Bonterra’s Post

Are you ready to secure the long-term success of your organization’s mission? Planned giving is the game-changer for a nonprofit’s longevity. Here’s why it matters and how you can make it work for your organization. 🔍 What is Planned Giving? Planned giving involves donors making significant contributions arranged for a future date, often through wills or trusts. These gifts come in various forms, like bequests and charitable gift annuities, allowing donors to make an impact without an immediate financial burden. 💪 The Power of Legacy Gifts Legacy gifts are crucial for nonprofit sustainability. They align with donors' financial planning and personal legacy goals, ensuring your mission thrives for generations. 🤝 Building Relationships Strong planned giving programs hinge on trust-based donor relationships: -Educate Your Donors: Highlight benefits and real-life impacts of legacy gifts. -Promote Bequests: Share how donors can leave a percentage of their estate. -Engage with All Donors: Don’t overlook smaller donors—many significant gifts come from them! 🔧 Simplify the Process Planned giving can seem complex. Make it easy with: -Legacy Giving Program: Offer guidance and connect donors with advisors or online planned giving platforms like LifeLegacy’s Giving Suite. -Informational Meetings: Educate donors about their options and impacts through webinars/workshops and in-person discussions. 💡 Emphasize Impact Show donors the tangible difference their legacy will make. Use storytelling to connect emotionally and reinforce their contribution's value. 🚀 Embrace planned giving as a core strategy and watch your nonprofit thrive! For more insights, visit LifeLegacy or chat with our team of experts: https://lnkd.in/guPpPMz3 #PlannedGiving #LegacyGiving #LegacyPlanning #EstatePlanning #NonprofitFundraising #DonorEngagement #NonprofitSuccess #PlannedGifts #LegacyGifts #MajorGifts #LifeLegacy

Acknowledging donors' contributions isn't just a courtesy but a strategic move that benefits nonprofit organizations. Advantages of donor recognition include: 🤝 Increased donor retention: receiving timely and personalized recognition boosts donor retention as individuals feel valued and see the tangible impact of their generosity, thus encouraging them to continue their support. 💲Boosted fundraising success: effective donor recognition can increase donations and fundraising success, as donors develop trust in the organization and are more likely to support future campaigns. 💬 Enhanced donor engagement: by engaging in donor recognition practices, nonprofits can strengthen their donors' sense of community and involvement, leading to deeper relationships and more opportunities for engagement. ✨ Elevated reputation and public image: publicly acknowledging donors can also enhance the organization's reputation and attract new supporters, as it showcases the appreciation and impact of donor contributions. Learn more here: https://hubs.ly/Q02rSf2_0

Let's talk monthly donors. As a nonprofit organization, your end-of-year campaign likely brings in a significant portion of your annual donations. These one-time donors show their support during the giving season, but imagine the impact if their generosity continued year-round. Perspective: Before making any strategy, it's crucial to understand why donors chose to give at the end of the year. Was it the holiday spirit, tax benefits, or a particular campaign that resonated with them? Knowing their motivation can help tailor your approach. Education: Many donors aren't aware of the option to give monthly or don't understand its benefits. Educate them through emails, newsletters, and social media posts. Highlight how recurring donations provide steady support that helps plan and implement long-term projects more effectively. Transition: Provide a seamless transition process. Ensure that your website has a clear, user-friendly option for monthly giving. Consider sending a direct mail piece or email with a link that takes them straight to a monthly donation page. Levels: Create multiple tiers of monthly giving to accommodate different financial capabilities. This inclusivity can encourage more donors to join without feeling the pressure of a high donation amount. Reward: Create a special recognition program for monthly donors. This could include exclusive updates, special events, or public acknowledgment (if they agree). Recognition makes donors feel valued and part of your organization’s community. Converting end-of-year donors to monthly givers is an effective strategy to ensure a steady income stream for your nonprofit. It requires a thoughtful approach, focusing on gratitude, education, and engagement. Remember, every donor has the potential to become a monthly champion for your cause – it’s about nurturing that opportunity with care and professionalism. #donations #givingtuesday #nonprofit #donation #donate #fundraising #cryptophilanthropy #philanthropy

Are you looking to secure the long-term sustainability of your organization's mission? Look no further than planned gifts! Here's why they're essential for taking your fundraising efforts to new heights: 1- Strengthen Financial Stability: Planned gifts provide a reliable source of funding that can help your organization weather economic uncertainties and fluctuations in donor giving. By securing commitments from donors to support your cause over the long term, you can build a solid financial foundation for years to come. 2- Expand Your Donor Base: Planned giving opens the door to a whole new pool of potential donors. Many individuals may not have the means to make significant donations during their lifetime but are willing to leave a legacy through planned gifts, such as bequests, charitable trusts, or gifts of securities. By promoting planned giving opportunities, you can engage donors of all ages and income levels in supporting your cause. 3- Cultivate Meaningful Relationships: Planned giving provides an opportunity to deepen relationships with your supporters. By engaging donors in conversations about their philanthropic goals and legacy aspirations, you can demonstrate your organization's commitment to stewarding their generosity and making a lasting impact on the causes they care about. 4- Ensure Mission Continuity: Planned gifts enable you to plan for the future and ensure that your organization's mission and programs will continue to thrive for generations to come. Whether it's funding research initiatives, supporting scholarships, or preserving cultural heritage, planned gifts provide the resources needed to sustain your organization's impact over time. Invite your donors to leave a lasting legacy for your organization! #valuablevisits #plannedgiving #philanthropy

