3 Big Reasons Why Charities Should Work to Get Gifts in Wills from Middle-Aged Donors

1. It can turn them into more committed and more charitable donors. 

“Among those supporters who didn’t have a charitable plan and then added one, subsequent charitable giving nearly doubled (inflation-adjusted)” according to Dr. Russell James (the foremost researcher in planned giving fundraising).

2. It helps make middle-aged donors into excellent prospects for irrevocable planned gifts.

According to Dr. James, “Once your organization is in their plan, then the irrevocable planned gifts (such as CRTs, CGAs, Remainder Interest Deeds) become really compelling.  We’re already in the plan, why not make it irrevocable and get some immediate tax/income benefits?”

This goes well with my earlier blog posts that state “finding out about the gift is just the beginning.”

3. And, best of all… it leads to BIGGER GIFTS!

Dr. James also found that “people who have had charity consistently in their estate plan for the long-term (say, 10+ years before death) leave, on average, 4 times the amount left by those who first added a charitable component within 2 years of death.  So, it is great to get in early.  But you have to have a plan to ensure that you stay in until the end.” And, since legacy gifts tend to be large (average now is around $57,000), getting in early could mean you’d end up receiving a whopping $228,000 gift.

Want more insights from Dr. James? Join a free webinar he’s presenting with us on November 19th.

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