Is starting a planned giving program a priority item on your organization's strategic plan? Has it been on your plan for more than two years? What are you waiting for?
Taking the time to choose which kinds of planned gifts your organization should promote is a wise undertaking because it ultimately gives your staff members more confidence when they ask constituents for those gifts. A simple bequest marketing program is the most common way to get started. Whether you believe it or not, you already know about 90 percent of what you need to begin immediately. Assessing your readiness will confirm your ability to compete for legacy gifts in today's charitable market and alert you to those areas in which you need to prepare before accepting your first gift. You might also be ready to promote other gift vehicles such as gifts of securities, real estate, or charitable gift annuities. Strong planned giving programs build over time, but if your organization is ready, there's no time like the present to begin.
Starting a planned giving program white paper.pdf