Marketing Your Planned Giving Program
Jessica Harrington, Vice President
October 2009

Planned giving opportunities are becoming ubiquitous in today’s development programs. And that means your donors have more choices for where to make a planned gift.

How do you rise above your competition? To stand out, you need to aggressively market your planned giving program—just as you would your annual fund or capital campaign.

But, before you begin, it’s critical to first hone your messaging. In the competitive marketplace, it’s essential to emphasize the benefits—both to your organization and to the donor—of investing in planned giving. Start by reminding donors of who you serve; it’s why they support your organization in the first place.

And, if you don’t have a named legacy society, it’s time to create one. The legacy society is a great tool to create awareness. It also allows you to publicly thank PG donors through recognition and other special opportunities.

Now it’s time to create marketing materials that advertise, educate and inform your constituents about the PG program and the legacy society! Here are a few ideas:

• Visual Displays where employees, volunteers and your community gather.
• Enclose a response card and envelope with correspondence so donors can request information, enroll in the legacy society with a gift or identify that your organization is already in their will.
• An Information Kit that describes your history, mission, the legacy society, its benefits and ways to give. Each piece should emphasize the donor’s connection to helping ensure your organization’s future. Use the kit as a response to inquiries, as handouts and as “leave-behind” material.
• Lead Generator Brochure. A smaller piece that quickly states the purpose and importance of the legacy society and includes the case for support. Use it in rack displays, event packages, stuffers in collateral mail, etc.
• Advertisements in your magazine and newsletters, and if budget allows, in regional, local or mission-specific publications.
• In addition to advertisements, publish articles and editorials that feature legacy society members, the importance of planned giving or a PG vehicle.
• Inexpensive inserts stuffed into paychecks, volunteer updates and acknowledgements. Print one generic version or a series featuring different vehicles.
• A dedicated Web Page to market the legacy society and its mission.
• Legacy Society Newsletter. This is a great communications piece to stay in touch with your legacy society members and cultivate targeted prospects. Suggested topics include a donor profile (with photos!), a PG vehicle, program highlights, a listing of legacy society members and new gifts and bequests.
• Include bequest language phrasing and request for information in all solicitations, newsletter envelopes and event programs.
• Testimonials from Planned Giving Donors. Testimonials personalize the process for prospects and illustrate that other donors have given planned gifts and that they are pleased with the special contributions they have made to your organization.
• Direct Mail. Don’t forget the power of one-on-one communication with a targeted group of planned giving prospects. Consider a multi-mailing campaign that first introduces the program and legacy society and then promotes different vehicles throughout the year.

New to the planned giving game? Do nothing more sophisticated than market bequest opportunities to your donor base, and it will be well worth it.

But no matter how developed your planned giving program, all will benefit from some additional creative and strategic marketing.

Schultz & Williams is a national consulting firm based in Philadelphia; providing management, fundraising and marketing consulting for nonprofit organizations, along with full-service direct marketing, database and creative/production services.