A planned giving program assessment identifies strengths and weaknesses and provides a frame of reference to evaluate planned gift development efforts and make adjustments as needed.
Finding gold in your estate files
A good assessment can help you find information in past estate files to help you learn:
- If you are asking the right questions and gathering the right data.
- If you have an adequate contact management system.
- Whether there is a difference between types of bequest gifts.
- Whether estates are being handled systematically and proactively.
- Why your legacy society is growing or shrinking.
Uncovering planned giving prospects
Based on the findings, you can tailor your current marketing to match your target constituency. Approaches that are appropriate for younger donors may not work for seniors age 70+. For instance, are your materials primarily print or digital? Are you taking a technical or an educational approach in your content? Are you cultivating advisors?
The only one that matters
Some believe: Once in the will, always in the will. History has shown that’s not the case. Donors regularly add and remove charities as they prepare their last will, a process that often occurs, according to the Sharpe Knowledgebase®, well into a donor’s 80s and even 90s. If your planned giving revenue is not what you would like, the planned giving program assessment will help identify why.
In planned giving, expectations and results don’t always match. Issues not addressed can easily worsen and create missed opportunities. An assessment can help management tune up a program and ensure your donors don’t forget how much they love your mission when they are making their estate and financial plans. ■
