After being on my own since 2011 (that’s 12 years – my longest “job” tenure by far), my planned giving consulting services are moving to PlannedGiving.com!

Check out their new consulting landing page!

Also, my next webinar is happening on May 31 at 2 pm – click here to learn more and don’t forget my friends and family discount code (8CEYNUR8 – 25% discount!)

There are many angles to planned giving – Is it about the “vehicles”?  The tax advantages that some offer?  Or, is it about newsletters and marketing and websites and emails? Or, simple bequests? Or, perhaps, leadership campaigns? Or, connecting with professional advisors?

Well, here is a definition of Planned Giving that I have found (now past 25 year in this field) that best summarizes what is really going on with planned giving:

When the values of an institution align with a donor’s own values to the extent that it becomes the donor’s belief that these values should be preserved for the future.

In other words, planned giving is about bringing together all modes communications – ads, letters, articles, emails, board meetings, events, etc.. – to make sure that your closest supporters know and realize that their personal legacies can be expressed through any type of legacy gift!

So, if your organization is communicating properly about planned gifts, what else is your job (as a major gifts officer or general fundraiser) in this regard?

The answer is Initiating Legacy Conversations.

You just need to initiate conversations with longer term supporters (those who have the potential for this “alignment of values”) and listen and converse!

If I have caught your attention, please check out this upcoming webinar!

In the summer of 1992, my first law school summer, I interned for the Planned Giving director at the MetroWest Jewish Community Foundation.  So, it’s 30+ years since I was introduced to this field (1998 since leaving law practice to focus full-time on this field – 25 years)!

I have been through a lot – worked with over 300 organizations as a consultant and was involved with over $500 million in Planned Gifts (have lost track of the total).  But, the core of planned giving is really about is something that I am constantly working on.

How do you get to closed gifts?

For this, you need to understand how to reach donors (i.e. marketing, events, activities) and you need to understand the donors’ motivations and inspirations, and who are the best prospects and when is the best time to open the conversation.

This Wednesday, I will be giving my most important webinar for understanding the nuances of this field and how to actually get to gifts.

If you have time for only one training session, and want get started talking to donors, this is the one:

Initiating Legacy Conversations – February 1, 2023 at 2 pm EST

I will condensing 30 years of my own experiences, as well as those of colleagues, clients, and donors, into this one 1.25 hour webinar.