FAQs about planned giving
Planned gifts are made by your most loyal donors, those who truly want to make a difference for you organization and help you advance it and its mission do so out of philanthropic intent. In creating a planned gift they are including you in their future plans. Experience has shown that they do not change their current giving patterns and if they do it is to provide you with more gifts, not fewer.
Annual gifts are about the current needs of those you support and the programs you run. Planned gifts are about the future of your organization. If you have a plan for a better world that is about today and tomorrow, the story about both your current need and your future need is an easy one to tell.
Yes! Having the planned giving conversation is a learned skill. We can provide training appropriate for all levels of staff, be available just a phone call away for strategizing, and also take over direct communication with your donors to extend your reach when internal capacity is low.
Your board’s involvement is on a governance level. By committing the necessary resources to operate a planned giving program — and the funds to access PGgrowth services or products — they will be doing all they have to do to begin the process of your organization benefiting from planned gifts. Of course, if they wish to have further involvement that can only be of further help to your organization.
FAQs about our services
Yes! With today’s technology, we can provide our service to you anywhere in Canada. We can also work in both official languages.
We use your trusted printing supplier to ensure you keep costs down and have direct control of every aspect of the process. We will act as facilitator with the printer and be there to deal with the necessary aspects until each aspect of the process is completed. If you wish, we can suggest a printer for you to use, but again, this will be your supplier so that you have input and control.
As with the printing, the mailing of the elements of the program will be done with your regular mail house supplier. Your supplier, more control by you.
Yes. We have a number of general planned giving and topic-specific brochures and pamphlets for you to use for your program.
This is the all-important first step in what we do for your program. Mailing to the right people at the right time with the right message is the key to a successful program. We help you make this happen.
Whenever you are ready to go … so are we. First we’ll review your current operations with you and provide insight into your database and those best suited to be in your planned giving cultivation pool. Aside from that, we can get your program launched quickly and cost-effectively.
Yes. PGgrowth can provide easy-to-understand planned giving fact sheets, or small booklets for all of the various planned giving vehicles. All you have to do is add your organization’s name, mission and contact information and print on your letterhead. It’s that easy.
Yes, PGgrowth can provide over 75 templates to help you get started. They are easily downloaded. And if you require it, we can help you ensure that all your materials are donor-ready. It is fast and easy.
FAQs about marketing materials and the PGgrowth Cycle of Cultivation annual package
For an existing program, we will enhance the planned gift flow. The PGgrowth Cycle of Cultivation will help your currently running program in a number of significant ways. Our approach will ensure that your program continues the engagement with your best prospects by educating them and inspiring them. It will also ensure that they are regularly approached to take the next step toward making a planned gift. Our Cycle of Cultivation will also allow your organization and those individuals involved in planned giving to focus on the most important activity – talking to donors. For new program, our focus will be on creating the planned gift flow. The PGgrowth Cycle of Cultivation will help your new program by providing the knowledge and approach to hit the ground running. Within the first 12 months of your program, your organization will have already uncovered or secured gifts. It will also have supporters that will have been moved from loyal donor to planned giving prospect. These will create a group of real people intent on providing a planned gift to support your work.
We suggest two; based on many years of experience we have found that this works best. They are then followed up by an annual solicitation or direct appeal package.
The package will include a variety of items that will be discussed and agreed upon by PGgrowth and your organization. For example, it could be a letter with a response card and reply envelope. A donor survey could be included as well. If appropriate, the annual package could include specific information about charitable gifts made through an estate plan. The key is that each package must match the need of the organization — not only as part of that year’s cultivation process but also to support the ongoing efforts of the program. We will work to get the best package for your organization for the current marketing cycle.
Yes. Every piece we create for your program is unique to your organization. We will work with your communication standards and internal/external communication specialists to ensure we follow your message and look.
Yes. Many of our clients do.
Yes. Every aspect of the pieces created for your program will be provided for your approval well in advance of any targeted mailing date. We welcome your input.
Yes. The mailing we do for you must fit into the other programs of your organization. We’ll suggest some times that are best suited for the program.
Ultimately, the design you choose will answer this question. Printing costs often determine whether the design is full colour, spot colour or black only. We will work with you and your printer to fit the printing into your budget.
After they have been mailed, all cultivation pieces will be provided to you in digital format to be included on your web site or used in additional email cultivation. We’re happy to facilitate other uses of the content as well.
Since the mailings will be carried out by your supplier, we do not need to see the names, addresses or other personal and confidential data of your donors.
You will need a liaison between PGgrowth and your organization but the staff time necessary to advance the process of the cultivation cycle is small. What you will need is a process to move the prospects further along the way once they have been cultivated through an entire cycle. If you don’t have a designated person associated specifically with your planned giving program or have yet to really launch a true planned giving program, we can help you establish the necessary organizational structures and resources to truly benefit from a full integrated and proactive program.