The phrase “it takes a village” couldn’t be more applicable to fundraising, especially to completing gifts and advisors. 

How many times have you worked diligently to get to the point where your donor says, “I want to make this gift,” and you’re thinking, “Where—and with whom—do I begin?”

In addition to family members, one or more advisors are nearly always involved in significant gifts —and they should be. Advisors ensure that the gift is appropriate for the donor, while your role is to make sure the gift fits the needs of your organization.

So, where and with whom do you begin? Consider these critical factors:

• Advisors can have private information regarding wealth, health and family dynamics.
• Different advisors serve different types of donors.
• Each profession has a natural orientation toward certain plans to the exclusion of others (this is often referred to as “gift design bias”).

As a fundraiser, it is critical to be aware of these factors and be able to work with different advisors as needed. Over a series of four blogs in the next few weeks, I will be covering the role of advisors in the gift planning process and offering some insight into how best to navigate—and strengthen—these relationships. Hopefully, this will allow you to get to know these professionals better and work with them to fulfill your donors’ gift intentions.

Part two is coming March 12.