Retreading the Blog

As it says above in the description, I started this blog back in 2013 when I was VP of Planned Giving at United Way in Birmingham.  It was a way to share good ideas that someone else shared with me.  I cannot vouch for any of the links from those 2013 posts, although I did check and most of the forms and documents I uploaded still work.

October 2013 I moved to the YMCA as the Chief Development Officer.  Now, about a year and a half later, I am restarting the blog because I've decided to take the CFRE exam.  I went on the web looking for resources, didn't have a whole lot of luck, so why not share the steps I take.  If I pass the test, then maybe you will have a guide that will help you.  If I don't pass, well then you will know what not to do.

The rest of the posts will be about what we are doing in financial development at the YMCA of Greater Birmingham.  If you find something useful, feel free to borrow it.

David

How to Make Your Website Work for You

Read an excellent article in the August edition of Journal of Financial Planning.  While Kristin Harad writes for the benefit of financial planners, it has a lot of good ideas for nonprofits and legacy gifts websites as well.  You can get to the article by clicking HERE and have a good weekend.

Legacy Giving Recognition Levels



How many recognition levels is one of those tricky questions that we are revisiting right now.  Too many levels and no one takes them seriously.  Too few and you discourage increased giving.  Too low or too high causes a different set of problems and it is very difficult to recognize a donor at a level and then change the requirements.  Do you unrecognize them if they don't meet the new rules?  I don't think so.  So, its rather important to start off right.

Currently we recognize you at the following levels for a current or deferred gift to the endowment...

$1,000 and you are a member of The Legacy Society

$250,000 and you are a member of The Tocqueville Legacy Circle (and The Legacy Society)

$1,000,000+ and you've joined the Million Dollar Legacy Circle (and TLC and LS)

 

We didn't think that was enough so we're adding some new ones...

 

$1,000 = The Legacy Society

$25,000 = The Leadership Legacy Circle

$125,000 = The Builders Legacy Circle

$250,000 = The Tocqueville Legacy Circle

$500,000 = The ? Legacy Circle

$1,000,000 = The Million Dollar Legacy Circle

Assuming a 4% return and draw, $25,000 endows an annual gift of $1,000 (our base annual campaign leadership level gift), $125,000 yields $5,000 annually (our Builders Society annual giving level), and $500,000  ... well we really haven't come up with a good justification for that level, hence the problem with coming up with a good name.  Any ideas will earn you my undying appreciation and all the recognition, accolades, and cash prizes I give for every other good idea.  Best of all, if we compile a list of good recognition level names here, then everyone can just appropriate them for their Legacy Society.  Retreading at its finest.



Financial Professional Advisory Committees

Professional Advisory Committees have been a hot topic for a number of years in the planned giving world.  Everyone thinks they are good, but I haven't come across a successful model to copy just yet.  Some organizations have a separate group from their PG committee that meets a couple times of the year.  Some groups review gifts, others sponsor continuing ed events, still others come together to encourage financial professionals to reach out to their clients and promote charitable giving, particularly to the charity hosting the meeting.

Our Professional Advisory group started off as a separate group and has since become a part of our Legacy Cabinet. They are full fledged cabinet members along with our donor volunteers and bring an interesting perspective to the discussions.  We typically look for young professionals who give to and volunteer with United Way and are not just looking for an "easy" way to find new clients.  Financial professionals on the Legacy Cabinet include:

1. An estate planning attorney who is a member of our Young Leaders group and a past Allocations Team volunteer.
2. A real estate attorney who volunteered on our 2-1-1 emergency crisis line following the April 2011 tornadoes.
3. A CPA from a local accounting firm specializing in individual taxes.
4. A private banker who is a past Loaned Executive, Allocations Team volunteer, and a strong United Way supporter.
5. A trust officer who is a past Loaned Executive and a current Tocqueville member.
6. An insurance professional who is a Tocqueville member and a past Campaign Cabinet member.

