“A year from now you will wish you had started today.” -Karen Lamb
Endowments of all sizes experienced negative returns through the end of 2022, and it looks like this trend may continue. Endowments with less than $25 million in assets have been hit the hardest, with losses in excess of 11.5%. Larger endowments are experiencing significant losses as well. We are seeing the worst performance since 2009, and it’s cause for concern.
Many have not realized the significance of these losses because of the increase in overall giving fueled by the extraordinary stock market gains of the last few years.
Is your strategy to just hold on and hope for the best? Weather the proverbial storm? Quote Abraham Lincoln and hope “This too shall pass … ”?
What if there was an ideal long-term strategy to bolster your endowment that was not impacted by market headwinds? What if this strategy could deliver NEW annual revenue equal to 20-40% of your total gift revenue from individuals?
If your organization is not currently seeing significant revenue from planned giving, then you may have just defined your next big opportunity. It takes time to build and expertise to establish a healthy planned giving program. Once in place, the rewards far surpass the costs. However, it takes true leadership, vision and understanding of the long-term commitment to the program to ensure success. It takes time-tested and innovative communication tools and strategies. It takes training from experts and good, usable data.
For over 60 years, Sharpe Group has been providing successful planned giving strategies for our clients of all sizes and missions. Let one of Sharpe’s experienced consultants work alongside your team to reveal all the opportunities that are available to ensure a successful future for your organization. ■
Eric Eilertsen
Sharpe Group President & CEO
