November 1, 2001 | Read Time: 1 minute
Along the Way in Planned Giving: Trail Snacks for Gift-Planning Trekkers
by G. Roger Schoenhals
Planned-giving officers need inspiration on occasion, and in this book of brief stories, G. Roger Schoenhals, editor and publisher of Planned Giving Today, seeks to provide it.
The 74 selections, from Mr. Schoenhals’s “On My Way” column, provide first-person accounts of the fund-raising profession, reminding its practioners that “the essence of planned giving, after all, is not about tax laws and legal documents—important as these may be—but about people, relationships, family treasures, and the spirit of giving.” Planned giving, Mr. Schoenhals writes, is “about backpacking on the slopes of philanthropy.”
For example, Mr. Schoenhals tells the story of how he learned from one donor of modest means that fund raisers have the opportunity to meet “some of the finest people on earth, generous people who provide tangible gifts and estate assets for the organizations we represent.” Other stories illustrate the value of forfeiting potentially risky gifts, how changing behavior can bolster fund raising, and the importance of creating memorable experiences for donors.
Publisher: Planned Giving Today, 100 Second Avenue South, Suite 180, Edmonds, Wash. 98020; (425) 744-3837; fax (425) 744-3838; http://www.pgtoday.com; 128 pages; $29; I.S.B.N. 1-929029-03-9.
