Q. How should bequests be treated in a campaign setting?
“I recently ran across a statistic showing that an organization is more likely to receive a bequest gift, once it has been put into a will, than it is to receive full completion of a five-year pledge. So bequests, though not irrevocable, are relatively reliable. With that being said, all good fundraising is about building donor relationships, and part of that is getting confirmation of gifts. I suggest using the CASE (Council for the Advance and Support of Education; www.case.org) guidelines, which advocate documenting gifts and valuing bequests at a discounted rate, if you value them at all.”
- Larry Karnoff, Director of Planned Giving, Feeding America (Chicago, IL)
E-mail: lkarnoff@feedingamerica.org
For more information about the CASE reporting standards and management guidelines mentioned above, see the FAQ found on the CASE website. The full document can be purchased on the website as well.
Upcoming Webinars
Don’t forget to check out our upcoming Webinars for the month of February – each 90-minutes in length. We have some great topics presented by nationally-recognized experts.
Sign up for two or more events and save 15%!
Risk Management and Your Volunteer Program – Thursday, February 2
The more you can do to anticipate and avoid potential problems, the better.
An important part of a well-run volunteer program includes assessing possible risks and then managing them. This webinar will present specific strategies and steps to help you assess your volunteer program. Learn how to integrate risk management into your volunteer program and how to assess the risk of bringing “outside” volunteers in for special projects.
How Nonprofits are Utilizing Social Media – Wednesday, February 15
Social networks continue to gain in popularity — even among all types of nonprofits and associations. How should nonprofits capitalize on these trends? How do you integrate activity on social networks into your communications and programs? Where do you invest, and how much and how often? Join us as we tie all of this together. We’ll have numerous examples and strategies to help manage what is ever changing and evolving.
Planning a Signature Event – Tuesday, February 28
Events can be a critical part of your fundraising program and can open doors to new opportunities with prospects, volunteers and donors. Those events however, must be strategic and well planned to ensure success. This presentation will review the top ten questions to ask your team before you start planning any event; and, tips to think about – from “A to Z” – as you organize and execute your event.
January 24, 2012 at 2:07 pm
That statistic made me give a second thought to both bequests and pledges!