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The Nonprofit Show
Planned Giving for Small Nonprofits: 3 Simple Steps To Start
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Planned giving for small nonprofits doesn't have to require a huge budget, sophisticated technology, or months of preparation. Tony Martignetti, author of ‘Planned Giving Accelerated’, says a nonprofit can launch planned giving in just one week by identifying the right donors, starting with gifts in wills, and having the first conversation.
His advice starts with simplicity.
Tony says gifts in wills, also known as charitable bequests, should be the starting point for small and midsized nonprofits. He estimates they can represent at least 75% of planned gifts, and says he has seen that figure reach 90%.
Then comes one of the episode's biggest operational surprises: don't assume your best planned giving prospects are your wealthiest donors.
“You have all the data you need,” Tony says. His preferred signal is loyalty . . .the donors who have consistently supported the organization for years and have a genuine relationship with its people.
That leads to Tony's three-step launch:
1. Identify your top prospects.
2. Start with gifts in wills.
3. Cultivate and solicit those prospects through conversation.
No major campaign! No four-color brochure! No dedicated planned giving website! No wealth-screening exercise required before beginning!
And for fundraisers nervous about talking about mortality, Tony flips the premise completely: “This is a conversation about life” . . . .specifically the future life, longevity, sustainability, mission, and values of the organization.
The conversation also explores donor privacy, why 7 to 8 donors may remain anonymous for every one who discloses a bequest, donor meetings over meals, avoiding the spaghetti at those meetings—yes, really—and why relationships beat elaborate fundraising machinery when you're getting started.
Key Takeaways:
Begin planned giving with simple gifts in wills.
Loyalty and longevity can outperform wealth as prospect indicators.
Tony estimates gifts in wills can comprise 75%–90% of planned gifts.
A first qualified donor conversation can constitute a successful launch.
Expensive screening, brochures and dedicated websites are not prerequisites.
Frame planned giving around mission longevity—not donor mortality.
00:00:00 Planned Giving in Just One Week?
00:03:08 What Planned Giving Actually Means
00:04:31 Why Gifts in Wills Come First
00:06:50 Why Most Legacy Donors Won't Tell You
00:09:35 The 3-Step, One-Week Launch
00:12:26 Planned Giving Is Not About Death
00:18:15 The Martignetti MEAL Plan
00:20:48 The Planned Giving Pasta Rule
00:22:14 Privacy and the Right Donor Meeting Setting
00:24:50 Finding Prospects in Your Own Database
00:26:19 Skip the Brochure and Start Talking
00:28:13 Planned Giving Accelerated
#PlannedGiving #NonprofitFundraising #TheNonprofitShow
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