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

Contrary to popular belief, annual-giving and planned-giving offices can support each other, and this is just one instance. A consistent donor is a better prospect for a planned gift.

Prior large gifts may suggest untapped capacity or financial or tax issues that could be addressed through gift planning. Does your annual-giving staff alert the gift-planning staff to large gifts, or is there a way for gift-planning officers to discover this information on their own? If the donor’s gift patterns have changed, ask about them: “Thank you for your recent gift to [purpose]. I notice that this gift is much larger [or smaller, or is for a different project] than your past support. Is there a reason?”