Do you remember a couple of years ago when making a bucket list was a hot topic? When compiling my list, I included lofty ideas with a lesser chance of completion and some more achievable undertakings. One of the latter items was to go ziplining.

I occasionally thought of my unfulfilled bucket list items, but they weren’t a big priority. Last month, my family and I attended a wedding in California. We enjoyed seeing some of the area’s scenic wonders, like Yosemite, the Pacific Coast and Redwood. While finalizing the trip details, my husband discovered a unique opportunity to spend the night in a redwood tree house that included two days of ziplining adventures. I hadn’t searched for a way to fulfill this bucket list item, but I happily checked it off the list when presented with the opportunity at the right time.

Your donors more than likely have bucket lists—whether committed to paper or not—of items they want to complete. Their chief priority may be to care for loved ones, but once that is achieved, there’s more flexibility for other financial goals.

You may not know (unless already disclosed) whether or not your donors have included a gift for your organization in their estate plans. But by providing information about opportunities for taking care of their loved ones and making a charitable gift as well, you may be presenting just the opportunity they were waiting for!

Ideas to consider:

• Host an informational seminar and have an estate planning attorney available to answer any specific questions.
• Include sample bequest language with your organization’s correct legal name and tax identification number on your website and in your newsletters.
• Have a question-and-answer area on your website covering basic estate planning topics.
• Call or meet with individuals who have previously expressed interest in your mission and thank them for their support. Offer a meeting to answer any new questions they may have.
• Always include educational gift planning materials in correspondence with your donors.

These are just a few ideas to get you thinking. Consistently presenting the planned giving message to your donors may mean that when the time is right, they will include your organization in their estate plans.