https://bloomerang.co/resources/webinars/ Claire Axelrad, J.D., CFRE will explain how fundraisers can persuade ‘powers that be’ that they should actively promote legacy giving, even (especially) now.

1. How to Talk about Legacy Giving
Without Seeming Creepy
1
Easy-to-Implement Strategies for
Nonprofits of Any Size
Claire Axelrad, J.D., CFRE
Principal
Clairification

2. How challenging is it to live under the yoke of having to raise
your entire budget – every single year – starting from
scratch?
Time to do something about it!
• How to persuade ‘powers that be’ you should actively promote
legacy giving, even (especially) now.
• Why legacy giving is not just for rich people.
• How to un-complicate legacy giving – for you and your donors.
• How to measure success.
• Simple legacy giving strategies any nonprofit can adopt right away.
#Clairificationschool @charityclairity
2
What We’ll Cover Today

3. Number of people who make gifts to
charity during their lifetimes?
70%!
Number of people who leave a
bequest?
6%
Why the disparity?
#Clairificationschool @charityclairity 3
Why Do You Leave a Legacy?
Data: Giving USA and Dr. Russell James

4. 1. Have to be asked.
2. Have to be shown it’s a good idea.
3. Have to see others they respect doing it.
#Clairificationschool @charityclairity
4
To Seriously Consider Leaving a Legacy, Donors…

5. Who am I?
30 years in-the-trenches development staff leader helping raise
millions for such organizations as San Francisco Food Bank, Jewish Family
and Children’s Services, Jewish Community Center, California School of
Professional Psychology, and San Francisco Conservatory of Music.
10 years nonprofit fundraising/marketing coach, consultant
and principal Clairification School.
AFP Fundraiser of the Year.
Best Nonprofit Blog – Fundraising Success Magazine.
Speaker: ADRP; AFP; ALDE; American Bar Association;
Development Executives Roundtable, Foundation Center;
Fundraising Summit; Leadership Summit; NAYDO; Progressive
Business Conferences; U. S. Olympics Committee.
Regular Contributor: Bloomerang, Candid/Guidestar; Network for
Good, Nonprofit Pro.
Claire Axelrad, J.D., CFRE
Follow me:
www.clairification.com
Claire@clairification.com
Twitter @charityclairity
5

6. Part of the Circle of Life
• No one likes to face their mortality.
• Yet everyone knows no one escapes death.
• Legacy giving is not about death and dying.
• Legacy giving is about life and living.
• And people know: you can’t take it with you.
• Whether death is a subject folks want to talk
about, it’s on their minds. Especially now.
#Clairificationschool @charityclairity 6

7. Why it’s Not Creepy
to Talk about Legacy Giving
• Truth: No one is immune from death.
• General rule: Tap into what donors
are worried about, especially if you can
help!
• When you assume on others’ behalf,
you do no one any favors.
• Did you know? Online searches for
“how to create a will” doubled to
tripled during the pandemic!
#Clairificationschool @charityclairity 7

8. Death is as Natural as Birth
#Clairificationschool @charityclairity 8
It’s inevitable, sooner or later.
We all hope for later.
At times in life, it’s more top of mind.
• 88.7% of donors think it’s
appropriate for you to ask
for legacy gifts.*
*Study by Dr. Adrian Sargeant and Elaine Jay

9. Let’s Talk about Planting
for Future Generations
Imagine if past generations had left
a legacy endowment from which
your organization could now be
drawing upon.
Perhaps you’re fortunate enough
they did!
If not, it’s your turn.
#Clairificationschool @charityclairity 9
“We plant trees not for ourselves, but for the future
generations.” -Caecilius Statius, 220-168 B.C.

10. Putting off Legacy Giving is
Fiscally Irresponsible
#Clairificationschool @charityclairity 10
Checking Account
aka Annual Giving
Savings Account
aka Legacies or Endowment Income
Hand-to-Mouth Rainy Day Fund
Vs.

11. Legacy Program Case for Support
• Agree on need to exist far into the future?
• Mission; values
• Vision
• Do people trust you?
 File financial report; 990
 Annual audit
• Can you articulate projected revenue gap
between expenses and income?
• 10-year horizon
• % supported by contribution revenue
#Clairificationschool @charityclairity
11

12. #Clairificationschool @charityclairity 12
2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030
Dollars
Timeline
Expenses
Revenue
Projected
Gap
Why Endowment Income Would Come in Handy

13. Signs Pointing to “GO!”
Why a legacy program should be a no-brainer
#Clairificationschool @charityclairity 13
• Loyal donors = you’ve got prospects.
• Prospects = “major gifts.”
• ROI = high.
• ROI spills over to annual giving.
• Easy giving options are available.
• Tough times > increased giving.

