Michael Clark FCIOF’s Post

Are you looking to secure the long-term sustainability of your organization's mission? Look no further than planned gifts! Here's why they're essential for taking your fundraising efforts to new heights: 1- Strengthen Financial Stability: Planned gifts provide a reliable source of funding that can help your organization weather economic uncertainties and fluctuations in donor giving. By securing commitments from donors to support your cause over the long term, you can build a solid financial foundation for years to come. 2- Expand Your Donor Base: Planned giving opens the door to a whole new pool of potential donors. Many individuals may not have the means to make significant donations during their lifetime but are willing to leave a legacy through planned gifts, such as bequests, charitable trusts, or gifts of securities. By promoting planned giving opportunities, you can engage donors of all ages and income levels in supporting your cause. 3- Cultivate Meaningful Relationships: Planned giving provides an opportunity to deepen relationships with your supporters. By engaging donors in conversations about their philanthropic goals and legacy aspirations, you can demonstrate your organization's commitment to stewarding their generosity and making a lasting impact on the causes they care about. 4- Ensure Mission Continuity: Planned gifts enable you to plan for the future and ensure that your organization's mission and programs will continue to thrive for generations to come. Whether it's funding research initiatives, supporting scholarships, or preserving cultural heritage, planned gifts provide the resources needed to sustain your organization's impact over time. Invite your donors to leave a lasting legacy for your organization! #valuablevisits #plannedgiving #philanthropy

𝗗𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗴𝗶𝗳𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗿 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲? 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗗𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗿 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗱𝘀 - Making philanthropic giving work for you and your chosen cause. We expect to see the use of DAFs grow quickly in the UK. Here's a quick rundown by Mary-Anne:

As we navigate the significant opportunities of The Great Wealth Transfer, it's crucial for nonprofits to engage in meaningful conversations with donors about planned giving. While nonprofits cherish the generous contributions of their current supporters, what happens when a donor can no longer give? Without a planned giving strategy, the loss is not just personal—it's a missed opportunity for lasting impact. Discover how cultivating strong, trusting donor relationships and implementing effective legacy programs can transform one-time gifts into enduring support. Explore our latest blog on effective planned giving strategies: https://lnkd.in/gdtKeS4r #plannedgiving #legacygiving #estateplanning #donormanagement #donorengagement #stewardship #donorrelationship #legacyplanning #nonprofit #nonprofitfundraising

Thinking about the lasting impact donors can make, it’s essential for nonprofit fundraisers to talk about planned giving. The legacy of their donors can extend beyond their lifetimes. But what does their legacy look like, and how can it continue to support an organization's causes? Engaging in meaningful discussions about legacy giving honors donors' contributions and secures the future of a nonprofit mission. Check out our latest blog for insights on nurturing these vital relationships.

Donor Advised Funds, a cornerstone of Peninsula Community Foundation's philanthropic mission, offer a dynamic platform for impactful giving. Similar to private foundations, these funds enable donors to establish charitable endowments, receive tax benefits, and recommend grants over time. Backed by our expertise and diverse investment options, donors can leave a lasting imprint on causes they hold dear. Grants from these funds can support registered charities or our Focus Areas, where community advisors meticulously evaluate grant applications to ensure maximum impact. By contributing to causes close to your heart, Peninsula Community Foundation empowers donors to enrich their communities and make a meaningful difference. Starting a fund is straightforward with a minimum gift of $10,000 (or $1,000 to begin). The benefits are manifold: tax advantages, a seamless setup process, and the flexibility to give cash or assets like securities and life insurance. Plus, donors retain control over their philanthropic endeavors, with the option to support specific charities or entrust decisions to our capable hands. At Peninsula Community Foundation, we honor donors' intentions and safeguard their contributions for long-term impact. Whether directing support to preferred charities or entrusting our expertise, donors can rest assured their generosity will leave a lasting legacy of positive change.

Recently a client proudly boasted that their average legacy gift was very high. In fact, it may have been too high! While it’s understandable that they were proud of getting some very large gifts, it could actually point to a problem in their planned giving program.    If your average legacy gift size skews high, it could signal a failure to reach anyone outside the low-hanging fruit of your most obvious major donors.      What about the mid-level donors who have the capacity to leave a legacy gift? If you have people on your donor list who have been making steady charitable contributions to your organization, and you aren’t having this conversation with them, you’re missing out on your “hidden major donors.’    Estate gifts and other forms of planned giving—especially those from steady, not showy givers—are given because the donor has a particular affinity for your organization.     Perhaps they’ve had a personal experience that led them to understand the importance of your work. They may be one of your volunteers. Maybe a family member has been involved and the donor has followed them to your nonprofit. Or maybe they have been the beneficiary in earlier days and now want to give back. For these reasons and more, the mid-level donor has made a commitment to your cause and has continued to give charitable contributions.     How do you turn these mid-level donors into legacy givers? Inspire them.     They have already demonstrated that they want to make a difference in the world, that they think your organization has found a way to do that, and that they want to support you in that work.     All you need to do is help them see the opportunity to give a gift that will carry on that history of care and commitment. The wealthiest donors are not the only ones who want to leave a legacy, and they aren’t the only ones who have the ability to do it.     Don’t trust your mission to a handful of big donors, widen the lens to focus in on all of your faithful supporters!    How high is too high? If you want to find out if your average gift skews high, we can help you make sense of your data. Let's talk! #plannedgiving #legacy #fundraising #nonprofit #donorrelations

