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

Sophisticated programs often pursue a three-part ask: an annual unrestricted gift to continue the donor’s pattern of giving and provide much needed unrestricted funds; a pledge of a major gift such as an endowed fund or campaign commitment; and a planned gift to enhance lifetime giving. The lifetime gift offers greater opportunities to steward the future gift. The future gift — both its existence and its uncertainty — offers opportunities to contact the donor and possibly pursue another current gift.