We ask ourselves, “If planned giving is such a good idea, why doesn’t it work well for all nonprofits?”
A planned giving program requires substantial, ongoing technical training for trusts, and annual fund staffs are often insufficiently trained for act-now-and-get-later gifts programs. Donors are unwilling to share confidential financial matters with fundraising staff half their age and senior friends no longer or never did relate to annual fund (act now, get now) solicitations. However, there is little training required to start a bequest program, which makes up as much as 75 percent of planned gifts for many organizations. In times like these, there is a great impulse to put off investment because results will occur later on.
The flowcharts above (use the arrows or your mouse to navigate through the six slides) explore some of the potential scenarios for the flow of assets after death. If the implications of these comparisons aren’t clear or you’d like to learn more on this topic, please fill out this form, and we’ll email you within 24 hours.
Guthrie Theater
A bargain sale yields the gift of a mansion | Learn more
Breck School
A $1-million challenge becomes a $5-million match | Read more
