One of the main purposes of planned giving marketing is to share information designed to encourage your donors to make decisions regarding their future plans.

Many development officers also use response devices to begin a dialogue with donors. By giving donors an opportunity to respond to planned giving communications with a printed or digital reply device or survey, you are initiating conversations with some of your most interested donors and opening the door to beginning a relationship.

Let’s look at some typical donor responses and how you might want to respond.

“I love the work you do, but my main concern is helping my grandchildren with their educations.”

While this may sound like a “Sorry, not interested,” reply, this person may be surprised to learn that grandchildren don’t have to be slighted by their charitable giving. If little else is known about the donor, a phone call would be appropriate to thank them for their past support and suggest that there may be ways to give that can also benefit their heirs.

For example, a lead trust or a term-of-years trust that pays income to the grandchildren to help with college expenses would be possibilities. You can also remind the donor they could make a residual bequest that would be completed only after other heirs are provided for.

“We just can’t give more because we are living on our retirement income.”

These donors have provided a key piece of information—they are retired. That tells you they are in a key age group for planned giving. Based on their response, they may be interested in a life income plan, such as a charitable gift annuity, to supplement their pension. Future planned gift opportunities include a bequest in a will or a beneficiary designation.

“As an attorney, I often prepare wills.”

Add this person to your advisor network list and then make a follow-up call to introduce yourself. They might be a candidate to help with questions donors may have as well as provide information about your nonprofit to their charitably inclined clients.

It’s important to remember: When a person takes the time to respond and explain why they can’t or won’t give now, this can be an invitation to begin a relationship that leads to a future planned gift.