Planned Giving

Did you know that learning how to start a planned giving program can secure your nonprofit’s long-term financial stability?

It’s a fact—and it’s one successful nonprofits have been using to their advantage for decades. If you’re ready to go beyond annual giving and unlock a more sustainable future through legacy gifts, read on. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through the entire process of starting a planned giving program.

Forget what you’ve heard about planned giving. Just do the math. Baby Boomers, who are among the wealthiest and most charitable Americans, are dying at a rate of about 6,000 a day.

Transform your nonprofit’s planned giving program with powerful bequest storytelling – no big budget required. Most organizations lack dedicated resources for legacy gift marketing, but there’s a simple solution: sharing authentic donor stories that showcase real impact. By following these 8 proven strategies for effective bequest marketing, you’ll connect with potential donors, build trust, and secure more charitable bequests to support your mission’s future, all through the power of storytelling.

Planned giving dashboards count additions. They never count revocations. That’s the math nobody mentions. Donors change their minds. They update wills. They get divorced, have falling-outs, or simply forget. Conservative estimates say 60% of bequest intentions never become gifts. The vendors selling intention-tracking software won’t tell you this — their dashboards only go up. Major gift officers already know the difference between activity and outcomes. Planned giving should too.

Giving to charity feels good and there’s even a financial benefit. You can deduct any charitable donations from your taxable income. However, there are many rules that govern these donations. Cash gifts are handled differently than non-cash gifts, and different rules apply depending upon the amount of the donation.