Self Improvement & Career
My Apple Tree
Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree. ~ Martin Luther
Viken Mikaelian
March 21, 2020
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Strategies and best practices for communicating planned giving effectively. Covers messaging, content development, digital presence, donor education, and positioning planned giving as a core component of fundraising strategy.
Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree. ~ Martin Luther
These six planned giving facts may sound a bit harsh, but they’re the truth — and they’re crucial if you want to succeed in the field.
If you want people to pay attention to your direct mail intended to raise money, let those who are “smart” in marketing have the final say, not attorneys or tenured professors. Invest in donor-centric planned giving marketing!
Does the economy have you down? Fear not! People still have money to spend. In fact, for nonprofits, it’s ALWAYS a world of fundraising abundance!
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!
“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.
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.
I recall one afternoon when the entire staff from the development office was running around like chickens with their heads cut off, screaming at everyone because a donor’s name was misspelled on the roster. Did the donor care?
Planned Giving is a way to make an impact and grow a meaningful legacy — both for yourself, and for your favorite nonprofit — in ways that you likely had never imagined.
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 …
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