Thou Shalt Not …

The Seven Commandments of Planned Giving highlight areas to avoid as we interact with donors and ask for planned gifts. By reviewing each commandment, you can develop a road map to assist you as you navigate through the perils of planned giving.

1. Thou shalt not ignore donors’ motivations, goals and financial situations.
It’s important to know more than cursory information about donors before creating and recommending an appropriate gift proposal. Since planned gifts are generated from matching donors’ passions and goals with what your organization has to offer, get to know your donors by building genuine relationships with them. Find out what’s important to them, what motivates them and how they’d like to put their charitable dollars to work.