Planned Giving is NOT About Death!

Does Planned Giving make you uncomfortable? 😬

You’re not the only one!

When I talk about gifts-in-wills fundraising, I always find a fundraiser awkwardly shifting in their seat.

As soon as they can, they interrupt me to say something like “but I can’t just go talk with donors about their death.”

😳

If there’s one thing I want to shout from the rooftop it’s “Planned Giving is NOT about death!!”

You might not see the cash until after a death, but the gift is about their life.

The gift intention is created in their lifetime. It’s more than the money – it’s the commitment.

✅ It reflects the values they deeply hold.

✅ It’s a gift that’s part of their life story.

✅ It’s a relationship that brings the charity closer – almost part of their family.

But I’m not the only one to say this. Consultants and experts have been preaching this for years. Most fundraisers I talk to have heard “it’s not about death” before – but it doesn’t land.

And I have a theory on why this is happening. 💡

It’s because Planned Giving fundraising is different.

It requires a unique approach.

Is there some overlap? Transferable skills that apply to both?

You bet.

But every other form of fundraising focuses on the realized gift – which comes in the next year or two. Annual appeals focus on year-end goals. Major Gift portfolios put anyone who isn’t ready to give on the “back burner”.

Yes, stewardship is important, but because you want donors to give again next year.

Even the most relationship-focused fundraiser has their annual revenue goal top of mind and constantly prioritizes their work to meet it – as they should. It’s their job.

👉 But Planned Giving challenges us to take relationship-building to the next level. 

A level many fundraisers are uncomfortable with because it requires moving your focus from a gift you will receive this year, to the process of building revenue for upcoming decades. 

And this is a massive mindset shift.

One consultant telling you “it’s not about death” isn’t enough. If you’re stuck in an annual giving - or traditional major giving - mindset, your focus will remain on the realized gift. And in Planned Giving, that’s usually at death.

💡 And this, my friends, is why Planned Giving makes you uncomfortable.

So how can you change your mindset?

• Shift your primary focus to the lifelong relationship with your donor. The gift is important, but it’s secondary. Your goal is to build their legacy alongside them and help them create long-term change.

• Use unique Planned Giving KPIs to track your success, which will reflect the gradual process of building decades-long relationships, rather than immediate revenue.

If you want to improve your skills in Planned Giving, you have to work through the discomfort, and be willing to shift your approach. This won’t necessarily be an easy process, but it’s the path to making the most of the Great Wealth Transfer and building a 6+ figure portfolio of revenue.

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