The costly pitfalls Fundraising is essential for nonprofits, as there are no revenue generations. Nonprofit depends on their donors for financial help. Nonprofits need to note the common mistakes that can affect their general fundraising program which are; 1️⃣Failing to build relationships with donors According to Michelle Benson, relationship fundraising lasts over time compared to transaction fundraising who last overnight. Fundraising is more about building relationships than asking for money because a well-cultivated relationship makes asking easy. Neglecting to engage and build relationships with donors results in a loss of support. 2️⃣Ignoring Donor Stewardship Louis Diez emphasized the importance of thanking first-time donors in 48 hours. He said "Thanking Donors in 48 hours 400% improvement in renewal rate". That's huge 🤭 Failing to steward donors by showing appreciation for their contributions can lead to donor attrition. 3️⃣ Overlooking Donor segmentation All donors are not the same and cannot be treated the same way. Segmenting donors is very important for funding success. Failing to segment donors based on their preferences, giving capacity and engagement level can result in generic communication that fails to resonate with donors and inspire giving. 4️⃣ Lack of Board engagement Board members play a crucial role in fundraising efforts, and their lack of involvement to participate can hinder a nonprofit success. What are you adding to the list? I am Oluwatoyin, Fundraising is not just a skill for me, but a calling and life purpose. I derive deep fulfillment from the knowledge that every fund raised contributes to changing lives and igniting hope in others. #Fundraising #NonprofitFundraising

🌟 Maximize your impact this #GTMD23! Assess your charitable plan, support causes you care about and leverage employer matches, and explore giving tools for lasting change. 💙🌐 #GiveStrategically https://zurl.co/vDDu

Ever wondered how to make each charitable dollar deliver more than just goodwill? As healthcare executives, you're masters of strategic resource allocation. Why not apply the same acumen to your philanthropy? Unlock the secret to impactful giving with structured philanthropy through Donor Advised Funds. The same strategic mindset that makes you effective in healthcare can amplify your charitable impact. How? Through Donor Advised Funds (DAFs) and a methodology called structured philanthropy. What Are Donor Advised Funds? Imagine a charitable savings account. You contribute to it, benefit from immediate tax deductions, and recommend grants to causes you care deeply about, all on your timeline. Structured Philanthropy & DAFs Structured philanthropy is about strategic, intentional giving. Using DAFs, you can align your charitable activities with your own values and long-term goals, whether that’s education, environmental conservation, or even arts and culture. Why It Matters In a world with complex social issues, your expertise in decision-making and resource allocation can lead to transformative change, well beyond the healthcare sphere. Maximize Impact, Minimize Hassle DAFs offer low administrative costs, so more of your money goes directly to making a difference. Imagine leveraging your strategic prowess to elevate your philanthropic impact. With DAFs, you can.

Treat every donor like a major donor: In a blog post from September 28, Derrick Bakker of DickersonBakker offered five tips for treating every donor like a major donor. Here's tip 1️⃣ : Build more opportunities for relational connection into donor development pathways for every donor in your file, not just for a select few major donors at the top. During Covid, many forms of communication that seemed unprofessional or ineffective became extremely effective and fully acceptable (Zoom?). For instance, I was able to connect with donors by text, which created a new communication channel with many donors at every level of support. Here's the benefits I found: 1) Donors felt personal connection to the mission because the communication was always personalized to them. 2) Donors could engage at their timing, not at the pace of the organization (or the major gift officer). 3) Because the communication could happen gradually, over time (and not all at once), donors developed trust not only in the form of communication, but in the organization and in the major gift officer who used the medium wisely. 4) Donors were able to let down their guard and engage more actively in conversations about giving/volunteering. 5) All of this paved the way for more effective, two-way conversations if and when a phone or in-person conversation happened. What communication medium did you develop with your donors over the last few years that helps you treat every donor like a major donor? Here's where you can find the article by Derric: https://lnkd.in/gKbmRvEM #fundraising #nonprofit #donors