Free webinar alert: ONLINE WILL PLANNING: The Good, The Bad and the Ugly

Next Wednesday, January 18, 2023 2 PM EST I will be on a panel discussing Online Will Planners – no cost!

Click this link to learn more!

Webinars

ONLINE WILL PLANNING:

The Good, The Bad and the Ugly

Wednesday, January 18, 2023

2 PM EST

Over the last several years there has been a proliferation of online will-planning tools. The growth in this industry was spurred on in large part by the number of people who adopted a no-contact, DIY approach to everything they could during COVID.

And while many fundraisers are embracing the wave and the bequests it brings their nonprofits, there are those who despise it. Some lawyers, of course, are claiming that online will planning is an ill-advised concept. And there are even a few foundations that believe online will planning works against the interests of advisors and ruins relationships, while others do not see it making a difference either way.

But one thing is certain: Whether you love it or hate it, online will planning is here to stay.

Every day, more and more Americans are choosing to create their wills using guided programs that help them create simple, legal wills online — many of them for free — from the comfort of their homes. And those nonprofits that are embracing the trend are seeing an increase in the number of bequests and other planned gifts from their donors.

Which is why you need to attend our newest webinar, Online Will Planning: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.

We’ve enlisted the help of five industry experts to explore the online will planning trend. They asked the tough questions, including:

  • Are online will planners a good idea, or a bad one?
  • Who comes first — donors, advisors, or the nonprofit?
  • Are there any security issues?
  • Which platforms are succeeding, and which are not?
  • Are you risking relationships with the lawyers who help your organization?
  • How effective are online will planners at increasing planned gifts?

You’ll leave this information-packed presentation armed with all the facts and plenty of strong opinions, both of which will help you make the right decision for your organization.

 

 

New Initiating Legacy Conversations Webinar

With the next new Legacy IRA Act primed to bring more Planned Giving into your discussions with donors, now is the time to get ready!

New webinar: Initiating Legacy Conversations

Save the Date

February 1, 2023
2:00 – 3:15 PM EST

REGISTER
Do you have trouble initiating a planned giving conversation? Do you clam up when it’s time to have “that talk?”
If you can’t initiate a dialogue or make the ask, your prospects will look for someone else who can.
But when you learn how to have effective conversations with donors and prospects when it comes to legacy gifts, your nonprofit’s endowment will grow, right along with your reputation and career!

This exclusive course on starting the planned giving or legacy conversation will show you how to find the clues to begin the dialog … and close the deal. And it couldn’t come at a better time.

Put doubt and uncertainty in the rear-view mirror.

  • Understanding mindsets, motivations, aspirations.
  • Know who to target.
  • Know which life events are good triggers to open up a dialogue.
  • Learn how to develop your “Legacy Opener.”
  • Overcome the greatest hurdles to a legacy conversation.
  • Find out if they have a will or an estate plan, and know what to suggest if they don’t.
  • Close on a gift.
  • How to solidify a gift once confirmed.
  • Get exceptional information for a donor story.
Register

Includes Q&A

Recordings Available

JONATHAN GUDEMA, JD

PLANNED GIVING EXPERT

  • Jonathan is an advisor to ultra high-net-worth individuals. He is also a planned giving consultant and coaches several charities. Jonathan resides in the NY metropolitan area.
Included Takeaways
  • 15 Conversation Starters (Includes the “Why” Behind Each Question)
  • 31 Quality Questions to Ask Donors and Prospects
  • Planned Giving for MGOs (PDF)

Donors Over Age 70.5 Can Now Fund a CGA or CRT with IRA $!

I have been waiting for around 20 years for this!!! (Back in 2002, I already had marketing templates ready to go to promote these!!!).

Here is are links to PGCalc’s summary posts on this big Planned Giving news:

In short, donors age 70.5 and older will be able to establish CGAs (CRTs are less likely) for up to $50,000 each year from their IRA accounts – no tax as a distribution and it counts towards your RMD!!  All income received from these annuities will be 100% ordinary income and the donor will not receive a charitable deduction.

I think this is an amazing turn of events for the planned giving world!

More to come on this and Secure Act 2.0.

 

Cat Got Your Tongue? Learn How to Start the Planned Giving Conversation

Fan Art] Cat Got Your Tongue By Katx-fish On Deviantart - Cartoon - Free Transparent PNG Clipart Images Download

I tell my clients all the time that in the planned giving world, people skills will take you much farther than technical skills.

You might understand CRUTs and CRATs inside and out; know the latest tax-law changes by heart; and have the ability to set up a CGA with your eyes closed. But if a fundraiser clams up when it’s time to have a conversation with donors and prospects, all that knowledge will be about as useful as a snow shovel in Florida. And if you can’t initiate a dialogue or make the ask, your prospects will look for a fundraiser (and a new nonprofit) that can.

But when you possess the ability to have an effective, engaging conversation, your prospects suddenly turn into donors; your donors turn into repeat donors; planned gifts increase, along with major and annual gifts; and your reputation grows (along with your career).

You’ll also find it’s much easier to gather information for donor stories—a must for creating a powerful, emotional connection that inspires other prospects to give.

New Course – Click Here

calendar

SAVE THE DATE – FEBRUARY 1, 2023 2:00 – 3:15 PM EST

The truth is, even seasoned fundraisers sometimes have trouble initiating a conversation. There are times that making the ask feels like an impossible task. Some prospects or situations are just trickier than others, and sometimes your usual, tried-and-true methods will fall flat. 

That’s why, in conjunction with PlannedGiving.com,  I will be giving a new course on February 1st on initiating planned giving conversations where we will show you how to find the clues to begin the dialog and close the deal.

Put your doubt and uncertainty in the rear-view mirror. Brush up on your donor conversation skills and start the new year strong. This exclusive PlannnedGiving.Com course is a must-have for anyone who’s serious about planned giving. You’ll learn how to:

  • Develop your “Legacy Opener.”
  • Initiate a planned giving conversation
  • Select good prospects.
  • Understand those prospects’ mindsets, motivations, and aspirations.
  • Identify life events that are good triggers for a planned giving dialogue.
  • Overcome the greatest hurdles to a legacy conversation.
  • Discover if they have a will or an estate plan, and know what to suggest if they don’t.
  • Close on a gift.
  • Gather exceptional information for a donor story.

Don’t fumble another planned giving conversation. Sign up for our new course today and take your nonprofit (and your career) to the next level.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE OR REGISTER