How To Start A Planned Giving Program

Starting a planned giving program may seem like a big undertaking, but breaking it down into manageable steps makes it much more achievable. Here are ten steps to get started:

1. Educate Yourself and Your Team – Learn the basics of planned giving, including bequests, beneficiary designations, and other common gift types. Share this knowledge with your board and staff so they can confidently discuss it with donors. (Join one of our free webinars and check out the educational section of the marketing handbook)
2. Create a Dedicated Planned Giving Webpage – Provide essential information on your website, including sample bequest language, how to name your nonprofit as a beneficiary, and an easy way to contact you for more details. (Reach out to learn more about how to implement a planned giving website yourself or to have it professionally hosted)
3. Develop Messaging – Create a clear, donor-friendly messaging about planned giving. Donors are looking for specifics of impact. Keep it simple but show the potential impact they can make. Use this message across different communication channels. (You can view our outreach and messaging templates in our marketing handbook)
4. Find Your Planned Giving Prospects – Look at your most loyal donors—those who have given consistently over time. These supporters are the most likely to consider leaving a legacy gift. (Rule of thumb: If a donor has given in 7 out of the last 10 years, they’re likely a good planned giving prospect)
5. Integrate Planned Giving Into Your Communications – Regularly highlight planned giving in newsletters, emails, social media, and events. Feature donor stories to inspire others. (View our Planned Giving Calendar in the marketing handbook) 
6. Engage Your Board and Leadership – Encourage board members and key stakeholders to consider making their own planned gifts. When leadership sets the example, others follow. (Idea’s for engaging the board think of including a planned giving update at each board meeting, sample ways of mentioning this can be found in our free resources download “Get Your Board on Board”)
7. Start Conversations with Loyal Donors – Reach out personally to long-time donors, volunteers, and supporters. Express appreciation for their past giving and introduce the idea of leaving a legacy gift. (Learn how to have legacy conversations with our 6 Ways To Start a Legacy Conversation in our marketing handbook or watch Words That Work To Encourage Planned Giving by Dr. Russell James)
8. Partner with an Online Estate Planning Company– Offering free or discounted estate planning tools can make it easier for donors to include your nonprofit in their plans. Many online platforms (such as LifeLegacy!) simplify this process. Click here to schedule a demo
9. Recognize and Steward Legacy Donors – Create a legacy society to honor those who have made planned gift commitments. Publicly recognizing these donors encourages others to consider doing the same. Have standard processes in place on how you steward donors, ie: how do you respond to a planned gift? do you have a legacy gift commitment form? (Download our “Guide On How To Start or Revitalize Your Legacy Society”)
10. Track and Measure Your Progress – Keep records of inquiries, commitments, and outreach efforts. Evaluate what’s working and refine your approach to grow your program over time. (Be sure to properly record planned gifts in your CRM! Many have planned gift tracking capabilities)

Creating a planned giving program isn’t rocket science, but it does take an intentional and coordinated approach. By following these steps, your nonprofit can build a strong foundation for planned giving, ensuring long-term financial sustainability for your mission.