Have you heard this one? An elderly woman decided to make one large charitable gift this year in December but she was not sure which of three worthy organizations to support. In April, as a test, she sent each organization a $100 contribution. The first organization processed the gift according to its usual standards and the donor received a pre-printed receipt ten days later.
1. It’s good for your clients, it’s good for your business, it’s good for society, and it’s good for you.
2. You’ll be surprised how many of your clients are searching for a way to give back to society, to memorialize a loved one, or simply to do good.
3. Clients agree that philanthropy is no more personal than any other decision advisors help them make. Financial and estate planning is about all the things they can do with their money. This is one of them.
The prospective donor’s first impression of you and your organization is during the initial contact—usually by letter or phone call. The person who makes that first contact is the person to whom the prospect cannot say no. This is often, but not always, a member of the board. The phone call or letter should be personal and warm and also to the point. Whether the letter is from you or a board member, tell the prospective donor who you are (unless you are already acquainted), what you are doing, and what you want.
Endowments and planned gifts are separate concepts that work hand-in-hand for donors and nonprofit organizations. Planned gifts are contributions made as a result of a
Donors who make planned gifts nearly always are financially secure (which is not to say wealthy), highly acculturated into the American way of life, and involved in a community larger than their own families. They visualize solutions to intractable problems and identify with organizations that provide opportunities for many people, rather than with specific needs or the needy. They seek organizations with which they share interests and values as partners to help them realize their visions for a better community or world. They decide to invest in a preferred future.
Showing appreciation for planned gifts and honoring the donors who give them are integral to an effective planned giving program and simple good manners. For most of us, however, it is easy to overlook this important aspect of donor services unless we have written standards and procedures that are routinely monitored. These policies can be divided into three categories.
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