Since 1995, the Donor Motivation Program has been serving development professionals around North America.
It all began with one seasoned development professional, Jack Miller, who wanted to grow planned giving opportunities for the United Way.
There were three challenges that were persistent and holding him (and planned giving) from greater success:
- Complex topic – Few people understand planned giving and how it benefits the donor.
- Hard to get action – When people are confused, people tend to do nothing.
- Very limited resources – Limited time and money makes growing planned giving like working with one arm tied behind your back.
The solution the Donor Motivation Program offered was to deliver a planned giving message that was easy to understand.
The technology used back then was a Harvard Graphics Presentation.
What it did for Jack then, and still does for professionals today, is communicate a complex subject in a simple way so that qualified and interested folks want to take action.
In the first year of the program, Jack not only closed over one million dollars in planned gifts, but it also educated donors about planned giving opportunities, creating a pipeline of donor prospects.
What Jack understood from the beginning was that gifts are helpful, but a pipeline of planned giving prospects is most powerful.
Do not neglect planned giving.
It brings results today and for decades to come.
Quote:
“When you simplify a message so people understand they are much more likely to take an action that is in their best interest.”
– Barry H Spencer