Myths and Realities of Bequest Fundraising

Description

Estate gifts in the form of wills, trusts, and beneficiary designations (loosely referred to as “bequests”) are the foundation of post-death charitable gifts. 70% to 80% of all realized deferred gifts are in the form of bequests. The bequest is ubiquitous no matter the size of the charity, the charitable sector, or the sophistication of the planned giving program.

Despite their centrality to the fundraising effort at most charities, bequests are mostly a mystery for many organizations. Charities struggle to project the size of their bequest pipeline and when these gifts will be realized. Most bequests simply appear after the donor’s demise. The charity had no idea they were coming. In this webinar, we will debunk myths that have developed around bequest gifts. We will also explore some important truths about attracting more bequests. Armed with a deeper understanding of the bequest donor, what motivates them, and how to raise more bequest gifts, you will be in a better position to attract more of them for your organization.

Speaker

Jeff Lydenberg

Jeff is a planned giving consultant to non-profits large and small in a variety of industries. In that role he has advised planned giving programs on staffing and development of policies and procedures, trained boards and planned giving staff on planned gift design, created planned giving marketing plans, and designed marketing materials for planned giving programs.

Jeff is a frequent presenter for PG Calc’s popular Webinar series. He plays a critical role in supporting PG Calc’s clients in their use of Planned Giving Manager as the lead trainer on use of the bestselling gift proposal software. Jeff recently completed a term as chair of the Partnership for Philanthropic Planning, and is widely recognized as an industry leader.

Jeff practiced law for 6 years with the Cleveland-based law firm of Thompson, Hine and Flory in its Cincinnati office. His planned giving career began in 1995, when he started as Assistant Director of Planned Giving at The Cleveland Clinic Foundation. He served in a similar capacity at the Cleveland Foundation.

Jeff is a sought-after speaker for national, regional and local planned giving groups. presenting on a wide variety of estate planning and gift planning topics. In addition to his service as chair for the Partnership for Philanthropic Planning, he sits on the organization’s board. He is the former programming chair for the Planned Giving Group of New England. He is a member of the Greater Cincinnati Planned Giving Council. Jeff has a BA in American Studies from Kent State University and a JD from Case Western Reserve School of Law.

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