Our financial professional group is constantly evolving and I don't think we have a perfect model by any stretch of the imaginaton, but we are getting there.  The other Cabinet volunteers like having financial professionals as part of the Legacy Cabinet so they have knowledgeable people who can answer questions at each meeting.

How Professonal Advisory Committees Can Be Most Effective is an interesting article from the Planned Giving Design Center and a good place to start.  If you have success, please let me know so we can retread your ideas. 

Also worth reading from the Chronicle of Philanthropy - 75% of Young Donors Turned Off by Out-of-Date Web Sites. 

Insomnia Cures

I came across 3 articles from Financial Planning Magazine that might be worth your time to glance over.  Admittedly this is first class Geek reading, but the Donor Advisor Fund article may offer some info you didn't know.  The article on Charitable Trusts focuses on Charitable Lead Trusts which are extremely rare, but it is important to know the concept of "Valuation Discounts" since it applies to any number of potential real and personal property gifts.  Finally, the Advisor article might be a good one to send to those Financial Advisors you've been courting.   Bottom line - read these when counting sheep is just not working!

1.  Donor-Advised Funds Outperforming Family Foundations

 

2.  Spike in Charitable Donations Creates Advisor Opportunity

 

3.  New Approach for Charitable Trusts





Live United T-Shirts for the Next Generation

Last week I was visiting my daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter.  Stefanie worked for United Way of Greater Houston prior to the birth of Lydia.  As devoted grandparents, we came bearing gifts including Birmingham-Southern College shirts for Stefanie, who graduated from BSC in 2006, and Lydia, as the next generation of BSC Panthers.  They had 2 shirts in Lydia's size in the BSC bookstore and of course I bought them both.

An idea struck me on the flight back to Birmingham yesterday.  Why not send an infant or toddler Live United t-shirt to the next generation of United Way donors and then a note to their grandparents encouraging an endowment gift to continue their generosity for the benefit of their grandchildren, great grandchildren, etc?  Of course it means keeping up with children and births, but then again that is where volunteers serve as the best sources of information. 

In case you were wondering, we didn't forget our son-in-law.  He is an Auburn graduate!  War Eagle! (which takes some effort to say since we are Alabama fans!).

Just Do It!

I love a good Tagline!  The Nike Swoosh inspires me to run that much faster even though I wear Asics.  If you can tell me what "Where's the Beef?" advertised, then you and I are likely close in age.  Good taglines help us remember and move us to action.  So what are some good planned giving taglines?

I make it no secret that I am not particularly enamored with "Remember United Way in your will or estate plan and tell us when you do."  In my humble opinion (which is worth all you've paid for it), this statement is passive, reminds me too much of dying, and a will is an estate plan (but not necessarily vice versa).  I could go on, but point expressed and if you want to know more of my reasons or would like to tell me I'm wrong, just give me a call.  The real question is - what's better?

My current tagline comes from a college website with a few modifications. 

Legacy Gifts.  Shape the Future... Build Tomorrow with United Way! 

Call me today to begin.

I also use...  Legacy Gifts.  It's Forward Thinking Philanthropy Beginning Today.  Call 205.458.2022.

Planned Giving Today calls them "blurbs" and posted several of their favorites in the Marketing Reprintable of their July edition.  I added United Way to each of them. 

• Please Consider....  including United Way in your will.  For a free Bequest Information Kit, visit www.uwca.org or call us at (205) 458-2022
• Is United Way in your Will or Revocable Living Trust?  If not remember that your bequest can make a difference! 
• You can help us serve the next generation.  But only when you remember to include United Way in your will.
• Your legacy is ready to start...  when you name United Way in your will, trust, or life insurance.

The first 2 don't excite me much, but I like the 3rd and 4th examples better.  I don't think I have come across one yet that really works like "Just do it!" or "Think different."

Rachel Sellers in her blog, The Compass, has an excellent post from 2011 on taglines.  You can find it HERE.  She includes the following checklist for creating a good tagline....

 

She has a total of 10 pieces of Branding Advice on her blog and they are worth reading as you consider how to market your planned giving program.  Have a good weekend.