Fundraisers can make “civilians” a little nervous when they’re around. What comments do you get when you tell folks what you do? “Ugh, I could never ask strangers for money!” “Well, I hope you didn’t bring your begging bowl with you tonight – this is a friendly party.”
Ignoring gifts of real estate? You are definitely missing out.
We were recently asked: Is there any “benchmark,” or industry standard regarding the mechanics of “handing off” a loyal direct mail donor to the Planned Giving Department? Without airing too much “dirty laundry,” our in-house Direct Marketing Department refuses to give the Planned Giving Department access to the donor database out of fear that planned giving marketing activities with loyal donors will depress annual giving income from those donors. So basically the Planned Giving Department is being denied access to the best prospects, because of fear that planned giving will undermine annual giving. How do other organizations handle this?
Get your board on board and let them see the value of planned giving with these Myths and Facts. You can also purchase the expanded professional version of this post in PowerPoint. Perfect for your next board meeting or legacy society event. You can also evaluate your board’s readiness here. Engaging a board is critical for long term sustainability. The board of directors plays a critical role in the growth of your organization. And since many are “community players” they themselves can influence gifts. Want to make your job easier and be more successful? Engage with your board, and engage
Sales and marketing are different things. Sales, or stewardship, is direct contact, and the point is to make a sale. Marketing is more about building awareness of your brand, your mission and your vision. Though it creates bonds in less personal ways than sales, marketing enables you to cast a wider net and create a sales funnel that directs revenue your way.
Tom Ligare and his colleagues at Planned Giving Marketing Solutions, LLC are promoting a gift type that helps build long-term endowment by making it easier for mid-level donors to engage in major giving. We decided to find out more about it…
I don’t think so. If you think “having no limits” is part of your job description, think again. Everybody has limits. Even fundraisers.
I don’t think any of us would be in this business if we didn’t believe that philanthropy, giving, the act of charity – no matter how humble – ennobles everything it touches. But I don’t know whether to laugh or cry just now, because I learned recently that a man in Florida willed his house to the U.S. government so the sales proceeds could be applied to defray the National Debt.
E-Marketing Is Not the Answer If you really think you can run a planned giving program on autopilot with outsourced help that supplies electronic tools online such as tax reference libraries for prospects and financial advisors, articles on gift laws, automated email blasts, complicated calculators, etc., this article is for you. One of the scariest things I see is that many fundraisers are entirely, foolishly depending on this stuff (which no one reads) and on the Internet for marketing, and worse, simultaneously abandoning direct mail and other print media for outreach to new donors and prospects. It is terrifyingly stupid,
I was invited to speak at a national charity conference with over 800 attendees. I know some of them were Directors of Operations and Chief Executive Officers. So where the heck were they hiding? The conference featured something for everyone, topic-wise — from operations and finances to strategies and fundraising philosophy, they had it covered. The conference was a huge success… except for my session, which was on planned giving marketing. Read on.
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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