Planned Giving - Why Give Up?

As everyone in the nonprofit community knows, there's your job and then there's everything else you do to make sure things get done and work like they should. The same is often true for consultants to nonprofits because some things can't be done well unless other things are also getting done.

For this reason, I like to find out how things generally work in my clients' development departments. Many share similarities, but none are the same and skill sets vary as people come and go. I like to speak with as many people as appropriate, one-on-one, to find out what they think and know about planned giving, so we can develop a planned giving campaign that makes sense when combined with everything else. Recently, a new staff person I met with asked me, "When do you finally give up?"

My 20-plus years of experience as a nonprofit fundraiser have shown me that if the research is good, and the cultivation is ongoing, unless the prospect insists you go away forever - immediately - keep working on a gift from them.

Of course, research is key because you need to know if the prospect cares about what you do and how you do it. It will help you learn the prospect's giving patterns and if there's potential for a relationship with your organization. It should give some insight into cash flow as well.

Thereafter, ongoing cultivation is paramount and how you handle this will make a difference. I believe that personal contact is very important in establishing a real connection and rapport. Notes, cards, and newsletters are all part of it, but let them also hear your voice.

Remember, it's not just capacity, it's also connection.

And, keep in mind that your timetable is not necessarily the same as your prospect's. This is especially so with planned giving where it is most often not simply writing a check, but more likely visiting an attorney or financial advisor, and may involve some "set up" costs such as a trust agreement, purchase of insurance or revising a will.

My feeling is, unless you're "kicked to the door," don't leave! 

I know we all get very busy and we need to cultivate and steward so many important prospects and donors but, at the end of the day, it's the personal touch and getting to know these people, hopefully on a long-term basis, that will give you the guidance on how to bring in the gift and how long to work on it. Let's face it, longtime supporters are what we're hoping for. Patience is so important for development professionals, from major gifts to planned gifts to capital gifts to memorial gifts (to just getting the boss's attention sometimes). But, we know patience pays off.

So, my answer to "When do you finally give up?" is: never stop trying for the gift. Why give up?