For planned giving professionals, successful solicitation of potential donors involves more than just uncovering a person’s level of wealth and interest in your organization. It also entails knowing what motivates donors to make meaningful philanthropic gifts.
While it may not show up on the job description, discovering your donors’ legacy dreams is one of your significant planned giving responsibilities. By acquiring such knowledge, you can then better understand how to communicate with donors so as to encourage their heartfelt philanthropic impulse.
Many people may give to the same organization or to similar causes, but they likely have different reasons for doing so. Below are five legacy motivators to explore with donors as they contemplate supporting your organization. We’ll continue this topic with additional legacy dreams in Part II.
PART I
Legacy Dream Explorations:
● Implementing Change
For these donors, improving the world is a prime motivator. They may be attracted to causes such as disease prevention and medical breakthroughs, preventing or eliminating social ills, and environmental work that has a clear impact on health and well-being. These donors want to know how their gift will help create positive change.
● Benefiting Future Generations
For donors who want to benefit the next generation, they may feel drawn toward education, health, environment and other issues impacting the present and future lives of youth.
● Giving Back
Some donors feel gratitude for all they have received in terms of career, family, or material possessions. They may reach a stage in life where giving back, rather than acquiring, becomes a meaningful motivator. Perhaps the donor received scholarship assistance while in college or has a loved one who received medical treatment. These donors may wish to give back in gratitude by making a charitable planned gift.
● Being Remembered for a Worthwhile Endeavor
At some point, many people begin to consider how they would like to be remembered. They may want to leave a mark on the world. Perhaps a building, hospital wing, or scholarship fund in their name is what sparks a planned gift to your organization.
● Serving as a Role Model or in a Leadership Role
Some donors have an extensive history of leadership roles through board positions or professional accomplishments. For these donors, being the founder of a legacy society or setting the bar high with a million dollar legacy gift can appeal to their sense of taking an active leadership role for a worthy cause.
Be sure to check in next week as we uncover five additional key legacy dreams in planned giving.
Contact Pentera today to learn marketing strategies that bring successful planned giving results to your organization.
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