Category: Planned Giving Marketing

Business professional stacking four wooden blocks on reflective surface that read 'THINK ABOUT TOMORROW TODAY', illustrating the importance of future planning in charitable giving.
Planned Giving Marketing
Matt Vuorela

5 Smart Ways to Integrate Planned Giving into Your Capital Campaign

While capital campaigns often focus on immediate fundraising needs, integrating planned giving creates lasting impact. A well-run campaign provides the perfect platform to identify and cultivate legacy donors. By including planned giving language in campaign materials, training staff on legacy conversations, launching a legacy society, and sharing donor stories, organizations can secure both short-term pledges and long-term estate commitments. This dual approach transforms campaigns into meaningful exercises in stewardship that ensure organizational sustainability for generations.

Read More »
An image of giving money that will grow similar to a Charitable Remainder Trusts.
Planned Giving Marketing
Joshua Keleske

Charitable Remainder Trusts

Charitable Remainder Trusts (CRTs) offer a tax-efficient method to support charities while preserving income. Donors transfer appreciated assets into a Charitable Remainder Annuity Trust (CRAT) or Unitrust (CRUT), gaining immediate income tax deductions and avoiding capital gains taxes. These trusts provide fixed or variable payments during retirement, allowing donors to maintain their lifestyle. They also enable wealth transfer with reduced gift or estate taxes, making CRTs an attractive option for long-term charitable and financial planning.

Read More »
An image of Walt Disney showing A Window on Walt's World.
Planned Giving Marketing
Wayne Olson

A Window on Walt’s World

Walt Disney built windows lower on Main Street so children could see inside as easily as adults—a detail no one noticed but everyone benefited from. This teaches us about donor relations: Are we building our “windows” at standard height or from our donors’ perspective? Simple changes like talking mission over money, having real people answer phones, and creating memorable first impressions can transform donor engagement and loyalty.RetryClaude can make mistakes. Please double-check responses.

Read More »
Illustration of diverse community members embraced by protective hands, symbolizing the role of community foundations in supporting and safeguarding local giving.
Planned Giving Marketing
Sarah Pinto

Don’t Underutilize Your Community Foundation

Can you name your local community foundation? More importantly: do you know what they really do? Far from being competitors, community foundations are powerful allies for nonprofits. They manage complex gifts, build sustainable endowments, connect you with donor-advised funds, and even handle planned giving for teams without in-house expertise. Think of them as gardeners of local philanthropy – planting, tending, and growing generosity so your mission can thrive for years to come.

Read More »
Perfect! I've added the image with: Alt text: "Vintage typewriter with text 'This year I will...' symbolizing the promise to finally write a will
Estate Planning
Viken Mikaelian

Four Keys to Motivate Wills

If even Abraham Lincoln, Prince, and Picasso skipped writing wills, what chance do the rest of us have without a nudge? That’s why no single message works for every donor. Some need a wake-up call about the risks. Others respond to inspiring visions of their legacy. Still others want practical answers or simple first steps. The most effective campaigns don’t pick one approach—they balance all four: fear, inspiration, education, and simplicity. Because different people need different keys to finally act.

Read More »
An image of a doctor giving a Primer in Health Care Advance Directives.
Planned Giving Marketing
Joshua Keleske

A Primer in Health Care Advance Directives

Advances in modern medicine can prolong lives of seriously ill individuals, though not always with hope for improvement. While some view extended life as meaningful, others may see artificial prolongation as extending suffering. The Florida Legislature recognizes individuals’ fundamental right to make medical decisions regarding life-prolonging procedures. Through advance directives like living wills, health care surrogate designations, and anatomical gift declarations, adults can plan ahead for health care decisions and ensure their wishes are respected.

Read More »
Charity event - group of donors exchanging conversation while having wine
Planned Giving Marketing
Viken Mikaelian

While You’re Planning Your Next Chicken Dinner, They Are Planning For Their Deaths

Bequests are quietly transforming nonprofit fundraising—but most organizations are stuck chasing galas, events, and short-term wins. In this sharp critique, we explore why legacy giving is the most overlooked revenue stream and how tools like LegacyPlanner™ remove friction and drive real results. With insights from clients like Smith College and JMU, this piece calls out outdated board thinking and offers practical steps to modernize your strategy. Bequests aren’t gravy—they’re the foundation. Ignore them, and the money passes you by.

Read More »
Online Will Planners: Should Your Nonprofit Have One?
Planned Giving Marketing
Viken Mikaelian

Online Will Planners: Should Your Nonprofit Have One?

Online will makers are everywhere you look these days. From FreeWill, Rocket Lawyer, Trust & Will and GivingDocs to the comprehensive LegacyPlanner, it feels like everyone is offering their own version. And sometimes it seems like they all just appeared overnight, too. But the truth is, the industry has been around for decades — both US Legal Wills and LegalZoom had online versions more than 20 years ago.

Read More »
An image Hardball in Leadership No Excuses Just Results.
Planned Giving Marketing
Viken Mikaelian

Hardball in Leadership: No Excuses, Just Results

Whiners don’t win—leaders do. If your comfort zone is begging for 2–4% raises and hoping for a part-time job post-retirement, this isn’t for you. Hardball leaders don’t play it safe—they make bold moves, take calculated risks, and push their teams toward excellence. The nonprofit world is plagued by a softie mentality, where comfort trumps results. But real impact demands urgency, accountability, and grit. Step up, toughen up, and lead like a winner—because playing it safe won’t get you to the top.

Read More »
Vibrant tree with deep roots and silhouetted people holding hands, symbolizing unity, legacy, growth, and community impact
Planned Giving Marketing
Viken Mikaelian

Build a Legacy Society People Actually Join

Most legacy societies fail quietly—created with enthusiasm, then forgotten. This guide breaks that cycle with a proven roadmap to build or revive a legacy society that truly works. You’ll learn how to choose a name that resonates, attract founding members, keep them engaged, and most importantly—sell through stories, not just tell them. Whether you’re starting from scratch or dusting off an old initiative, this is your actionable playbook for legacy giving that inspires and endures.

Read More »