WILD GIFTS

I am blessed with knowledgeable friends who are willing to answer questions -- which came in handy after a topsy-turvy discussion about prospects for planned giving. My suggestion to go beyond the pool of mature major gift donors and consider frequency of donations was left on the cutting room floor.

I turned to Payson Wild, President of Wild Associates (doesn’t that sound like a fun group?) and Executive Consultant at The Alford Group (which is a fun group) for some pearls of current wisdom:

“To address your question, my experience that consistency of giving is a very good predictor of the potential of planned giving. Consistency of giving indicates identification with an organization's mission. The size of a gift can be a predictor as well but a one time major gift may, or may not, indicate a real passion for mission. Of course, if you have a planned giving prospect who has given consistently and made a major gift or two, you have the best of all worlds.”

So, listen to Payson; look beyond your large donors. Further, rather than run a nice little box in your newsletter touting the benefits of planned giving, take the same pro-active approach as with cultivating and soliciting major gifts. Visit them.