10 WeeK

Planned Giving Certification

When uncertainty rattles the markets, it’s more important than ever to make planned giving an integral pillar that sustains your organization and helps you to weather the storm.

Registration Closed

The Certification That Pays Dividends—Forever

When markets wobble and giving patterns shift, your nonprofit needs more than short-term gifts. It needs a sustainable strategy—and that’s where you come in.

Our new CFRE-accredited Planned Giving Certification is a comprehensive, career-defining program designed for fundraisers ready to lead. Whether you’re starting fresh or building on existing experience, this course gives you everything you need to master the field—and command respect doing it.

What You’ll Gain

Comprehensive Knowledge
From simple bequests to complex gift strategies, you’ll learn what works—and why.
Practical Tools
Donor engagement, marketing, storytelling, and board-level communication that drive results.
Strategic Insight
Learn how to position planned giving as a core pillar—not a side hustle—in your organization.
Professional Growth
Build confidence, speak with authority, and become the go-to expert in your shop.

Beyond the Basics: Soup to Nuts—Plus the Secret Sauce

This isn’t just about gift types. We cover the entire planned giving experience:

Interpersonal skills and ethical persuasion
Board and cross-team collaboration
Strategies for reluctant or skeptical donors
Social media, digital storytelling, and legacy society branding
A two-part Tax Primer for fundraisers—no CPA required

You won’t just learn—you’ll leave with a practical framework you can apply on Day 1.

This Isn’t Just a Course—It’s a Career Accelerator

Impress your boss
Strengthen your team
Engage your board
Future-proof your nonprofit
And yes—help change the world

Schedule

Dates to Come

Classes begin Wednesday, January 8, 2025. See below for specific session dates and information.

10 Live Sessions

If you miss a session, recordings will be available for 24 months.

Dates to Come

What is Planned Giving — And Why Is It So Important?

Legacy giving by the numbers – and why it’s such an important area for nonprofits over the next decade. Where did planned giving originate? Where is it going? A look at the history and progression of the field.

Good for your organization, good for your career.
Money? Here are some eye-opening figures.
Surprise… planned gifts go far beyond money.
Every planned gift is a major gift.
Reflecting on the past is important
What's next?

Dates to Come

Stewardship Best Practices

Proper care and feeding of your donor will lead to more and larger gifts.

How to steward, thank, and recognize major donors.
Why donor stories are a magnet for philanthropy.
Keeping your major donors giving—and giving more.
How to ask major donors for more than just money.
The hidden power of planned gifts

Dates to Come

Initiating Legacy Conversations

How you initiate legacy conversations and close gifts.

Dates to Come

Choosing Your Donor / Donor Profiles

Who are your best planned giving prospects? Which gifts pair well with which types of donors? We’ll show you how to create and organize your database.

Dates to Come

Taxes, Benefits & The Simple Gifts

How do tax incentives play into planned giving? What are the essential gifts every fundraiser should master first? This session covers the donor's motivations, the strategic simplicity of basic gifts, and the tax benefits that make them so appealing. Whether you're working with new donors or seasoned supporters, these are the go-to tools in your kit.

Why bequests are powerful — and underutilized
Promote these powerful, easy-to-close gift types now
Where to find these gifts hiding in plain sight
Real-world examples of basic gifts done right
How to talk to donors about tax-wise giving without sounding like a financial planner
Understand how estate, income, and capital gains taxes affect giving decisions
What to say about IRAs, RMDs, and appreciated assets
Smart ways to help business owners and retirees make legacy gifts
The myths you must dispel to unlock more commitments

Dates to Come

Life Income Gifts

"Gifts that pay you back? What's not to like." These gifts both bring in the money and help market your program at the same time.

Dates to Come

Complex Gifts and More

Planned giving is built on relationships—and so are complex gifts.

Dates to Come

Marketing

Planned gifts can get complicated, but marketing them shouldn't be. Standard marketing principles are covered, as well as simple ins and outs from industry experts.

Marketing is a specialty; we’ve done the heavy lifting for you.
Marketing should be priority, not an afterthought.
Marketing makes the phone ring.
Technicalities and gift details don’t lead to donations.
Marketing Strategies

Dates to Come

Estate & Financial Planning for Fundraisers – Part 1: Foundations of Taxes and Estates

What every fundraiser should know—but is rarely taught.
Planned giving professionals don’t need to be CPAs or estate attorneys—but understanding the basics of estate structures, tax considerations, and wealth transfer laws is critical for building donor trust and uncovering hidden opportunities.

The key documents in an estate plan: wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and more.
The role of probate and how it affects charitable gifts.
Basic tax implications of legacy giving (including capital gains, estate, and income tax considerations).
What happens when there’s no will—and how that affects charities.
How to talk about these topics without overstepping legal boundaries.

Dates to Come

Estate & Financial Planning for Fundraisers – Part 2: Investments, Retirement, and the Realities of Aging

Money in motion means opportunity—if you understand what’s really happening.
In this deeper-dive session, we’ll explore the financial realities facing aging donors and how fundraisers can be prepared to speak fluently—and compassionately—about wealth, health, and philanthropy in later life.

What fundraisers should understand about IRAs, annuities, RMDs, and QCDs.
How donor investment strategies (stocks, bonds, real estate, alternative assets) intersect with planned giving.
Financial advisors, elder law attorneys, and estate planners—who they are and how to work with them.
Common financial planning tools: trusts, insurance, charitable entities.
What keeps aging donors up at night—and how philanthropy can offer peace of mind.

Registration closed. Launching soon.

8 Electives

Charitable gift annuities (two parts)
Charitable remainder trusts (two parts)
Charitable lead trusts
Retained life estates
Life insurance gifts
Tax Primer for fundraisers (two parts)
Marketing (mailings, emails and more)
Sales (interpersonal skills)

The electives are optional and depend on your areas of focus. We suggest taking them all and repeating the ones that interest you the most. You can visit our recordings as often as you wish for up to 12 months.

Electives are pre-recorded.

CFRE Credit

10 Live Sessions = 1 CFRE Credit Each

You must complete all sessions in order to receive our Planned Giving Certification.

8 Electives = 1 CFRE Credit Each

Tuition

Individual

$1,995

Institutional Discounts

For group discounts please contact us:

800-490-7090
success@majorgifts.com

Make an investment in success today. This is the most comprehensive planned giving course available anywhere. Our expert instructors have helped raise millions of dollars over their collective careers, and they are truly among the very best in their respective industries. You’ll be surprised at how quickly you learn more than you ever thought possible about not just planned giving, but fundraising, philanthropy, and human relations. We look forward to seeing you in class.