Donor Behavior & Stewardship Archives

Charitable Gift Annuity

Rate Tables and Hard Numbers in CGA Ads

Fact: Charitable Gift Annuity (CGA) rate tables or gift illustrations/examples really don’t work well. Non-profits want them in their CGA marketing pieces because they see them in everyone else’s stuff, but the reality is that they rarely bring in a gift. Or bring in the wrong type of gift. Instead, focus on donor stories in your CGA ads and other marketing!

Viken Mikaelian February 26, 2020 No Comments

Planned Giving Marketing

Don’t Defer Planned Giving!

“But we want the cash, now,” we often hear. Well, we would have had the cash now if we had not deferred it in the first place. Get started now! Don’t defer planned giving.

Viken Mikaelian February 23, 2020 No Comments

Donor Behavior & Stewardship

Fundraising vs. Friendraising

In philanthropy, rather than getting donors to raise cash, it is smarter to raise cash to get long-term donors. Sounds like a tongue-twister, but it’s not.

Viken Mikaelian February 22, 2020 No Comments

Bequests

Planned Giving and the Church

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.

Viken Mikaelian February 21, 2020 No Comments

The Donor will Never Know. Why Attend His Funeral?

Donor Behavior & Stewardship

The Donor will Never Know. Why Attend His Funeral?

“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 …”

Viken Mikaelian February 6, 2020 No Comments

I Learned A Lot Of Things From My Dad. Here are Three.

Giving

I Learned A Lot Of Things From My Dad. Here are Three.

Good judgment comes from experience. Unfortunately experience comes through bad judgment.

David Kottler January 25, 2020 No Comments

Stewardship and Relationships

Convincing Your Boss and Your Board

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?

Viken Mikaelian January 5, 2020 No Comments

Planned Giving Marketing

Trust-Based Fundraising

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 …

Viken Mikaelian December 23, 2019 No Comments

Donor Behavior & Stewardship

All You Need is Love

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.

Viken Mikaelian December 23, 2019 No Comments

Planned Giving Marketing

Planned Giving: It’s About Legitimacy

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.

Viken Mikaelian December 6, 2019 No Comments