“I’m dying,” she said. “I have 4 to 5 weeks to live.” She is a friend in the planned giving industry. I was devastated and the conversation gave me a paradigm shift: I realized I don’t like to give. I like to invest in my legacy instead.
Enter the Advisor
An advisor-centric approach in your non-profit can pave the road for prospective donors. Is your nonprofit doing enough to build a network of financial advisors?
Cryptocurrency: The Next Gifting Frontier
Ethereum. Doegecoin. Ripple. Litecoin. Stellar. Bitcoin. Unless you’re familiar with cryptocurrency, those names probably look like something straight out of a science fiction story. But it’s no fiction: Cryptocurrency presents a huge—and largely untapped—opportunity for nonprofits.
Let Donors Know: Philanthropy Is Here to Stay
In 1900 they predicted that C, X and Q would vanish from our alphabet. 10 years later it was predicted we would have flying bicycles. The U.S. Congressional Calendar predicts that philanthropic incentives may be legislated out of existence sometime soon.
Are You Worthy of Being Adopted?
The plain, unvarnished truth is that traditional wealth screening tools simply do not work in planned giving.
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.
I Learned A Lot Of Things From My Dad. Here are Three.
Good judgment comes from experience. Unfortunately experience comes through bad judgment.
Dumb Ways To Seek Donations
Are you relying on dumb ways to seek donations? A few years ago, a darkly humorous Australian public service ad to promote railway safety went viral. Called “Dumb Ways to Die,” the campaign was set to a catchy song with lyrics including, Set fire to your hair. Poke a stick at a grizzly bear. Eat […]
“I am too busy to think about planned giving”
Too busy? Or are you placing Planned Giving on the back burner, again? So many fundraisers make excuses, claiming they’ve placed planned giving on the back-burner because of tight budgets, smaller staffs and not enough time. Bull. There’s an underlying reason that none of us wants to acknowledge: Four years ago we asked fundraisers […]
How Far is Too Far?
“It’s never government, the economy, or tax laws that are our enemy. It’s ourselves.”— A CEO of a healthcare foundation, remaining anonymous.