14. Legacy Programs Enable Income Stream
Diversification
#Clairificationschool @charityclairity 14
• Competition for philanthropic $$
has intensified.
• What if you set aside a piece of
your annual funding pie as:
• bequest expectancies?
• investment income?

15. What Happens When You Promote Legacy
Giving, Reminding People of Own Mortality?
#Clairificationschool @charityclairity 15
• Experimental psychology field, “Terror
Management Theory” reveals death is
a problem
• 2 ways people respond*:
• Approach
• Avoidance
• Key contributor to well-being: sense of
meaning
• It’s increasingly understood: giving is
good for people
*See Legacy Fundraising: The Best or Worst of Times?
Dr. Russell James and Michael Rosen

16. Impact on Donors and Your ROI
#Clairificationschool @charityclairity 16
Approach
• “Death happens to all of us.”
• Will consider offer to perpetuate
values or memorialize a loved one.
Enhanced Approach
• “Death is happening all around me!”
• Will act now, before it’s too late, to
enhance sense of control.
Avoidance
• “It’s not happening to me.”
• Won’t leave legacy now; won’t stop
current giving.
Enhanced Avoidance
• “I have to take care of myself.”
• Won’t engage; reminders of own
mortality diminish generosity to
others.
• Won’t stop current giving.
Risk: Low to High
Reward:
Low to High
Interest:
High to Low
Low Risk/High Reward High Risk/High Reward
Low Risk/Low Reward High Risk/Low Reward
1 2
3 4
How People Confronted with their Mortality Respond: Approach/Avoidance
Reluctance
to think
about death

17. People Wonder: What Will My Legacy Be?
#Clairificationschool @charityclairity 17
• Many legacy gifts are not complicated.
• My favorite questions to ask donors:
What legacy would you like to leave the world?
or
What would you like to see in the
autobiography of your life?
vs.
Where would you like your money to go after
you die?
Encourage donors to think
about perpetuating their values.

18. Just Be Your Donor’s Philanthropic Guide
#Clairificationschool @charityclairity 18
• It’s your job –privilege – to talk
w/donors about things that bring
them joy, not worry.
• What could be more joyful than
leaving a legacy to perpetuate
their values?
• Simple strategies don’t require a
big investment of staff time and
resources.
Which donors? You say you don’t
know any…?

19. Legacy Giving is Not Just for Rich People
#Clairificationschool @charityclairity 19
• Most legacy donors are not
current major givers.
• Consistent modest donors
• Loyal volunteers
• Unknown to you
• Most legacy gifts are largest
charitable gift donor will make.

20. Let Folks Know You’re ‘Open for Business’
#Clairificationschool @charityclairity 20
• Let folks know you do this!
• You don’t need to go to tax
school.
• You do need to commit to
assuring the donor’s wishes
are fulfilled.
• Accepting a bequest or
beneficiary designation gift is
simple.
You’ve
got a
bequest!
Pinkie
Esq.

21. How it Works
#Clairificationschool @charityclairity 21
• Attorney (Advisor) informs you of gift.
• Attorney (Advisor) walks you through what you need
to do.
• If a bequest, they’ll talk to you about probate process
and give you ballpark idea of how much you’ll
receive.
• You ask for time frame to know when to expect
payment.
• You make note of this in file or calendar.
• You call advisor back to check in if you’ve not heard
back.
You may want to call proactively when Legacy
Society donor gifts mature.

22. Use Terminology Everyone Can Understand
#Clairificationschool
@charityclairity 22
Easy-to-Create Legacy Gifts
• Bequest in a will or living trust.
• Charitable beneficiary of savings,
checking, pension or IRA account.
• Charitable beneficiary of insurance
policy.
• Gift of unneeded insurance policy.
Other Common Legacy Gifts
• Beneficiary of a charitable gift
annuity established with a
community foundation.
• Remainder beneficiary of a life-
income trust (unitrust, annuity trust
or lead trust).
Will planning” vs.
“Estate planning”
Most legacy gifts come from
bequests
“Legacy giving” vs.
“Planned giving”
All significant gifts are
planned -- both “outright” and
“deferred.”
Some are earmarked for
“endowment, some are not.
Values based, not
process based
Outcomes, not vehicles

23. 6 Legacy Giving Strategies for ANY Nonprofit
#Clairificationschool @charityclairity 23
1. Create Basic Marketing Collateral
Messaging
2. Showcase Outcomes Legacy
Gifts Make Possible
3. Profile Legacy Donors in
Newsletters
4. Include Legacy Giving Info on
Website
5. Send an Annual Letter about
making a legacy gift
6. Develop Volunteer Engagement
Opportunities

