Engaging donors in the planned giving journey takes time and strategy. When talking to donors about how they want to leave a legacy, listening to their plans and dreams for the future takes time.
The question becomes: how do you find these people to have these conversations with? That is where the strategy part comes in.
A common group that exists in a non-profit is one of your best places to start: giving circles.
Whether they are called giving circles, giving societies, or giving groups, we will define giving circles as groups of donors that are already committed to your non-profit, give regularly and have been formalized into a cohesive group.
Your giving circle is a perfect group to engage in planned giving discussions. A few reasons why:
Start the legacy conversation with the leaders of your giving circle. Hopefully, the leaders of the giving circle will start the conversation with you and then become your champions with the group. Once you have engaged them, ask for time at their next meeting to discuss leaving a legacy.
This process also allows you to hone your message with a group that is close to you already. Use the stories of these consistent givers to show the importance of leaving a legacy to your larger audience.
Conversations with these core groups, like giving circles, helps build momentum in your planned giving program!
michael@lifelegacy.io
The word “increase” is a bit of a conundrum. Many nonprofits are being asked to do more (increase) with less (no increase). Your planned giving program is no different. Raising more planned gifts with increasing headcount is not just a recommendation but a requirement.
Planned giving has long been a vital—yet underutilized—source of revenue for nonprofits. Unlike annual donations, which fuel today’s operations, planned gifts create a pipeline of sustainable funding for tomorrow. According to Giving USA, planned gifts account for billions of dollars each year, with bequests alone contributing more than $40 billion in 2023. Yet many nonprofits, even those with strong donor bases, fail to maximize this powerful opportunity.
In today’s increasingly digital world, nonprofits have more tools than ever at their disposal to engage donors and increase impact. But when it comes to planned giving—one of the most meaningful and transformational forms of donor support—many nonprofits are finding themselves stuck between a rock and a hard place: do they partner with a large tech company with little experience in the fundraising world that sees adding a nonprofit vertical as a revenue play, or do they work with a lean, experienced team that has decades of combined fundraising experience and an advanced online estate planning platform?
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