Dear , 

I like to listen to music while I'm working - especially if there are other people or noises around. I normally pump instrumental channels like "Pure Focus" or "Living in the Library" into my Airpods to drown them all out. But lately I've preferred to let the smooth, jazzy sounds of the Bossa Nova sashay me through the workday (the mainly Portuguese lyrics pose no distraction since I don't understand a word 👍).

Know what else is groovy? Starting a planned giving program for your organization. (How's that for a sidestep? Just the kind of cool move the Bossa Nova would make.)

If you're thinking about whether a planned giving program makes sense for your organization, here are a few tips to consider: 

• If a significant portion of your contact list is age 50 or older and you have 7-10 years of fundraising data, planned giving should rise to the top of your priority list.
• The most significant factor for predicting who will make a planned gift is consistency. The longer a donor has supported your organization, the more likely they are to include you in their estate plans (regardless of the amount they usually give). 
• On average, planned gifts can be 2500X a donor's annual gift amount.

Plus there's this little fact: less than 25% of donors will tell an organization they've included it in their estate plans. 

Which means that these potentially transformative gifts come as a surprise as much as 75% of the time. And organizations miss the chance to thank and recognize the donors while they're still alive. 

A planned giving program can help to change that. Setting up a gift society is a simple and effective way to honor donors before their gift is realized and to educate your potential donors about the many easy ways to leave a legacy that represents the ideals and beliefs they hold dear. 

Still have questions about starting a planned giving program at your small to medium nonprofit? Drop me a line or give me a call. You can also hear more about a client's recent planned giving strategy in this episode of my 52 Gifts podcast.