Baby Boomers Should Be Split for Planned Giving

Last year the youngest Baby Boomers turned 50 while the oldest Boomers turned 68. Does a 50-year-old really have that much in common with a 68-year-old, especially when it comes to planned giving? It behooves planned gift fundraisers to take a different approach than lumping all the Boomers together - a different approach pioneered by Pentera 15 years ago.

Four Vital Tips for Cultivating Women Donors

Women’s experiences in planned giving often differ from those of men. For instance, many women from the Silent generation or Baby Boomer generation may not be directly involved in financial planning until a crisis—such as the death of a spouse or parent. But according to financial experts, waiting until a woman is widowed or in the midst of a crisis to plan her estate is too late. Smart estate planning is on-going.

That’s where planned giving professionals can be of service. Follow these four tips to better cultivate your women donors:

Get Women Together to Turn Potential Donors into Actual Donors

Barbara Stanny grew up wealthy—her dad was the “R” in H&R Block—so she assumed she would never want for anything, and she let her husband take care of all the finances. Big mistake. She says that in 15 years her ex gambled away all of her wealth—which she discovered when she tried to get $60 at an ATM and found there was no money left. In her colorful retelling of the story, she relates that she went to her father for help but he told her she needed to solve her own problems. She had three kids and was more than $1 million in debt.

Navigating the Gender & Philanthropy Landscape

Enormous progress has been made in gender equality in terms of women’s education, wealth, and employment opportunities. Yet, women are still reporting that they encounter outdated attitudes and stereotypes that hamper their full and equal treatment. In the planned giving field, there’s no room for these kinds of preventable errors with prospective female donors. Gender tips to keep in mind:

Tips for Getting a "Yes" From Your Planned Giving Prospects

Planned giving professionals understand that extensive time, patience, and effort normally must go into cultivating donor prospects and transforming those relationships into loyal planned giving donors for their charitable institutions. However, that difficult work can be made easier. Below are three essential tips for increasing your chances of arriving at a “Yes” when asking for planned gifts.

Women of Influence: Are You Reaching These Donors?

Women who are Baby Boomers and older are more likely than men to give—and give more—to charitable organizations, according to the new report Women Give 2012. As the report states, “The face and shape of philanthropy are changing.”

How to Ensure Your Legacy Society Events Hit the Mark

A legacy society is a wonderful way to recognize and thank donors for their contributions to your organization. For many people, legacy society gatherings also serve as a means to form lasting friendships. These social bonds can greatly strengthen your planned-giving program. As your legacy society grows and flourishes, it then draws a greater number of new members. How can you enhance your legacy society and bolster membership?