TOPIC: BOARD COMMITMENT—A MUST TIME: 1 HOUR
The significant number of deferred gifts made through wills and trusts continues to expand from 5 to nearly 8 percent annually. For an organization to engage in gift planning, the board’s role and participation is crucial. This session helps to frame the endowment goal and the various ways board members can support and advance planned gifts. These tools can then be integrated into the board’s on-going development goals related to annual, capital and major gifts.
TOPIC: ENDOWMENTS DO VARY TIME: 45 MINUTES
People have different experiences of endowments and how they serve an institution’s overall development plan. A successful endowment should have a purpose that is clear and understood by the board and the prospective donors. This presentation will offer endowment definitions from a savings account to a purposeful fiscal policy. The “case” or rationale for giving will be presented along with an outline as a template to draft a case statement.
TOPIC: IS A DEVELOPMENT TEAM NEEDED? TIME: 1 HOUR
The session reviews the primary participants in developing a gift planning program. This can include a program managed by a volunteer, staff person, new development or seasoned development director. GCI offers a position description depending on the person’s role and background, the board’s responsibilities in the process, administration’s commitment and the structure of a development team or committee. The inclusion and engagement of professional advisors and past donors is also addressed.
TOPIC: THE LEGACY SOCIETY TIME: 45 MINUTES
Organizations that welcome planned gifts generally have a separate designation for the donors who make or complete these gifts. The legacy society is a vehicle to recognize donors in an exclusive and perpetual group. The session will help participants think through the naming of this society, its purpose, and how to provide members special status. Sample letters of intent, acknowledgment letters and other marketing tools will be provided.
TOPIC: FROM ANNUITIES TO WILLS TIME: 90 MINUTES
There are several types of gift planning programs. Some are relatively simple to implement, others require software, agreements and tax forms. This presentation will summarize the various types of deferred giving vehicles from sample will language to registering with the state to offer Charitable Gift Annuities. This session can be tailored to your organization’s specific development level and objectives; however, a basic understanding of all of these tools is important.
TOPIC: TEA CUPS AND TIMESHARES TIME: 90 MINUTES
Now that the world knows that your organization will accept planned gifts, you need to decide what type of property your organization can and will accept. IRS regulations grant differing values to gifts depending on the nature of the gift and the charitable organization that is the beneficiary. This session deals with gift acceptance policies, how to help your donors get the maximum tax benefit, and ensuring that you have a process to appraise, evaluate and decline gifts.
TOPIC: FIZZLE AND FAILURE TIME: 90 MINUTES
Most institutions complete all of the above steps, hire the staff, buy the computer, do basic donor research and then quit their gift planning efforts. This step is the core of the process and why most programs unravel. The session will train participants in soliciting deferred gifts. It will include how to make the initial contact, what to say, what not to say and how to follow-up. Taking this step crosses the development threshold; however, most organizations stop at this point. Those who have crossed will be delighted that you have retreated and left the field to them!
TOPIC: ESTABLISHING A DONOR CENTERED PHILOSOPHY TIME: 90 MINUTES
The session will address the reasons donors donate to organization and the primary components in promoting sustained and long-term giving. The presenter will highlight the issues that motivate annual, major and planned giving responses. Information will center on fundraising from the donor’s perspective rather than the professional techniques, which have become routine and impersonal. The session will provide inexpensive yet effective relationship building tools to both strengthen a development program and engage donors of various means.
TOPIC: THE PROSPECT LIST TIME: 90 MINUTES
So who will be invited to give your agency a significant, meaningful gift? This extended seminar will outline the primary logistics of prospect development from knowing a name to understanding the right time to approach them about a planned gift. Participants will actually go through a prospect process to illustrate how to deliberate, be respectful of privacy and truly help people make a genuine difference. For this assistance, donors will be deeply grateful not put-off that you asked.
TOPIC: EXPANDING THE CIRCLE TIME: 45 MINUTES
This session will summarize marketing materials to easily and inexpensively integrate into a current fund development program, commercially available marketing resources, branding a distinctive legacy society, and how to promote a gift planning program. Sample materials, best practices and a unique philosophical perspective will be presented to provide a completive edge.