Give and Take

Donors as Prospects for Large Major Gifts

Question In your Strange Myths section in Giving Tomorrow Magazine, the statement is made that “Most planned giving donors are not prospects for large major gifts.” Did the word “not” creep in there by mistake? Answer This is a really good question and common misperception. Over the last several years there have been a number of studies of the most likely planned giving prospects. We have learned that those individuals who are loyal to your organization and mission are the most likely to be open to the planned giving message. Typically we measure loyalty by regular, consistent annual giving. One

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Why Getting In The Will Today Matters
Beneficiary Designations
Julie Morgenstern

Why Getting In The Will Today Matters

Long-term study shows multiple benefits for charities to get in the estate plan sooner. We all know charitable estate giving is a big deal. In comparison, despite all of the media attention and conversation generated by corporate giving, annual estate giving has always been much larger. (In some years, charitable estate gifts are more than double all corporate gifts.) Of course, we all know that to receive any estate dollars, your organization must get in the will or other estate planning document. So, getting in the will eventually is clearly important. Get into the will today. But, new evidence is

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Message from CEO

First, a Thank You For those of you who are reading this and are clients of mine, I truly thank you for your business. When I started in 1998, I did it with the goal to make planned giving accessible to your average prospect. At the time, planned giving was so bogged down with legalese and mind-numbing details that fundraisers were intimidated and donors befuddled. We’ve come a long way since then, but there’s still a shocking number of fundraisers taking calculator courses and fretting about tax codes while ignoring the relationship part of their job. Not you. You’re among the

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Is It Okay To Use A Bequest For Operating Expenses?

  Question My nonprofit organization currently uses all bequest proceeds for operating expenses. The family of recently deceased donor has questioned this and wants us to designate the funds for endowment. What should we do? Answer Remember that the only funds that serve as true endowment are those that are restricted by the donor. Since the donor’s will did not restrict the funds, it is impossible to have these funds go to endowment. However, they can be treated as “quasi-endowment,” “board designated endowment,” or “funds functioning as endowment,” which are funds your organization’s board will treat as endowment (only using

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The 1% Challenge
Uncategorized
Viken Mikaelian

The 1% Challenge

I wonder if anyone’s ever done a study to see when gyms are more crowded—in January (post new year’s resolution season) or in the spring (pre swimsuit season). I’d put my money on January.

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What Are You Thankful For?

Our clients are some of the most successful, creative people in the planned giving community. We asked them what they’re grateful for, and here’s what they said. (Feel free to steal their ideas at your family feast on Thanksgiving.)

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What a Planned Giving Professional Can Learn from a Realtor

By Two Cent Steve, Planned Giving Director at one of PlannedGiving.com’s university clients Two hundred and fifty three brave souls signed on for a recent webinar with Viken Mikaelian and Tom Ahern. That’s two out-of-the-box thinkers with a habit of saying it like it is … bound to get interesting.

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Should Your Planned Giving Postcards Have A Reply Mechanism?

Clients and friends often ask if including a reply mechanism on their planned giving postcards is worth the added expense. It depends on the circumstances, but generally, I do not feel it’s worth it. As we all know, planned giving is a low-response business. So even with the most successful direct mail programs, we see very few reply cards actually filled out and returned. However, this does not mean your information is not getting read. It’s just that most people are not going to take the time to respond, on a whim, to questions about a subject that requires some

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