Whether you call them planned gifts, legacy gifts, or estate gifts, they don't just fall out of the sky. They take a great deal of thought, intentionality, and follow-through to ensure not only that they are done, but that they are done correctly. Did you know that 70% of estate plans fail to pay out the way the donor intended? So, if you aren't communicating with your donors about leaving gifts and leaving them correctly, you may not want, or be able to actually receive those that fall out of the sky. In addition, most donors simply think about leaving a church or charity "in their Will." During this roundtable, we will learn how your communication is critical to sparking their creativity and maximizing gift ideas and options.

Donors fall into three categories: Annual Fund, Capital Gifts, and Legacy. The biggest bang for their buck comes in one of these categories. Legacy or Planned Giving donors are a special kind of person. They can see into the future and they have truly caught your vision, but knowing who they are and "where" to find them can be difficult. It is critical to add components to your program that help you identify them, while also allowing them to self-identify. During this roundtable, we will discuss these components.

Every organization’s fundraising donor base has a threshold of giving. Commons threshold are $100 and $1,000, but those certainly aren’t the only ones. Whether you set a level yourself as part of a first-time donor marketing strategy or because donors naturally gravitate toward a certain level, there’s no doubt thresholds exist (and, once you start looking, there is likely more than one threshold level in your donor base). During this roundtable, we’ll talk through reasons why donors find thresholds so comfortable and outline ways to encourage givers to reach beyond those levels to grow their giving. From messaging strategies to timely appeals, upgrading donors to new giving levels deepens their engagement, strengthens their retention, and increases your organization’s financial support. This session is the third in a four-week series on Annual Funds.

Healthy and effective organizations start at the board level. Taking the next warm body on the board that says, “I guess I will do it,” will only serve to weaken the organization. Implementing a system for identifying and recruiting strong, passionate, knowledgeable, and generous board members must be a priority for any organization wanting to raise more money and advance their mission. During this roundtable you will receive the steps and an annual calendar for getting this work going well.

Since 2007, small businesses have enjoyed a tax benefit which was passed by congress to stimulate the economy. Purchased equipment and vehicles have mostly been depreciated for tax purposes. What happens when these assets are sold or the business is transitioned to new ownership? The short answer is, they are taxed. Many of these small businesses are owned by some of your donors. At this roundtable, we will discuss ways donors can use the benefits of making gifts to your organization with these assets, in a very tax-wise way.

What would you do if someone gave your organization a submarine? If your first response to this question isn't, "Our Gift Policy Says..." then this roundtable will be essential for you. While the focus of this document is on Planned Giving, it also has huge implications for your annual fund and capital campaign giving. In addition, if someone wants to continue their annual gift into perpetuity after they die, do you have a vehicle for making that possible? Endowments often get a bad rap, but that is because they aren't managed using best practices. In this roundtable, we will also highlight why you need Endowment By-Laws and what should be included.

One size doesn’t fit all when it comes to donor engagement. Some donors are long-time partners; some are new. We all have donors with vast knowledge and experience about the organization’s work and supporters who only recently joined on. Donors are young, old, and in every season of life. Yet, often we treat them all the same – as though the reason they support us is also one-note. In this roundtable, we’ll talk about improving donor engagement through segmentation. We’ll include some of the most common segmenting strategies as well as how to determine your own segmentation for one-time projects or unique circumstances. This session is the second in a four-week series on Annual Funds.

Much of the time fundraisers ask, “How do we get more people to contribute?” Let’s start with a different question: “Why would anyone want to give money to us?” In this roundtable, we’ll talk about the critical foundation of knowing your own story and how to build the case for support in a way that will inspire people to join in. When you have a strong case for support, people catch the vision for the difference your work is making and they want to be part of it. This session is the first in a four-week series on Annual Funds.

Non-profit leaders often wonder what type of gifts they should consider giving to their donors. There is a place for this, but making it special and not expected are two key items we will explore.

Why would someone increase their giving to your congregation in the coming year? When people think that you will do the same ministry next year, they will plan to give the same amount. We will discuss how clear ministry goals energize people to expand their generosity to make bold things possible.

The general public probably thinks “capital campaign” whenever non-profit fundraising is spoken of. Whereas that may have once been somewhat accurate, we know the capital campaigns, in the operation of a well-established and non-profit is more likely an occasional occurrence in the scope of the agency’s development program. That being true, the question remains, “How do we prepared for our capital campaign?  The roundtable will focus on a few core preparation fundamentals that are true for most any agency, church related, non-sectarian, mega organization, small non-profit. The discussion of these fundamentals will target only a few topics:  Project design and case development Donor readiness and cultivation Institutional capacity (staff, systems, board readiness) Public/constituent conditioning

Fundraising ventures are most always undertaken with one central focus – to meet the financial goal of the effort and thereby meet the needs of the organization or agency that are dependent on the receipt of charitable gifts. The greater the financial need and the proposed goal to meet it, the higher the stakes for success and, possibly the higher the degree of uncertainty regarding the viability of the goal. A feasibility/readiness study (herein referred to as “feasibility study) has as its primary goal to determine potential to meet the proposed financial goal.

Fundraisers say the most intimidating responsibility they bear is making personal, individual asks for financial contributions. What should I say? How do I transition from small talk to asking for their financial support? What if they say no? If the thought of asking someone to give a specific amount to your organization or cause leaves you tongue-tied or hyperventilating, join us for a round table discussion for guidance that will equip you for your next donor meeting and tips to help minimize those sweaty palms and sleepless nights.

Once we have recruited volunteers, we must inspire them every time they walk through our doors so that they are effective advocates for our mission. Join us as we discuss how to provide ample orientation, continuing education and support so that our volunteers feel the appreciation they are due.

Taking time to reflect on how we have done leads to more effectiveness as we continue our efforts. It is important to see what works, what is lagging, and where it is worth investing time and resources.

Cottage meetings are small, brief and intimate events held at a donor’s home. Cottage meetings are a wonderful way to inform and inspire major donor prospects, setting the stage to invite a first gift or upgraded gift. Cottage meetings also work as a way to encourage a sense of community among donors. We will discuss what cottage meetings look like, who should be involved and how to conduct effective follow up.

You have a donor, how do you keep them? Taking care of building and growing a relationship is a center-piece of any development department.

Most of the world sets resolutions or goals at the start if the year. Before you can do that, it is helpful to evaluate how you did on your 2021 goals. In addition, like 2020, 2021 has been a difficult year. Checking in on staff and providing staff care can go a long way to staff retention and success for the new year. Burned out staff have trouble setting and owning goals that will take the organization to the next phase or level. In this roundtable we will discuss ways to provide much needed staff care that improves and informs a true end of year evaluation.

After a highly episodic charitable year in 2020, how did giving change as donors navigated a second year of Covid-19 implications? Join us as we review findings from Blackbaud Institute’s early report on 2021 donor behavior and determine how to apply that data to strengthen our own fundraising efforts through the rest of 2022.

The #1 reason anyone makes a charitable gift in the U.S. is because they were asked. #4 is because they care about the person who is asking. Peer-to-Peer giving engages the power of influence from those who already care for your organization, to engage new donors and extend your reach and impact. In this session we’ll talk about: -The fundamentals of Peer-to-Peer -Tools available to make Peer-to-Peer available to every organization regardless of size -Leveraging reasons #2 & 3 and other keys to success -Conversion of new donors into giving beyond Peer-to-Peer