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The Future of Major Gifts and Estate Pledges is Now
Heavy reliance on an annual fund or special events mires a nonprofit in an almost hopeless cycle of transactional donor doom.
Instead, wake up and smell the benefits of a well-conceived major gifts and estate pledges program. Those who do will succeed well into the future; those who don’t will continue to slog in the fundraising doldrums of mediocrity.
Get educated
Wise nonprofits consider the long game of a blended gifts fundraising program to include a results-oriented, forward-thinking estate pledge and major gift fundraising plan. There are plenty of educational tools out there to get any nonprofit started using savvy fundraising strategies.
Start digging
There are ardent donors who want to make a future gift now as well as a current impact gift. There are prospects who may not be in a position now, but who will be estate pledge donors down the road. Identify who these people are, and work an individualized plan.
Don’t assume the board knows
The shopkeepers will need training, too. An educated board is the best ally any nonprofit can have when it comes to undertaking a successful major gift and estate pledges program. Watch for the “aha” moments, then harness the energy.
Don’t kick yourself years from now, when you will surely need funding as well. Let this be a cautionary tale: estate pledges and major gifts are the future of fundraising. Patient, consistent cultivation over time can make all the difference in turning enthusiastic supporters into full-fledged philanthropists who will impact your mission now and later.
John Warren, Executive Vice President, jwarren@kineticfundraising.com
Join Us on the Growing Philanthropy Tour
Next stops on the road to achieving Kinetic’s mission of growing philanthropy by 25 percent in the next 20 years:
Kansas City
August 15, 2018
Nonprofit Connect
Relationship Fundraising 3.0
Adrian Sargeant
San Francisco
August 17, 2018
2018 Berkeley Summer School in Environmental and Energy Economics
Field Experiments in Environmental and Resources Economics
John List
Clayton, Australia
August 23-31, 2018
Monash University
John List
Chicago
September 11, 2018
2018 University of Chicago
Science of Diversity & Inclusion Initiative Conference
John List
Indianapolis
September 19-20, 2018
Science of Philanthropy Initiative Conference 2018
John List
Kansas City
September 26-29, 2018
American Association for State and Local History Annual Meeting
Donor-Focused Fundraising: Letting Research Guide Your Organization’s Philanthropy
Matthew J. Beem
Debbie Bass, National WWI Museum and Memorial
Boston, Mass.
October 5-6, 2018
Boston University
Advances with Field Experiments
John List
Basel, Switzerland
October 16-18, 2018
University of Basel
8th Bernoulli Lecture for the Behavioral Sciences
John List
London
February 7-8, 2019
LSE Annual Behavioural Public Policy Lecture
Grantham Centre
John List
Resources for Smart Fundraising Available on Kindle
Keep up to date on the latest fundraising trends with the Kindle ASR Media collection:
- Fundraising Leadership – The definitive source for empowering board members to become pro-active fundraising leaders by Karin L. Cox
- Performance-Driven Fundraising – Handy, yet entertaining reference tool for new and seasoned fundraisers by Matthew J. Beem
On the Web
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Timely Tips and Tweets! Follow us on Twitter At KineticTips for tips and giveaways. |
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Facebook: Become a Fan and a Friend. Fundraising tips, event photos, news and updates – see what’s new At Kinetic by becoming a fan of us on Facebook. Friend Kinetic CEO Matthew J. Beem, and Chief Creative Officer Karin Cox for even more updates! |
Visit the Kinetic website for:
– Educational opportunities
– Books/reference articles
– Conference/workshop speakers
Strategies for Success explores smart ideas, connecting with thousands of fundraising professionals. We welcome your best practices contributions or comments. Send to Strategies for Success editor Karin Cox, kcox@kineticfundraising.com. If you’d like a free subscription to Strategies for Success or its monthly companion, Philanthropy Success, contact info@kineticfundraising.com.
