Face it, no one likes to talk about death — especially not his or her own. And to talk about planned giving, you have to acknowledge the fact that a "planned" gift is one that will be given to a charity after the donor has shuffled off his or her mortal coil. It takes a very specific approach — and personality type — to do it well.
New York, July 13, 2009 — With charitable giving down, more and more nonprofits are dipping into their endowments further reducing their resources -- making a bad situation worse. However, there is one type of giving that hasn't been tapped to its full potential and that's planned giving, which is just another way to raise money in addition to annual donations and grants. Yet, board members and fundraising staff shy away from planned giving programs perhaps because it sounds more complicated than other programs.
July 7, 2009, Third Sector — Charities are facing an increasing number of challenges by disgruntled family members to legacies left to them by supporters, according to a number of charities and charity lawyers.
Remember the story of the boy in Holland who noticed a hole in the dike? Fearing a leak could flood the entire town, he shoved his finger into the hole, potentially avoiding a major disaster.
May 29, 2009, Forbes.com — So how has the current recession affected your philanthropy? For many donors, a reduced asset base has meant refocusing their charitable giving. Some are shifting priorities, choosing to focus on the communities and issues hit hardest by the economic downturn; others are adjusting gift amounts to reflect changes in their finances and still others see the recession as an opportune time to revisit their legacy plan and review and rethink the question of what kind of legacy they hope to leave. They are taking a hard look at the charitable designations named in their estate plans, which, for many, is a long overdue exercise, since interests, intent and financial circumstances will have changed since the estate plan was first drafted.
May 12, 2009, The Wall Street Journal — It sounds good on paper: You make a donation to a worthy cause and, in return, receive regular lifetime payments. But so-called charitable gift annuities don't always deliver what they promise -- a risk that could intensify if the recession persists.
New Orleans, April 1, 2009, Chronicle of Philanthropy — In contrast to individual, foundation, and corporate giving, which tend to drop or remain flat during tough economic times, giving through charitable bequests usually grows during a recession, according to fund raisers.
In a webinar last month titled "Positioning for Wealth Transfer," Campbell & Company Vice President Bruce Matthews talked about the need for organizations to prepare programs that take full advantage of this boon.
So you've probably heard talk here or there about "wealth transfer," the prediction that over the next few decades, an estimated $40 trillion or so will change hands as baby boomers and their parents pass on their accumulated assets to their children. But what does it mean for your organization, and how can you prepare for it?
Investors aren't in a giving mood these days. But the deepening recession presents a rare opportunity for some people: By setting up a special trust, wealthy donors can seed favorite charities, pass money to heirs and shelter potential growth from taxes.
