Planned Giving: ‘How Old Are You and Did 
You Know You Could … ?’

Planned gifts provide the donor with financial benefits, but the gift still has an underlying price tag. The donor is giving money away, and there must be charitable intent.

What has this donor already done for your institution or any other institution? Research suggests that it is the consistency of giving rather than the size of the individual gifts that matters. Some gift-planning offices market bequests to “loyal” donors. Loyalty can be defined in various ways, including donors who have given in the most recent three years, in five of the last eight years, or in 10 or more years.