A successful planned-giving campaign takes it slow, nrturing relationship with older donors that will far outlive their immediate cash-generating years.

By Mark Walker

When they were ready to retire, John and Amy moved to Arizona, which is where I met them. I spent time asking about their history with the founders, which values of the organization they appreciated the most, and which of their accomplishments in working with the agency they were most proud of. Since they had a long history with the nonprofit, I asked for their help meeting some of the donors they knew and with whom they could help open a door for me. Later, I brought in some of our key staff, including our chief executive officer, to meet with them and thank them for their commitment.