Greglassonde@gmail.com

1. Legacy Giving in Your “Spare” Time
An outcomes-based approach to attracting long-term support
Greg Lassonde, CFRE
Legacy Giving Specialist
(510) 482-1502
greglassonde.com
legacygiving.com

2. I. Why
II. How
III. Random Questions

3. “Why” Overview
• Tremendous Revenue Opportunity
• Legacy Giving Building Blocks
Philosophy
• Why Legacy Giving is Important
• Common Obstacles to starting a
program
• Why People Create Legacy Gifts
• Measuring Success

4. Define Legacy Giving?
• To convey one's values through
creation of a future gift to charity
• A foresighted action to strengthen a
favorite cause

5. Legacy Gifts
• Provide future support for charity
(sometimes current)
• Are contributions:
– by will
– trust
– other forms of written designation
– life-income arrangements
– endowment gifts
5

6. Legacy Gifts
• Are created by:
– Any individual
– At any point in his / her life
6

7. Simple & Easy Via Beneficiary
Form
• Savings account
• Checking account
• Stocks or bonds
• IRA or pension
• Life Insurance policy

8. More Complicated Types
• Will or living trust
• Charitable gift annuity
• Life income trust
• Many others

9. Tremendous Opportunity
• Seven out of ten Americans make gifts
to charity during their lifetime.
• Yet fewer than one in ten leaves a gift to
charity in their will or trust. Why?
• Because most people have never been
asked!

10. Building Blocks Philosophy
• Emphasize sustainability and resource
management
• Describe long-term objectives and outcomes
• Engage volunteers, supporters and staff
• Focus on relationships, not techno-babble

11. Building Blocks Philosophy
• Express ongoing appreciation of legacy
donors
• Communicate how legacy giving impacts
mission
• Simple plan, consistently applied

12. Why Encourage Legacy Gifts?

13. Why Legacy Gifts Are Important
• Almost everyone is a prospect
• For most people it’s the largest gift they
make
• It has the lowest cost of fundraising
• Legacy donors make larger annual gifts
13

14. Why Legacy Gifts Are Important
• Only a small percentage of donors asked
• Wide variety of options, many easy to
create
• Only revenue that increases during
recession
• Staggering transfer of wealth in next 50
years
14

15. Common Obstacles to
Starting a Program
• Uncertain why it’s important
• Subject matter perceived to be too difficult
• Concern it takes a lot of staff time
• Fear that it requires a large budget
• Misconception that only wealthy create
them
• Unsure how to obtain board / staff support

16. We’ll Start a Program …

17. What Does Your Organization
Need To Build A Program?
• Understand why legacy giving is
important
• Willingness to talk with others
• Commitment to celebrate legacy gifts
and the individuals who create them

18. Why People Create Legacy Gifts
• Express appreciation to a charity that served
them
• Support and sustain organizations they care
about
• Reflects a cultural, ethical or religious value
• Meets a need of the community

19. Why People Create Legacy Gifts
• Memorialize themselves or a loved one
• Serves as an example to future generations
• Creates something of beauty
• Accomplishes planning and financial benefits

20. Measuring Success
• Annual goal for people who raise their hands
– One-on-one conversations
– Direct response
• Recruitment goal for your legacy donor
society
• Legacy giving = organizational priority, not
development office responsibility

21. Building Blocks
• Mission, Legacy Giving & Endowment
– Understanding why legacy giving is important
• Case
– Describing how legacy giving will help your
organization
• Leadership
– Involving board and staff leadership in your program
• Prospects
– Identifying and approaching the best supporters
21

22. Building Blocks
• Stewardship
– Fostering and supporting relationships with
those who have committed
• Communications and Marketing
– Sharing your story and promoting
opportunities
• Program Plan
– Defining and building a plan for sustainable
revenue
22

23. Why Building Blocks Works
• Easy to understand
• Defines legacy giving goals
• Focuses on engaging staff and volunteer
leaders
• Simple prospect education & cultivation
strategies

24. Why Building Blocks Works
• Emphasizes stewarding relationships
• Promotes outcomes-based communication
• Straightforward plan, consistently applied
over time
• Create culture that values long-term
support

25. II. How
A. Prepare for and Develop Your Case
B. Launch Your Bequest Program
C. Additional resources

26. A. Prepare for and Develop Case
• Organizational long term
commitment
• Determine your market
– Major donors = MINORITY
– Smaller donors = MAJORITY
• Ask peer’s, “What’s working?”

27. A. Prepare for and Develop Case
• Volunteer and staff “buy in”
– Development, administration, finance
– Board officers, committees
• Be prepared to spend $ (even a
little)
– Basic brochure
– Donor Recognition

28. A. Prepare for and Develop Case
• Draft a case statement
– Specific / unique needs for
endowment
– Dollars needed
• For what
• By when
– Work through committees / board
• Gift(s) at each stage

29. A. Prepare for and Develop Case
• Board resolution
– Committee structure
– Ethics (Model Standards of Practice)
– Vehicles permitted
– Gift uses
• Endowment
• Endowment & capital
• Spend it now? (sometimes)

30. B. Launch Bequest Program
• Start with key volunteers
• Utilize direct response opportunities
– Newsletter
– Direct mail checkbox
– Acknowledgement slip
– Bequest Mailing
• Brochure

31. B. Launch Bequest Program
• Prompt Response to Inquiries
– General letter with handouts
– Follow up phone call(s)
• Legacy Giving Committee
– Volunteers make the gift

32. B. Launch Bequest Program
• Legacy Giving Committee
– Members make the gift
– You staff volunteer efforts
• scripts and other materials
• regular contact
• reward success
• spread the word

33. B. Launch Bequest Program
• Recognition society
– Personal name / key word
– Welcome letter, enrollment form,
certificate
– Annual event
• Promote designations
– Insurance, retirement plan / IRA,
checking, saving, stocks / bonds

34. C. Additional resources
• Partnership for Philanthropic
Planning
– Journal of Gift Planning
• Northern CA Planned Giving
Council
– Basics Course, Primer Program,
Annual Conference Fundamentals
Track
• Planned Giving Today

35. C. Additional resources
• Planned Giving: Management,
Marketing and Law; Second Edition
• The Complete Guide to Planned Giving;
Revised Third Addition

36. Thank You!
For more information and resources:
www.greglassonde.com
www.legacygiving.com