This document outlines best practices for planned giving programs. It discusses opportunities to improve communication and marketing, set appropriate goals, and provide training. For marketing, it recommends using a case statement, stories, and frequent touchpoints. For goals, it suggests making them specific, measurable, and assigning accountability. For training, it advises providing regular, relevant training tailored to staff roles. The document concludes by offering next steps to review existing programs, marketing, and create a training plan.

1. Planned Giving Best Practices
Presented by Lori Kranczer, JD, CAP

2. Are you here today because…
• 1. You are looking to create a planned giving program (and want
to start off on the right foot)?
• 2. Looking for ways to identify gaps or friction in your existing
program that will bring it to the next level?
• 3. You are a nonprofit professional and are planned giving-
curious?
• 4. You like to soak in everything planned giving (like me!)
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3. What we will cover
• Common areas in the planned giving program that can be
reviewed for improvement
• Several ways to address each component
• Best practices and next steps
By the end of this session you will have learned several ways to
optimize your planned giving program.
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4. Reflection
• What do you know about planned giving best practices?
• What do you want to know?
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5. Opportunity #1
• Communication and marketing – is your planned giving marketing
effective in raising awareness and bringing in inquiries?
• Value based
• Consistent
• Frequent
• Stories
• Pictures
• Relevant
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6. Best Practices
• Marketing –
• Case statement – this will keep everyone focused and consistent.
Create it or revisit old ones.
• Use stories in your marketing that is relatable to your audience. If
they identify with the “character” it will be more effective.
• Make sure it elicits emotion (make them feel, not think)
• Send out frequent marketing touchpoints
• Donors have different giving cycles
• You may need to build awareness and build trust (stories work well for
this)
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7. Reflection (list 3 items)
• What did you learn about marketing best practices?
• Are there any tactics you can use?
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8. Opportunity #2
Setting appropriate goals
• Clearly defined?
• Purposeful?
• Measurable?
• Actionable?
• Accountability and support?
• You have the resources (professionals and budget)?
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9. Best Practices
• Know the WHY behind the goal (why is it important, etc.)
• Goals should be specific, actionable and measurable
• E.g., not bring in more gifts but bring in 10 gifts by having 30
conversations.
• Assign each action to a person and a deadline
• Build in accountability
• How will you hold yourself accountable?
• Meetings, project management tools, etc.
• Resources
• Know what you have to work with when setting goals
• E.g. you can’t spend a lot in marketing if you don’t have the budget
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10. Reflection (list 3 items)
• What did you learn about setting appropriate goals?
• What can you do to ensure your goals are set and met?
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11. Opportunity #3
Training
• Has everyone in the organization been trained in planned giving?
• Is the language consistent?
• Does the training relate to the professionals’ responsibility?
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12. Best Practices
• Set up regular training
• Lunch and learn
• Staff retreats
• Video library and resources
• Accessible materials
• Adjust the training to suit the professional
• Don’t waste professionals’ time – make sure the training related to
the job to be done (marketing, IT/data, operations, etc.) Solicitors
may want talking points for donors and operations may want your
workflows to process a bequest.
• Assign goals to track effectiveness
• When professionals are not reaching their goals then training needs
to be adjusted.
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13. Reflection (list 3 items)
What did you learn about planned giving training?
What tactics can you use?
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14. Next Steps
Review your existing program for:
• Goals
• Specific, Actionable and Measurable
• Create yearly goals and break them down into quarterly
• If your program is new, make certain your goals are actionable that
you can control them (send out 10 marketing pieces, not get 10
responses per marketing pieces)
• Set up a system for accountability
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15. Next Steps
Review your marketing and communications
• Case statement
• Will provide you with the value-based messaging
• Use stories in your marketing
• You don’t need stories about planned gifts; tell stories of people
• Survey your donors
• Whether a large survey or call 10 donors, speak with them about
what they care about – you will see the patterns (use them!)
• Update website first
• The website is the hub so it needs to build awareness, provide
information and lead your donors to the next step.
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16. Next Steps
Create your planned giving training program
• Share the case statement
• Provide relevant content via the method in which they prefer to
learn and can utilize.
• Templates, video, slideshare, etc.
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17. Questions?
This is where you can find me:
Lori Kranczer
www.linkphilanthropic.com
lori@linkphilanthropic.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lori
kranczer/
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