24. 1. Create Basic Marketing Collateral Messaging
#Clairificationschool @charityclairity 24
WHERE
• Outer envelopes
• Email signatures
• Business cards
• Letterhead
• E-news or blog
• Annual report recognition
pages
• Other donor recognition listings
• Social media
• Website donation pages
• Website legacy donation pages
• Brochure
• Advertising
• Wherever else you can think of
• No single demographic
• Life cycle events dictate
timing people are receptive
• Look at loyalty
• Look at grateful users
• Look at predictive modelling
(if you have it)
WHERE WHO
WHAT

25. What Will Your Legacy Be?
#Clairificationschool @charityclairity
25

26. What
Will
Your
Legacy
Be?
#Clairificationschool
@charityclairity 26

27. 2. Showcase Outcomes Legacies Make Possible
#Clairificationschool @charityclairity 27
Create Awareness of Legacy
Giving Impact…
 Share Values Enacted
 Feeding the hungry
 Welcoming the stranger
 Caring for the sick
 Pursuing justice
 Ending violence
 Creating tolerance
 Tell Stories about
Accomplishments

28. 3. Profile Legacy Donors in Newsletters
#Clairificationschool @charityclairity 28
• Show legacy giving is not just for
the rich.
• Use concrete examples as ‘social
proof.’ Here’s the story of:
 A widow who gave a $10K insurance
policy in memory of her deceased
husband
 A retired teacher who made our
charity beneficiary of a $250K savings
account
 A couple with childrenwho’ve decided
to leave a $1 million bequest in their
wills
Easy to adapt for e-news

29. 4. Include Legacy Giving Info on Website
#Clairificationschool @charityclairity 29
Under “Ways to Give” or “Donate”
• SHOW outcomes: Use videos; photos
• TELL benefits, not giving vehicles:
 Tangible benefits
• “Income for Life” or “Retirement Income”
vs. “Charitable Remainder Trusts”
• Tax benefits
 Intangible benefits
• Perpetuating personal values
• Lasting social benefit
• Giving back

30. Website
Giving
Landing
Page
30

31. Legacy
Society
Promo
on
Website
or in
Newsletter
31
Benefits:
Ensure the
mission for
the future
Regular
Updates
Annual
Elegant
Lunch
Meeting
with
CEO and
Board
Chair

32. Sample Bequest
Language
on Website
32

33. #Clairificationschool @charityclairity 33
Will
Planning
Tools
Note
disclaimer

34. 5. Send an Annual Legacy Giving Appeal
Specific focus on wills
and/or beneficiary
designations.
Consider mailing to:
• Entire donor list
• Loyal donors
• Active volunteers
• Identified through
predictive modelling
#Clairificationschool @charityclairity
34

35. 6. Develop Volunteer
Engagement Opportunities
#Clairificationschool
@charityclairity 35
Seeds Can Be Time, Not Money

36. Bonus Tip: Make it Easy to Reach You
#Clairificationschool @charityclairity 36
Include links
to relevant pages
• Suggested bequest language
• Other simple legacy gifts
• Outcome stories
• Donor stories
Include name of a
real person
• Not a generic director of
development or planned
giving officer

37. 37
#Clairificationschool @charityclairity
Anyone
Can
Leave
a
Legacy

38. How to Measure Success
#Clairificationschool @charityclairity 38
Per recent survey of wills reported by
the Chronicle of Philanthropy you only
need 12 – 13 donors making a bequest
to reap $1 million.
Broadly promote the benefits of legacies:
• Happiness
• Wellbeing
• Sense of autonomy and power
• Purpose and meaning
• Even tax and income benefits
The seeds you plant add up

39. Asking + Cultivation Makes a Difference
#Clairificationschool @charityclairity 39
• Donors who received a letter directly asking for
a bequest were 17X more likely to give than
donors who were not asked.
• Donors who were asked and thanked gave
twice as much as those who were not
thanked.
• Donors who were cultivated (notes, letters,
visits, etc.) after the thank-you gave 3 to 4X as
much.
• 70% of donors who made ‘planned gifts’ did so
because they were asked.
Research from Partnership for Philanthropic Planning;
Dr. Russell James and Greg Warner, MarketSmart

40. Legacy Giving Building Blocks
READINESS CHECKLIST
 Mission: How will legacy giving strengthen your
mission?
 Case: Can you describe your long-term resource needs
and desired outcomes?
 Leadership: Will staff and volunteer leaders endorse
legacy giving?
 Prospects: Do you have supporters who care about
your organization's future?
 Stewardship: Will you celebrate and engage legacy
donors?
 Communications: What opportunities exist to promote
legacy giving?
 Program Plan: Can you commit modest but consistent
effort to legacy gifts?
40

41. TopNonprofits.com
#Clairificationschool @charityclairity
41
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42. Closing Thoughts
What you do is for
today, and tomorrow.
• Donors share your
values
• Donors have a legacy
to leave!
• You can help assure
their values live on
#Clairificationschool @charityclairity 42
You aren’t asking
donors to die.
• Highlight values
connection
• Compliment
commitment
• Offer opportunity to act