Here’s the deal folks. You don’t own your donors.
Too many times I’ve heard chapters say that they don’t want to share planned giving leads with their main office out of fear for lost local revenue. All the while, the folks at the main office try to ensure them that they only want to help.
The decision as to where the money goes after your supporter’s lifetime is theirs— not yours. You can’t control it. You can’t influence it. And, you shouldn’t try to do so.
Instead, your job is to facilitate the process by:
- Making sure the supporter feels comfortable and has all the information he/she needs
- Tapping into their desire for symbolic immortality and autobiographical heroism
- Helping them honor or memorialize a loved one
- Providing advice, options, information and referrals to experts
- Letting them know that they can decide what portion they want to go to the local office vs. the main office… it’s up to them
Hoarding donors will get you nowhere.
Ultimately your supporters will do what’s right for them. Your primary concern should be to make them happy — not to coerce the decision so you can book a gift and get the credit. You might not even be working for that organization by the time the gift materializes anyway.
So, if you find yourself trying to serve your personal goals, stop and serve your supporter instead. You don’t own them.