Like cell phones, social media and text messages, acronyms have taken over our lives. But we had planned giving acronyms long before the birth of texts. What else does a CRAT stand for? Read and find out.
Like cell phones, social media and text messages, acronyms have taken over our lives. But we had planned giving acronyms long before the birth of texts. What else does a CRAT stand for? Read and find out.
Study shows what successful people have in common: they spent a lot of time with someone who had been successful. In other words, they learned how to be successful. They had friends, mentors, influencers and coaches.
I am often asked, “Viken, do planned giving newsletters work?” Yes they do, but it is the wrong question to ask.
Guess what. You're closer to a millionaire than a millionaire is closer to a billionaire.
These funny headlines will make you laugh. And get inspired. Enjoy.
Again and again, Dr. Russell James found that formal and technical terms reduce the chances that a prospective donor will be interested in making a planned gift. And we've been saying that since 1998. Yet, many nonprofits still do not take the advice.
If you're not pursuing planned gifts, the nonprofit next door is. If they win the heart of your donors, your cash gifts will follow out the door, too.
Average people hate Mondays, and refer to Wednesday as "hump day" and then "Thank God it's Friday." If you are a leader, you should enjoy it all. The average consciousness lives for the weekend.
Planned giving productivity. It's not about learning calculators, CRUTs and CRATs. Here are 5, simple helpful tips for you career — and mental health.
Recently, an IT functionary at a large Midwestern institution convinced the Development team to produce their planned giving website in-house. It took them 8 months.
Planned gifts are not always deferred. Some provide immediate cash, some come in sooner than you think, and here are a few tips to accelerate them.
People often ask me about my life. What’s my background? Where’s my accent from? Where did I grow up? Where did you meet your wife? One of these days I’ll get around to answering all that... But the most common question I get is, “Viken, how did you get into planned giving?” Answer: By Accident.
Fundraising professionals focus on income as a measure of giving ability. The worried fundraiser thinks this way. “The prospective donor won’t give, because she won’t save money by being charitable. I won’t raise enough money to make my annual goals. My charity won’t accomplish its mission, and I’ll lose my job. What am I going to do?”
What kind of “asker” are you? Confident, well-dressed, professional? Or more of a beggar? Someone apologetic, mincing their way through the ask? One type is going to succeed often, and the other will almost always fail. Can you guess which is which? You’ll find the answer — and other great advice on making the ask — on our blog in a guest post from author, public speaker and planned giving specialist Dr. Rebecca Price Janney.
Becoming part of our network is a unique experience. You'll receive timely communiqués, learning opportunities, webinars, client hours, get to try out new tools. We're like a "central clearinghouse" for cutting-edge discoveries about marketing and other forms of intelligence drawn from thousands of thought leaders.
If you're new to planned giving, you're lucky you found this page. Established program? It's a good refresher and has useful tips for your team.
"Direct mail is too expensive," you say. Well, fine. Use something cheaper that does not work nearly as well.
If you’re not going after planned gifts, the bigger fish next door is. And since planned gifts are gifts from the heart, they inspire more cash gifts, too. This means, if the nonprofit next door wins your planned gifts, your cash gifts will walk out the door, too.
“Oh, you’re one of those people who care about the black squiggly marks,” the Director of Development told me.
You can’t believe how hard it is for people to be simple, how much they fear being simple. They worry that if they’re simple, people will think they’re simpleminded. In reality, of course, it’s just the reverse. ~ Jack Welch, CEO, General Electric
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