Planned Giving

These 12 strategies aren't the only things I'd do to transform my donor-development office. They may not even be the most urgent things I'd do, or even the most important. But they are the things I'd do that I think would have the most lasting impact. They would make the most difference to converting my imaginary donor-development department from the under-funded, misunderstood appendage to the fundraising function that I found on joining the organization into the finely honed, high-
earning core activity that I'd like to leave behind when, in the fullness of time, I move on to pastures new (you have to indulge me a little here, in this fantasy). Anyway, here we go.

The Pittsburgh Planned Giving Council (PPGC) is pleased to announce that Scott Keffer is the organization’s 2010 Allied Professional of the Year. This award recognizes professionals who have a commitment to philanthropy and promote philanthropy through their profession.

Keffer is a financial educator, author, speaker and wealth planner. He is the founder of Legacy Planning® and the creator of The Legacy Planning® Process, The Donor Motivation Program™ at http://www.DonorMotivation.com and founder of The Donor Motivation Professionals of North America™.

The Donor Motivation Program and The Motivation Professionals of North America announce the Planned Giving Secret Millionaire Contest at DonorMotivation.com. “The contest is designed to spotlight the power of planned giving by hosting a very special contest in conjunction with James Malinchak, featured on ABC's New Primetime TV Show, "Secret Millionaire," airing on Sunday, March 20, 2011,” says Scott Keffer, the Founder and CEO of The Donor Motivation Program, the sponsor of the contest.

Here's a simple approach to planned giving that any organization can — and should — implement RIGHT NOW. The returns on your investment of time and energy can be simply amazing!

Because it costs more to raise philanthropic money during a recession, nonprofit hospitals and other institutions who are willing to invest in fundraising personnel and emphasize major gifts and planned giving in their well-rounded programs will weather the current fiscal crisis in America, according to a “State of Philanthropic Health Care Address” released by William C. McGinly, Ph.D., CAE, president and chief executive officer, Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP).

We'd like to introduce SOFII to those of our readers who don't know about it and share some of the fundraising efforts that have made it into the site's Best of the Best Showcase.

The ACLU's Leading Freedom Forward campaign transformed the organization's mind-set and major- and planned-giving strategies.

Bruce Makous and Michael Rosen provided five steps to turn your direct-marketing program into a major- and planned-gift program.

The traditional (and frankly easy) way to evaluate a direct-mail fundraising program is to determine net revenue and the number of donors you keep, gain and lose. A mature and well-managed program invests in acquisition, ends the year with more donors and, if really good, achieves an overall higher average gift to boot.

Asking questions and educating prospects about ways to make gifts are the hallmark of our jobs as fundraisers. In this article, we list 10 key questions you need to ask donors and prospects in order to begin the cultivation process. We also discuss important points about listening to and processing information gleaned from the answers.