Did you know that it costs less to retain donors than to acquire new ones? In nonprofit fundraising, retaining existing donors is not just a good practice; it's a game-changer. With the shift from baby boomers and the silent generation to Gen X, the need to hold onto our existing supporters becomes even more critical. Fundraisers tasked with raising funds from a smaller pool, making donor retention paramount for long-term sustainability. Currently, the average donor retention rate stands at 40-45%, indicating a significant portion of donors are less inclined to give year after year. That's why I recommend a robust donor stewardship program that focuses on building relationships and showing appreciation. Simple weekly calls to first-time and legacy donors lay the foundation for future success. It's not just about fundraising; it's about creating a supportive community where donors feel valued and engaged. ------ I took my 20+ years’ experience in the nonprofit sector and wrote, Nonprofit Fundraising – Lessons from the Trenches – https://a.co/d/4zLTFnq https://lnkd.in/gPdkQjjm #nonprofitfundraising #nonprofitleadership #nonprofitorganization

Recently a client proudly boasted that their average legacy gift was very high. In fact, it may have been too high! While it’s understandable that they were proud of getting some very large gifts, it could actually point to a problem in their planned giving program.    If your average legacy gift size skews high, it could signal a failure to reach anyone outside the low-hanging fruit of your most obvious major donors.      What about the mid-level donors who have the capacity to leave a legacy gift? If you have people on your donor list who have been making steady charitable contributions to your organization, and you aren’t having this conversation with them, you’re missing out on your “hidden major donors.’    Estate gifts and other forms of planned giving—especially those from steady, not showy givers—are given because the donor has a particular affinity for your organization.     Perhaps they’ve had a personal experience that led them to understand the importance of your work. They may be one of your volunteers. Maybe a family member has been involved and the donor has followed them to your nonprofit. Or maybe they have been the beneficiary in earlier days and now want to give back. For these reasons and more, the mid-level donor has made a commitment to your cause and has continued to give charitable contributions.     How do you turn these mid-level donors into legacy givers? Inspire them.     They have already demonstrated that they want to make a difference in the world, that they think your organization has found a way to do that, and that they want to support you in that work.     All you need to do is help them see the opportunity to give a gift that will carry on that history of care and commitment. The wealthiest donors are not the only ones who want to leave a legacy, and they aren’t the only ones who have the ability to do it.     Don’t trust your mission to a handful of big donors, widen the lens to focus in on all of your faithful supporters!    How high is too high? If you want to find out if your average gift skews high, we can help you make sense of your data. Let's talk! #plannedgiving #legacy #fundraising #nonprofit #donorrelations

How to Activate Volunteers as First-Time Donors Through Micro-Donations New Nonprofit Blog from TechSoup.org! Did you know that your volunteers are prime candidates to become lasting donors? According to Funraise's 2020 Global Trends in Giving Report , people are two times more likely to donate to causes and organizations that they volunteer for. And a Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund report from 2009 (PDF) showed that volunteers will donate 10 times more money over their lifetimes than nonvolunteers to the cause they're involved in.

Nonprofits around the world faced unprecedented fundraising, talent, and operational challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic — and many organizations are still navigating those same challenges today. Fundraising issues are top of mind, with 52% of surveyed nonprofit professionals who faced pre-pandemic fundraising concerns citing reduced donations as a top lingering impact of COVID-19. 43% of all surveyed nonprofit professionals also noted that finding new donors was a major concern they grappled with prior to the pandemic, and 57% feel that they’ve currently maxed out their options to source new donors. ©The Impact Insight: Nonprofit Fundraising and Donor Generosity

To what organization will you give of your time and/or funds this giving season? Tell us in the comments below! You might give others some good ideas.

💌As the season of fundraising appeal letters fill our mailboxes, I'm sometimes asked for advice on selecting charitable organizations to support. Whether you're donating $100, $1,000, or more, here are some tips to help you prioritize your giving: 1️⃣ Define Your Philanthropic Goals: Start by auditing your philanthropic goals. Identify the causes that truly resonate with you, whether it's poverty alleviation, empowering marginalized youth, environmental conservation, racial justice, or promoting literacy. List them in order of priority. 2️⃣ Consider Smaller Organizations: Dane County is home to around 3,000 nonprofits, many of which may not spend much time or money on marketing. Consider a mix of well-known organizations and smaller ones that can make a significant impact with your support. Websites like ProPublica's nonprofit explorer can provide valuable insights into an organization's financials. You can see Free Bikes 4 Kidz Madison and search others here: https://lnkd.in/gaQTFYrx 3️⃣ Go Behind the Scenes: Reach out to these organizations and request a tour if possible. Nonprofits love giving tours, and it's a fantastic way to gain insight into their work. Witnessing their operations firsthand can be enlightening and inspiring. Interact with volunteers and inquire about the organization's staff size. It’s a great way to see where the need is. 4️⃣ Consider the Impact: While staff are essential for nonprofits, you may find it to be important that your donation directly benefits those in need. Smaller organizations with leaner administrative costs are more likely to directly touch lives. Remember, no matter which cause you support, your gift will be deeply appreciated by the staff and those they serve. Giving back is rewarding, makes a positive difference and it'll make you feel good! 🌟 #GivingBack #Philanthropy #charities #fundraising #nonprofits #danecounty