We’ve just come to the end of National Make-A-Will Month.
And while designating a month to encourage will-making helps build awareness and hopefully encourage action, the reality is people don’t create or update wills according to a set calendar.
That means that you have ample year-round opportunities to talk to your donors about making gifts through wills.
Here are my top 5 reasons why nonprofits should be encouraging donors to make a gift through their wills:
- Wills are simple for your donors and your nonprofit. Donors know how wills work, so there’s no learning curve there. And because wills are the simplest way to make a planned gift, you don’t need in-house expertise or staff trainings.
- Wills are easy to talk about when you’re connecting with the right prospects.
- Many donors are comforted by not having to tell you they’ve included your nonprofit in their wills. Keep in mind that, however, that it’s a good idea to give them many opportunities to do so.
- Donors like knowing they can change their minds about a planned gift commitment in a will (in reality, only about 4% of donors actually make a change).
- The Planned Giving potential is huge. Consider that the average charitable bequest is $35,000 — that’s more than 10 times larger than average annual giving.
These reasons aren’t attached to a date on the calendar. They are true during Make-A-Will Month – but they’re equally true in November, or February, or May.
Want more advice on how to talk to donors about Planned Giving? Check out my free How-To Guide.
