Big Gifts for the Little Guy: Starting a Planned Giving Program in a One-Person Development OfficeThe first time I met John Brown, I was working for an animal shelter in New Hampshire. At the time, we’d received many gifts by bequest, but had never pursued planned gifts strategically, much less as an integrated aspect of our major gifts outreach. Our organization was ready to change that by sending me to JBL’s three-day seminar, “Knowing the Essentials of Planned Giving.” Like all of our students, I left filled with ideas and enthusiasm for giving our donors more than a thank you note when they made a gift. Like some of our students, I arrived back in my one-person development office and panicked at the work that would be necessary just to convince my Board that they were first on the list, if we were going to be successful. If you have ever been in this situation, consider what can be done to get into the business of planned giving, even if you are also the grant writer, annual fund manager, events manager and chief bottle washer at your organization. The Basics: What do you have going for you? To begin any planned giving program, you need a well-maintained donor/prospect database, an ongoing annual fund program, a major gifts program (however rudimentary) and volunteers that think starting a planned giving program is the smartest idea they’ve ever had. You also need a support group. First, you need professionals. Lawyers and other financial advisors are critical to your success. Your volunteers, their spouses or their friends are great candidates. Regional planned giving groups keep members up to date on the latest tax legislation and members can provide great insight into what has worked and hasn’t worked when marketing their own planned giving programs. Plus, they often host planned giving seminars to further your education. Mobilizing your Assets If your development committee is like many, it is populated by Board members who weren’t at the Board meeting when committee assignments were passed around. Maybe your development committee focuses on fundraising events and auctions. Either way, they will end your desire to start a planned giving program. In order to mobilize your planned giving volunteers, without offending the existing development committee, consider a planned giving planning task force. As a limited term assignment, you will be more likely to get motivated, busy and involved volunteers to commit to your cause. Your cause is simple: Set realistic goals for the first year. Create an action plan to accomplish the goals. This task force meets for three months to set goals (month one), determine prospects (month two) and form follow-up assignments (month three) to reaching the goals. After the first three months, meetings can continue sparingly for up to a year. In between, work with committee members in the field, on the phone and via email to accomplish goals. As the most committed of the individuals involved in the limited term task force begin to show themselves, consider evolving the team into a Planned Giving Advisory Committee. What’s a realistic goal? For most, a realistic first year goal can be to raise awareness about gifts by bequest and to market a bequest program. If you don’t have a legacy society at your organization, that’s step one for raising awareness. If you do have a legacy society or are forming one, name it for an individual who has made a transformative gift to your organization. That’s your first testimonial. Avoid cute names like “Gladiators’ Society.” Educating the Board Board members are your biggest advocates, especially in a small organization. In addition to helping the Board understand that planned gifts are the backbone of American philanthropy, educating the Board includes helping them to understand the costs associated with starting such a program. To educate the Board without presenting them with a budget only hurts your first year goals. Administrative and legal fees, marketing needs and staff time all have to be included in your education. When working with the Board on budget, some Board members might suggest a bank or legal service that could provide work pro bono and be supportive to your planned giving goals. This is the essence of successful people-centered leadership. However, institutions that excel at some aspects of financial management may not be leaders in planned gift management. Be armed with current costs and benefits for existing charitable planners/investors in your area. Also, take John’s seminar. He taught me how to make a planned giving program happen. He can help you do the same. Coming next month … Planned Giving Newsletters: Junk Mail or Gift Generator?
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