You might have heard a colleague or peer talk about planned giving or maybe you’ve taken your interest a step further by doing some research online or sitting in on a session at a conference. The requisite relationship building, organization, and legal considerations can make taking the leap intimidating, however.

Attorney Barbara R. Diehl sought to dive into the basics of planned giving during her session, “Planned Giving When You Don’t Have a Planned Giving Office, Time, or Training” at Fundraising Day in New York 2017. The presentation featured primary elements of gift types and how to be creative and personal in approach. Among the building-blocks discussed during the program were:
• Why should I want to implement planned giving? Chief among the reasons is the addition of new donors. Planned giving also provides on-going support, enhances annual funding, and is an attractive option for donors;
• What do I need to get the program off the ground? Frequent donor contact, preferably in-person and with creative touches, is a must. Also be sure to secure leadership buy-in. It might take some time for planned giving to yield results;
• What is a bequest? A bequest is when a charity is named as a beneficiary in a donor’s will or trust. Place information about bequests in organizational literature such as receipts and meet with potential bequest donors in person to discuss their lives and personal situations. Take notes;
• What is a charitable remainder trust? A charitable remainder trust, or CRT, is a set of funds placed in a trust to support a number of individuals — a charity being the ultimate beneficiary. CRT’s are flexible and can come in the form of annuity trusts, unitrusts, lifetime trusts, term-of-years trusts, and so on;
• Where do I go from here? Continue to educate yourself on both the basic frameworks of planned giving and asset options. Also take the time to learn about your prospective donors. Understand their family structure and get creative in finding ways to assess assets and suggest gifts.