The Ultimate Guide to Planned Giving Services

I was recently on the Winter Roots private podcast, and the host, Abbey Harlow, invited her subscribers to submit Planned Giving questions in advance. One question came up twice, essentially asking:

“I know I need Planned Giving help, but I have no idea who to hire or what services are right for me.”

And it’s not the first time I’ve heard a question like this.

When Planned Giving and gifts of assets already feel complex, trying to figure out what kind of help you need only adds to the overwhelm.

That’s why I created this guide - a clear overview of the Planned Giving services that are out there, and how to decide what’s right for you.

Option 1: Hiring In-House.

Keep in mind, fundraisers with Planned Giving experience are highly specialized and senior. You generally don’t want to hire someone junior unless you already have Planned Giving expertise on your team to train and support them.

Ideal for: Charities that already have a basic Planned Giving program and have seen some early success..

Investment: You’ll usually need to budget for a salary of at least $80,000, and it could go up to $150,000+. Add roughly 30% for benefits and taxes, and your total investment is approximately $104,000–$195,000+.

(Needless to say, this is not the best choice for most early-stage Planned Giving programs.) 

Option 2:  A Direct Marketing Agency

These agencies typically focus on gifts-in-wills, and they often create Planned Giving “campaigns” designed to generate “hand raisers”. (I.e. people who indicate interest in leaving a gift in their Will, or who have already done so.)

They may also support cultivation by creating brochures, websites, or other donor-facing materials.

Some agencies offer a “comprehensive legacy marketing program,” where they create most (or all) of your legacy communications and acquisition campaigns. While this can remove a significant workload, it’s important to note that you still need in-house capacity and knowledge to operate the rest of your Planned Giving program.

Ideal for: Nonprofits with enough internal capacity to execute campaigns alongside the agency - and ideally with back-end systems, SOPs, and a Planned Giving strategy already in place.

Investment: Depending on the agency and scope of work, it can vary wildly: $8,000 to $90,000+

Option 3: Will writing service

This is a type of direct marketing campaign that helps donors write simple Wills - either online, or in-person through a network of lawyers. 

Ideal for: a charity who already has a solid Planned Giving program, including back-end processes, great marketing, and “hand raisers” on file. It can help convert your warm prospects by encouraging them to write their Will. 

Investment: Varies significantly depending on whether the service is online or in-person, and may include tiered pricing based on organization size. Generally, expect an investment of $3,000–$30,000.

Option 4: A Planned Giving Fundraising Coach

This option is fairly straightforward. A coach can help you understand and implement Planned Giving strategies, especially if you need to build confidence in your donor conversations.

Keep in mind: coaches provide advice, not implementation. You’ll still need in-house capacity to do the work.

Ideal for: Charities with at least a basic Planned Giving program in place, and staff who can dedicate enough time to run that program - the coach is only needed to up-skill staff.

Investment: Varies, but generally the range is $150-$350 per hour

Option 5: Done-for-you Planned Giving (Also called Fractional Planned Giving)

Done-for-you Planned Giving provides you with a dedicated senior fundraiser who builds or grows your Planned Giving program. These services are comprehensive, often covering everything from back-end systems to donor-facing communications and “hand raiser” strategies. They may also include gifts of assets alongside gifts-in-wills.

The key difference is in the name these consultants implement everything you need to be successful (and not just marketing). It’s the closest alternative to hiring in-house, without the full-time commitment.

Ideal for: Charities with no Planned Giving program, or those with programs built on inconsistent/ piecemeal tactics who are now ready to formalize their Planned Giving fundraising and grow.

Investment: Depending on the length of contract and how much hands-on support you require it can range from $14,000 to $70,000

This is our specialty at Full Potential Fundraising, and you can learn more here.

Option 6: Advisors

These services are run by professionals who are primarily financial advisors - not fundraisers (even if they work with donors). This may include agencies with multiple advisors who can speak with your donors, or individuals who help you navigate complex gifts.

Ideal for: Well-established Planned Giving programs that are ready for higher-level conversations about gifts of assets.

(Note: The most important part of any Planned Giving program is your WHY - not the technical mechanics of a gift. You can read more about that here.)

Investment: Varies a lot depending on the advisors and type of services offered. Contact the advisor or agency you’re interested in working with to get details if it’s not on their website.

You may also be wondering - is it worth it to invest in support? Couldn’t my existing fundraising staff just do this off the side of their desk?

The Great Wealth Transfer is happening now - over the next 2 decades, trillions of dollars are changing hands. If your charity isn’t actively fundraising from this massive pool of money - another charity will be (and they’re probably talking with your donors about it). To make the most of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, you need to take Planned Giving seriously and dedicate resources to it.

Planned Giving is a specialized skill set, and in-house staff don’t usually have the time (nor resources) to master it. Because of this, fundraisers without Planned Giving experience could waste time on ineffective tactics and miss opportunities for large estate gifts.

This good news is that Planned Giving is one of the highest ROI fundraising activities to invest in. With an average gift size of $50,000, it usually only takes one estate gift to make up your investment and then some! Plus, when donors leave a gift in their Will, their annual giving goes up by an average of 77%.

So, I hope this guide helps you on your Planned Giving journey!

These are broad categories, and every service provider will have their own approach and pricing. That said, nearly all Planned Giving services I see fall into one of these six options. This guide is meant to orient you - so you can move forward with more clarity and choose what’s truly right for your organization. 

If you’re still not sure what’s the best fit for your nonprofit, book a free consultation with us here! Our goal during these calls is to be of service - if we’re not right for you, we’ll point you towards the resources and service providers that are.

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