Don’t be afraid to ask! It is easy to be intimidated by the concept of asking a donor for a planned gift. But don’t be! After over twenty years of fundraising, I have noticed an interesting trend. After the economic downturn of 2008, portfolios have recovered but minds have not.
There is an underlying sense of fear about the economy. A planned giving ask is a great way for the donor to retain financial flexibility while planning for impact.
A few ideas on how to make the ask
This ask is not the end of the conversation but the continuation of the relationship. You might need to talk to leadership about what you are hearing or get further information to the donor about something they had questions about, but the ask is made, and the conversation continues.
michael@lifelegacy.io
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.
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