Topics Covered

Why, why and why you need this workshop.

Viken Mikaelian - The Authority In Planned Giving Marketing
Viken Mikaelian, in an extreme state
of violent mental agitation!

Amidst the chatter of planned giving gurus, consultants and speechmakers, there still isn’t one source delivering what the small to medium-sized non-profit needs most: a unified, well-organized, simply-simple presentation that explains how planned gifts work and what to tell your prospects about them. Yes, you can take the time to learn all about the Generation-Skipping Transfer Tax, but then how do you put together a bequest marketing campaign aimed at older donors who want to make a gift to you as well as provide for their grandchildren? (Don’t even know what the Generation-Skipping Transfer Tax is? Better jump to our sign-up page right now.)

Yes, you and your team need to know the basics about the gift plans that the charity down the street is already closing — but you'll close more by knowing how to market them.

In this economy, we’re all trying to do more with fewer resources. For one fee, we will deliver both solid gift information and creative marketing insights to your team.

So, gather your staff — and if you wish, board members and top volunteers, too — for two hours for a high-energy, no-nonsense presentation that explodes crusty old myths about planned giving. We’ll show you and your colleagues how to increase the number of gifts your organization can close even in a “down” economy — while saving marketing dollars at the same time. You can pay for the seminar with savings from direct mail costs and savings from wasteful and pointless newsletters.

The presentation has a two-prong approach. Based on your needs, we can emphasize one more than the other, or deliver our proven presentation the way we have found it to do the most good for other charities like yours.

I: What, really, is planned giving anyway?

Viken Mikaelian
Viken Mikaelian,
calming down just a bit...

This section takes care of the basics, in a very basic way. We keep it simple so everyone "gets it": it is geared to familiarize everyone with how planned gifts work, in a non-intimidating way. If someone has a technical question, however, we'll address it with a deep level of understanding that cuts out the jargon.

Here are just a few of the topics covered:

  • What are the three main types of planned gifts?
  • Type #1: The planned gifts anybody can make.
  • Type #2: Gifts from people who need extra money.
  • Type #3: Gifts your wealthiest donors are paying top dollar to discuss with their attorneys...but they aren't hearing how they help your mission.
  • What's the best gift this year's Congress is going to give your planned giving program?
  • Which gifts are more attractive in a poor economy?
  • Which gifts are more attractive when the market is booming?
  • How do planned gifts work?
  • What's the secret behind these gifts that seem too good to be true?
  • A quick look at the simple math behind the most popular gifts.
  • The "painless" gifts from the poor.
  • What's special about bequests? Tax and legal implications.
  • The 1955 Ferrari: it's not just about stocks! Think appreciated "anything" (assets).
  • A guaranteed paycheck for life. Older folks think differently about money. Yes, you're not 92 yet.
  • The extremely intimidating planned gifts, and the one secret to why you should market them even if you "don't understand them" (we call these gifts for the "financially savvy").

II: How do you market planned gifts?

Now, the fun part.

Your team will lean forward, their eyes wide, and experience plenty of "Aha!" moments. Why? We do a reality check by delivering some harsh, plain truths that will go against the grain of what many self-proclaimed "gurus" (usually vendors) claim and advertise. Many non-profits are still using the same old tools that worked well in 1964. That's when we only had 6 choices for cordless phones and targeted marketing was in its infancy.

This section will also show how easy it is to market planned gifts, and what you're missing right now by not doing so. It's high-energy and full of action-packed ideas.

Here are just a few of the topics covered:

  • Secret #1: It's no different than selling vacuum cleaners (we're serious).
  • Secret #2: What will make you give up and close shop?
  • Secret #3: What do American Express, Ferrari, Rolex and Planned Giving have in common?
  • Warning #1: If you're not marketing planned gifts to your prospects, other non-profits are.
  • Donor profiles: How can they help increase the number of gifts you close?
  • Which gifts should you be pushing to benefit your organization – in this challenging economy? (Caution: it's not the same for every organization and this is why a canned approach will not work.)
  • Prospects are overwhelmed by too much marketing noise; which tools will get your message through?
  • Younger prospects think about a major/planned gift differently than their elders. How is the new generation different from my traditional prospects?
  • Why are traditional planned giving newsletters failing?
  • Why a planned giving website is useless unless...
  • How to kill your program with mass e-mail marketing. The true reality check between spam and bacon.
  • Personal visits: how many a year?
  • You Had Me at Bequest (a story of a neglected donor).
  • Over 95% of your prospects’ wealth is in assets; why focus only on the 5% hard-to-get cash gifts (it’s like pulling teeth!)?
  • Why and how pursuing the urgent keeps you from pursuing the important. (We'll show you how to learn from your dentist.)
  • Why cash giving is reactive; why planned giving is pro-active.
  • A hidden secret: Focus on "painless gifts from the poor" and you cover over 80% of all planned gifts — the no-hassle gifts.
  • That old geezer sitting on a 55 year-old chair in the kitchen: "Molly, what did we do with the GE stock we bought back in 1948?"
  • How do I best select my planned giving prospects?
  • Does direct mail work? What months are best for direct mail?
  • What are some of the right marketing tools? Examples, examples, examples.
  • How are the best programs succeeding?

    “Donors and prospects haven’t changed that much but their attention span has. With too much hype and noise in the media — up to 3700 messages of one kind or another every day — it’s now a fundamental challenge to get our story through.”

Our team combines 50 years’ worth of experience in marketing planned gifts and using them strategically to boost the productivity of an overall fundraising program.

Facing a fundraising challenge? Chances are The Authorities have already dealt with it themselves or as consultants to other clients. Incrementally – perhaps at a pace that you don’t want to acknowledge – the challenges are piling up in your fundraising shop. You can sit tight and hope for better times, or start working pro-actively to improve your non-profit’s chances. Take the first step by giving our team the floor for two hours.

You won't regret it.