May 16, 2010 | Read Time: 1 minute
The Power of Legacy and Planned Gifts
By Kevin Johnson
Small and midsize nonprofit organizations often make false assumptions about planned gifts and bequests that cost them dearly, writes Kevin Johnson, founder of Retriever Development Counsel, a fund-raising and leadership coaching firm.
Many fund raisers at small charities mistakenly believe that only very old people make bequests, when research shows donors age 40 to 60 are ideal prospects.
Another widely held assumption is that promoting bequests will hamper a donor’s desire to give while he or she is alive, but Mr. Johnson writes that donors who make bequests give 200 percent more annually than others.
He says too many charities waste time and resources believing that they must be experts and need to solicit the advice of lawyers or tax planners to assist donors with their planned giving.
Mr. Johnson writes: “You will never know enough about any donor’s personal situation for the purposes of detailed estate planning, nor should you. You are not his legal or financial advisor. It is important for you to state that clearly to the donor. Instead you are the expert on how their gift will be put to its ultimate, good use.”
Publisher: Jossey-Bass, 10475 Crosspoint Boulevard, Indianapolis, Ind. 46256; (800) 762-2974; http://www.josseybass.com; 310 pages; $40.00; ISBN 978-0-470-54136-4.
