How to Get Started With Planned Giving: Advice from the Experts

Trace your steps.

Take a close look at past planned gifts before seeking new ones, says Nancy Curry, vice president for major and planned gifts at WEDU, a public-television station in Tampa, Fla. “Were the gifts made by major donors? Did they arrive with advance notice? What did the charity do with the gifts? And what, if anything, was done to publicize the gifts? Being able to answer questions like these can really help you plan your way forward,” says Ms. Curry.

Focus on a few key donors.

Look at those supporters who have made multiple gifts, says Steve Benskin, manager of planned giving at Youth Villages, a child-welfare charity in Memphis. “Even if they’re giving small gifts, that conveys passion for your group and your mission, and that’s where you want to start,” says Mr. Benskin.

But winnow that into a manageable portfolio: “This is the group that you’re going to be contacting by mail, email, telephone, and personal visits, so it needs to be a reasonable number.”

Keep leaders in the loop.

Remember that it sometimes takes many years for planned gifts to show up as cash, says Donna Palmer, vice president for individual giving at the American Diabetes Association. “For a small charity on a tight budget, three to five years to see results is a really long time. That’s why you have to make sure that everyone understands how planned giving works and what the potential is,” she says.

Get expert advice.

Set up a network of people to advise on the more technical aspects of planned giving, including lawyers, estate planners, and financial planners, says Michael Rosen, a planned-giving consultant in Philadelphia. “Most planned giving is pretty simple: It’s wills and bequests. But you should have a group of experts that you can turn to with questions,” he says.

Board members often know which experts to tap. And Mr. Rosen notes that such networks can provide more than just advice. Often, they also know who’s got money to give away, and who’s seeking advice about where to give it.

Put planned-giving information online.

Adding basic information about planned giving to a nonprofit’s website can help lure donors, says Kristen Schultz Jaarda, senior vice president at Crescendo Interactive, which sells software to help charities manage planned gifts. “Start with a simple page just to let your donors know that leaving a planned gift is an option,” says Ms. Jaarda. And promote planned-giving pages on Facebook or Twitter. “Your potential donors are already using social media regularly, and this is a great opportunity to reach them”

She points to a couple of examples of groups using social media to drive interest in planned giving: The San Antonio Area Foundation used Twitter to promote a free will-preparation workshop. And the Richmond Jewish Foundation, in Virginia, has used Twitter to encourage its followers to learn about donor-advised funds.

Don’t forget face-to-face contact.

In-person appeals remain the ideal way to secure new planned gifts, says Steve Spriggs, director of planned giving at Fresno State University. “You have to build a relationship and gain trust, and that can really only be done face to face. It starts with finding common ground or a shared interest and establishing a dialogue that might last for years.”