-end giving appeals are often poorly planned and executed. The best time to begin is between July and September, and making sure that you have a series of "touches" and not just one mailing planned.
Unfortunately, many in this industry are job hoppers. Why? Because truth be told, fundraising takes hard work and commitment, and many who land in fundraising tend to focus more on transactional duties than on doing their real job.
Making Estate Planning Accessible, Simple, Personal, Secure and FREE!
Bequests are up, cash is down. Empower your donors to plan their will and invest their legacy in the cause they support the most.
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