Support from the Top | Standard 3
Each member of the nonprofit’s management team is committed to relationship-based, collaborative fundraising and sees gift planning as an integral part of the donor experience across all lines of fundraising.
Checklist |
Fundraising expectations, roles and responsibilities for managers, executives and volunteer leaders are clearly documented |
All fundraisers, adjacent staff and volunteer leaders receive training on planned and noncash gifts at least annually |
All fundraisers have goals and metrics that encourage them to engage all donors in gift planning conversations |
Tools |
FREE Sharing the Legacy: Promoting Gift Planning Through Trustee Engagement (Nancy Baker and Abby Favro) |
Engaging the Board in Planned Giving: Governance and Marketing (Kathryn Miree) |
Making Your Board an Effective Partner on your Fundraising Team (Julia Ingraham Walker) |
Board Fundraising Policy: Key Elements, Practical Tips, and Sample Policy (BoardSource) |
Support from the Top | Standard 5
Management sets clear and realistic goals, strategies, and tactics that are designed to encourage and recognize collaboration across all lines of fundraising.
Checklist |
Annual and/or campaign goals include separate and realistic goal for planned gift commitments |
Fundraiser crediting policy encourages collaboration, not competition |
Tools |
FREE Integrating Planned & Major Gifts: Jazzy but Hard to Dance To? (T. Joseph McKay, Gordon Smith, Ashley Buderus) |
The "Plan" in Planned Giving...a Long and Short Three-Year Action Plan (Pamela Davidson) |
Creating a Fundraising Plan: A Step by Step Guidebook (Nonprofit Learning Lab) |
Creating Your Development Plan: What Does the Plan Look Like? (Margaret Guellich and Lynda Lysakowski--book excerpt) |
The Ability and Capacity to Execute | Standard 11
The nonprofit has qualified staff in place to drive and support the gift planning process.
Checklist |
Job descriptions for all development personnel are up to date and easily accessible to staff |
There is a standard orientation process for all new hires that includes review of strategic plan and all gift planning policies, procedures and metrics |
All fundraisers receive performance reviews annually |
The organization has access to technical expertise on staff or through volunteers or paid counsel |
Tools |
FREE "Hiring, Motivating and Retaining High Impact Charitable Planners" (Kathryn Miree and Jeff Comfort) |
"How to Identify, Hire and Retain the 'Perfect' Planned Giving Officer," (Kathryn Miree) |
"The Six Faces of Gift-planning Officers," (Kathryn Miree, Planned Giving Today, December 2013) |
FREE "A Nonprofit Organization's Guide to Engaging an Executive Search Firm," Bridgespan Group |
Building Sustainable "Best in Class" Fundraising Teams (Steve Goodner) |
Donor-Centric Engagement and Management | Standard 13
All donors and prospects are offered timely, accurate gift planning information to ethically maximize the donor’s charitable impact and personal benefit.
Checklist |
The organization formally endorses the Donor Bill of Rights and CGP Model Standards of Practice for the Charitable Gift Planner |
All fundraisers receive training on planned gift tools and techniques and ethical issues at least quarterly |
Donor-focused information about gift planning opportunities is included on the organization’s web site and in print materials |
Internal resources (staff, web site, mailings, gift illustration software etc.) and external resources (technical advisors) are available to answer donor questions |
Tools |
FREE How to Train Your DO: Deploy an Army of Skilled Gift Planners (Katherine Kotlzrczyk) |
Training Boot Camp (Alexandria Brovey) |
Model Standards of Practice for the Charitable Gift Planner (National Association of Charitable Gift Planners) |
Donor Bill of Rights (Association of Fundraising Professionals) |
Donor-Centric Engagement and Management | Standard 16
The nonprofit has a donor-centric culture that meets the needs of each donor.
Checklist |
The organization tracks retention for all donors and reviews statistics annually and for a 10-year period |
The organization tracks Legacy Society members as a group and reports data on their giving and engagement annually |
The organization seeks feedback from donors regularly to understand communication preferences and solicit feedback |
Tools |
FREE Donor Insights: Why Planned Gifts Remain Secret (Katherine Kotlarczyk and Gordon Trafton) |
Donor Retention: What Do We Know and What Can We Do About It? (Adrian Sargeant) |
Commission on the Donor Experience Studies (Showcase of Fundraising Innovation and Inspiration) |
Leaving a Legacy: A New Look at Planned Giving Donors (Giving USA Special Report) |