Category: Planned Giving

Retaining donors is more cost-effective than acquiring new ones. Learn practical strategies nonprofits can use to improve donor retention and grow sustainably.

If you need a single, compelling reason to prioritize planned giving this year, here it is: around 46 billion dollars flows to charities every year through bequests. In fact, the latest Giving USA numbers show that bequests in 2024 totaled about $45.84 billion—roughly 8% of all U.S. charitable giving for the year. That’s not a rounding error; it’s a transformative funding stream your mission can’t afford to ignore.

One of the most interesting parts of planned giving is that you never know what is going to happen! Planned gifts will surprise you. In an earlier blog, I talked about the planned gift that I DIDN’T accept. That was not even close to the most interesting gift that I ever received.

And this one isn’t either. But it was something I never expected.

Identifying the best donor personas for planned giving is all about understanding who is most likely to make long-term, legacy-based contributions—and why. These donors aren’t just generous; they’re deeply aligned with your mission and often thinking about the impact they’ll leave behind. Here’s how to pinpoint them:

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?

Learn how nonprofits can use in-kind gifts to deepen donor relationships and strengthen stewardship through thoughtful, memorable, and mission-aligned gestures.

The excitement was palpable. We had just started the silent phase of a large comprehensive campaign and I was looking forward to a first gift to jumpstart everything.

Online giving is a vital fundraising channel for nonprofits. Learn how to get better results with these expert tips to improve your online giving strategy.