Optimally Stimulating and Reacting to Planned Giving Opportunities
Speaker: Marc Littlecott
The checked-box says "I've included (your charity) in my will", or a donor verbally tells you the same during a short visit. What are the best ways to respond and, perhaps just as importantly, what are the common mistakes fundraisers make when responding? What might you say if/when the donor dismisses your follow up with, "I already have a good attorney."? What is a better way to phrase an advertisement than the all too common, "Please send me information about such-in-such."? This workshop identifies normative/transactional responses and introduces alternative phrasing and questions that will create interest, often causing the gift planner to be a sought-after resource for most major donors.
The Golden Read: Crafting Emails That Senior Citizens Don't Just Open—They Absorb
Speaker: Lisa Kennedy
There's a common misconception that you need to be wealthy to engage with gift planning officers. This is not true! The majority of Americans could be giving to their favorite charities through bequests, IRAs, beneficiary designations on life insurance accounts, or charitable gift annuities. In my work at Scripps Health, I author a monthly email newsletter to donors and advisors describing gift planning ideas. My goal with the monthly newsletters is to make gift planning concepts relatable. I do this by using simple, direct language, and bite-sized vignettes. Our emails have strong open and engagement rates, and they open doors to conversations that help keep the hospital's gift planning pipeline growing. With this presentation, my hope is that you'll leave feeling ready to create your own marketing plans that reach planned giving donors and help move the needle on philanthropy.
Empowering Fundraisers Through a Strategic Gift Planning Partnership
Speaker: Erin Hughey-Commers and Iris Luck
With a bold $1 billion campaign goal, the University of Virginia Health Development Team knew collaboration would be a key to success. A strategic partnership with the Office of Gift Planning (OGP) proved instrumental in achieving this milestone. In this session, discover strategies to build a transformative gift planning program, including inspiring fundraisers, deepening donor engagement, and fostering a culture of shared success. Attendees will gain actionable insights into how gift planning can elevate fundraising outcomes and strengthen long-term relationships with donors.
Leveraging Storytelling and Strategy to Build Your Planned Giving Pipeline
Speaker: Kam King, Corynn Kilar and Jaclyn Hage
This engaging session will explore how purposeful storytelling, paired with thoughtful strategy and cross-departmental collaboration, can reshape how institutions cultivate and strengthen planned giving pipelines. Three speakers from NC State University's Wilson College of Textiles and the North Carolina Textile Foundation (NCTF), representing communications, annual giving and major gifts, will share how they built a yearlong engagement approach grounded in authentic donor voices, consistent touchpoints and meaningful stewardship moments. Participants will gain practical ideas to spark donor connection, coordinate outreach across teams and introduce estate conversations in a natural and mission-centered way. Real examples, including donor features, targeted campaigns and event-driven engagement, will offer attendees usable tools and inspiration to grow their planned giving efforts through the power of creative storytelling and partnership.
