Dear <$firstname$>,

Welcome to THE PLANNED GIVING KEY^(TM), a newsletter to help you increase your fundraising success with planned gifts!

It seems there's a lot of information being offered lately about how to get board members to fundraise. Board members usually have no problem assuming responsibility for management and decision making but when it comes to asking for donations, there can be a noticeable lack of enthusiasm.

I remember when I first came into the nonprofit community more than 23 years ago, there were many development professionals I befriended who complained (and some still do) about lack of board support in fundraising. It seemed no one wanted to "ask" for money since they also weren't giving money themselves. Good point!

One method of resolving this situation was the "give or get" rule. This refers to the practice where a board member must make a contribution of at least a specific amount; however, they can take it from their own pocket or from the pocket of a person or foundation that's happy to make a gift if the board member solicits them. In almost every case, the "get" contribution is due to a close relationship between the soliciting board member and an individual or a decision maker at the solicited organization.

There's nothing wrong with this practice. In fact I like this because in my opinion every board member should have to make a gift of their own and also be a "contribution getter". This is fundraising at its best: someone asking a developed relationship to financially support a nonprofit that's important to both of them when the board member/solicitor is supporting the organization as well.

The importance of keeping a nonprofit's board members interested and active in fundraising simply cannot be overstated in any type of campaign, even planned giving. But because it's a unique and much more personal ask (just people) it's not possible to follow the standard "give or get" formula with planned giving.

You are the community I serve and I always want to know what you think. What methods do you use to involve your board members in the fundraising process? You can send them to me, in confidence if you wish, at lgreif@breakthroughphilanthropy.com or lgreif@easypg.com or let me know what you really think on my blog: www.plannedgivingbreakthroughs.com.  

Working to Bring You Breakthroughs in Philanthropy,

A warm welcome to our new Planned Giving Key subscribers!

Your Board's Participation in Your Planned Giving Campaign

Board members have some very distinctive responsibilities when it comes to planned giving:

1. They must understand the benefits of having this kind of fundraising program so they can stand behind the effort to succeed.

2. They must approve a sufficient budget for waging a realistic campaign, knowing the outlay will most likely not be covered for many years.

3.They must sign off on a gift acceptance policy which will:

a) Define what will be generally acceptable as a gift and what will require a vote by specified leadership and professionals. This could refer to items ranging from real estate, to art, to jewelry and precious stones, to intellectual property, to closely held stock, etc. The list is huge.

b) Set parameters for minimum amount and age for split-interest gifts and which assets would be acceptable for funding.

c) Describe the steps and appropriate procedures for pursuing a bequest through the legal system.

d) Outline state and federal regulations for accepting and documenting certain gifts.

e) Cover much more than generally applies to cash and appreciated securites.

4. They must include your nonprofit in their own estate plan either through a bequest in their will or trust or some other form of planned gift. As a board member their commitment to your organization should make this a "no-brainer". There's no "give or get". It's definitely "give and then get".

a) Once they have established their own gift, board members (especially the chair of the development or planned giving committee) must be willing to solicit their colleagues on the board. They don't have to know everyone's personal details; they just have to know that a planned gift to your nonprofit is in their estate plan or in the works.

b) It may be that once the commitment is made, the handling of the details will be turned over to you or the planned giving director, the donor's estate planner or other advisor.

c) Board members must be willing to speak about their own planned gifts, both as a way to show how important this type of giving can be and as a way to let prospects know you're seeking this kind of donation.

When developing or updating board duties and responsibilities for new board members, add a stipulation that board members must include your nonprofit in their estate plan, once they've served at least a year on the board. This way there's no surprise when they're solicited. Be sure to get this pre-approved by your board search committee and other leadership so everyone understands what's coming.

Work closely with someone on your board who has already establised a planned gift to your organization because you will need this type of partnership to move this campaign forward.

Getting your board to be public about their gift, perhaps through membership in a legacy society, will be a big help in building interest and confidence from your general constituency as you expand your outreach. While I wouldn't necessarily wait for everyone on your board to commit to a planned gift, I would make it a big focus in the beginning. You'll be amazed at how much help you will get from people who have already taken the steps to include your organization in their estate plan.

Lastly, I'm always saddened when a board member confides in me that "this organization is not my first love" relegating the charity's chances for success to second best. Board members need to live their commitment or give someone else who cares more than them the chance to sit in their seat. I see the difference in how long it can take for a planned giving program to gain strength when a board is not fully behind the effort.

Offer your board the book: How to Begin Your Estate Planning: Your Step-by-Step Guide for Preparing an Estate Plan as a way of assisting them in organizing their estate planning (which should be done regularly)as they find ways to include your organization. It's in the easyPG store www.easypg.com/store.html Use code: PGBM at check out and save $10.00 on your order.

LinkedIn Group - easyPG^®  Group to Create Successful Planned Giving Campaigns

our easyPG^®  Page on Facebook and get into the conversation about planned giving.

Lorri M. Greif, CFRE, president of Breakthrough Philanthropy, Inc., and creator of the easyPG^® Program has worked for more than two decades in the nonprofit community focused on planned giving and major gifts.

She has created and implemented successful major gift and planned giving campaigns for both local and national nonprofits and her skill in training staff and leadership has made her a favorite speaker at planned giving seminars and conferences around the nation. 

Her unique experience in building or re-working varied major gift and planned giving fundraising campaigns from “the ground up” sets her apart from the crowd.

Lorri is a former board member of Women in Development (WID) and is still active on committees. She is also a member of the Association of Fund Raising Professionals (AFP), the Philanthropic Planning Group of Greater New York (PPGGNY), the Partnership for Philanthropic Planning (PPP), the American Council on Gift Annuities (ACGA), and served on the National Board of Gift-Planning Consultants for Planned Giving MENTOR™, a newsletter for beginners to gift planning. Her articles on gift planning and planned giving campaigns are widely published on line and in print and this year she is a member of the planning committee for the 2011 New York Philanthropic Symposium. She can be reached at lgreif@breakthroughphilanthropy.com or lgreif@easypg.com