Bequests and other planned gifts provide a significant source of revenue for nonprofits. But many donors don’t include charities in their will simply because they were never asked, says Lisa Sargent, founder of an eponymous fundraising consultancy.
As long as you start talking about legacy gifts with donors, she says, “gifts in wills do come in — and sometimes they come in as early as six, eight, 10 months after you start [asking].”
You don’t need to hire an outside firm or make a huge financial investment to expand your planned-giving program, she says. “Even if you’re a small-to-midsize nonprofit, you can absolutely do this, and you can do this with the communications you have at hand.”
To get started, find ways to weave messages about planned gifts into your existing outreach materials — an approach Sargent calls “legacy drip-feed marketing” — rather than creating new communications focused on this form of giving.
Use language donors will understand. “When we say ‘planned giving,’ that’s really for nonprofit professionals,” she says. “Most donors think of it as ‘gifts in wills.’”
But don’t feel you need to mention every type of legacy gift that exists. If you talk only about bequests, she says, “you’ve managed to cover more than 85 percent of how all planned gifts are made, which is by a will or a trust.”
Here are seven hard-and-fast rules for promoting bequests to donors, which Sargent compiled for the recent Chronicle webinar How to Boost Your Planned Giving Program.
Keep it simple: Don’t use the term “planned giving,” and don’t worry about introducing every complex legacy-giving vehicle you offer. As Professor Russell James of Texas Tech University recommends, use words that resonate with donors: gift planning, will planning, legacy planning, gifts in wills, trusts, or retirement accounts.
Keep donors in control. Remind them they can include a gift to charity in their will, after their loved ones have been taken care of, as a remainder or percentage of their estate.
Make leaving a bequest easy by giving donors sample language. Remind them that making a will is as simple as a trip to their attorney or trusted online will-making website. Then provide sample language to help them.
Don’t make donors tell you they are making a planned gift. Remember, they are in control. Use language such as, “Letting us know you’ve taken the generous step of remembering our nonprofit in your will is always up to you. But we’d love to be able to show our gratitude and keep you updated on the work.”
Emphasize the benefits to the donor. For example, you can say: “Make a gift in your will ...
- ... to a cause that has been important to you in your life.”
- ... and let your values live on.”
- ... and in your good name, people who are homeless and hungry will always have a place to turn.”
- ... and ‘keep nature healthy for years to come,’” as the Nature Conservancy’s legacy-giving landing page says.
Emphasize the value of legacies of all sizes. Make sure donors know they “don’t have to be wealthy” to leave a gift in their will that will echo for generations. Show examples of how smaller legacies can work wonders.
Use the right kind of social proof, as James suggests. For example, say, “Many caring supporters like to leave a gift in their will to causes they’re passionate about.” And share stories of other donors who’ve left legacies. Just remember, if I as a donor don’t “see myself” in the story you choose, it could backfire, Sargent says.
To learn more about marketing planned gifts, watch the recent Chronicle webinar on this topic and follow Lisa Sargent on Twitter (@lisasargent2).
