Check-off Boxes.  Include check-off boxes on annual pledge cards and/or reply envelopes, e.g., “I would like more information about how to include ABC Charity in my will or living trust.” or “I have already included ABC Charity in my will or living trust.”

Tagline.  A tagline with a planned giving message can be added to gift receipts, letterhead, envelopes, e-mail signatures and the like.  One charity uses a planned giving tagline on the back flap of its envelopes, in conjunction with the larger organizational tagline (bolded):
“A bequest is your gift to the future. Please remember Goodwill in your estate plan. Because jobs change lives”.

Inserts.  Include an insert or “buckslip” with a bequest message in existing mailings such as gift receipts.  These can range from very simple to elaborate and can be single or double-sided.  Experiment with what works best for your organization – one charity had a much higher response rate when they used a fold-over insert. Vary your message 2-3 times a year for optimal exposure.

Website.  Bequests and other planned giving arrangements should be featured on at least one page of your charity’s website.  Include a section that makes the case for deferred gifts to your charity and provides inspiration for your donors.  By including your charity in their estate plans, donors have elevated you to the same place as family members or other loved ones; this is driven by a strong belief in the work your charity does, which this section can reinforce.  The bequest section should also contain, or have a link for, sample bequest language.  At a minimum, a visitor to your charity’s website (whether a donor or an advisor) should be able to find easily:

• The charity’s legal name, federal tax identification number, and address; and
• Whom to contact at the charity for more information and how to contact him or her.

Print Materials.  Suggest bequests in every major publication produced by your charity.  Make your constituents aware that your charity can benefit from, and appreciates, bequest gifts, large or small.  A small, boxed-in announcement in a corner of every newsletter and a similar announcement in every annual report will help get the word out.  If you have more room, occasional newsletter articles that highlight the gift of a bequest donor can encourage his or her peers to do likewise (Ask the donor to describe the motivation that led to the decision to plan a bequest and include a donor photograph.)   

Inside Marketing.  An often underutilized avenue for promoting bequest gifts is through the already existing structure of both staff and volunteers.  Be sure others at your charity, particularly the development staff and anyone who is in a “front line” position of working with donors, are aware of the bequest program.  Also, inform the leadership of any volunteer groups your charity may have.  In all instances, explain their roles in the prospect identification process and ask for referrals.  Make sure everyone knows that you are a resource available to them and other donors and prospects.
Proactive outreach can include:

• Presentations to staff, the governing board, and/or specific board committees;
• Training for colleagues in how to talk with donors about bequests;
• Offering to consult with others at your charity regarding prospective donors;
• Distribution of booklets and fact sheets;
• Highlighting gift notifications received or bequests that mature to reinforce that these are types of gifts your charity receives and that they are an important source of revenue.  Try to describe the gift in a way that puts a “face” on donors who are making these gifts, shows their characteristics and motivations, and explains how your charity benefits;
• Providing editorial assistance on newsletter articles and stories about bequest donors; and
• Alerting the “team” about all marketing activities and coaching everyone on how to respond, thus making it easy for them to pass donors on to you for follow-through.

Increase your credibility, and that of your charity, by planning your own bequest and encouraging other key staff to do the same.

Targeted Mailings. 
These are mailings targeted to a specific donor group that you have identified, reminding them about the importance of having a will and suggesting that they consider including your organization in their estate plans.  The group can be large or small (thousands or just dozens).  The key concept is that mailings are distinguished from one another.  A letter to those who have been loyal and consistent donors for many years will be different, for example, from a letter to retired staff or to those who have made prior gifts of securities.

Targeted mailings can range in nature from simple postcards to more involved tri-fold pieces to more personal letters with enclosures.  The most appropriate avenue to use will depend upon a variety of factors including budget, size of the mailing, nature of previous bequest mailings, intended recipients, and desired action.  In planning a mailing always keep in mind who it is you are writing for and what it is you want them to do.  While sometimes a strictly informational mailing may be in order, you should generally try to have a call to action, e.g., “please join me as a member of the legacy society”, “please consider arranging an estate gift”, “please contact _________ to learn more about…”. 

If possible, all mailings should thank and recognize recipients for the nature of their support thus far.  The tone of the communication should reflect a desire to offer useful information to donors and to remind them that your charity is there to offer help and guidance at no cost or obligation.

Possible market segments:

• Older donors;
• Those who have given consistently and over a long period of time;
• Retired staff and widows or widowers of retired staff;
• Current and former board members;
• Donors with no heirs;
• Volunteers, and
• Donors who may have an interest in endowing their annual gift.

Planned Giving Newsletter.  A dedicated newsletter has the advantage of being able to focus on planned giving topics and provide more technical information donors will find helpful as they plan their giving.  While a newsletter should generate new leads (try to build a fulfillment piece into each issue that interested donors can then request), its value also rests on the rapport you build by keeping in contact and providing ideas and information to your donors, to be used when the time is right for them.  If your budget allows, you should personalize the newsletter with stories about your charity and donors. The example shown below is a smart way of communicating to your constituency how their gifts are benefiting your organization.

Seminars.  Seminars can be a good way to inform individuals about what is happening at your charity, provide a service and, at the same time, bring them closer to your organization and its mission.  You may want to sponsor a seminar to provide information about the basics of estate planning or estate administration, or perhaps the notion of an ethical will.  One animal welfare charity presented a seminar on changes in state trust law governing how people could provide permanently for their pets.

Telemarketing.  Some organizations have borrowed this technique – commonly used in direct mail fundraising – and applied it to the marketing of planned gifts.  A letter is sent to a targeted mailing list and followed up with a telephone conversation.  That conversation might be as follows: “Thank you for your ongoing support of ABC Charity.  I am calling to let your know how much we appreciate your generosity and to ask whether you would consider naming ABC Charity in your will.  If this is something you may be interested in, we would like to send you our will information kit.”  Some charities choose to do this with resources that are in-house, such as callers hired to solicit annual fund gifts over the telephone or to renew yearly ticket subscriptions.  There are also outside vendors that specialize in turn-key programs of this type.

Professional Advisors.  Increasingly, estate planning attorneys, trust officers, financial advisors, and other allied professionals are playing a larger role in advising their clients regarding charitable gifts.  Advisors will appreciate knowing that you pay attention to those who plan bequests, and that you are prepared to recognize and thank those individuals who are willing to make their plans known to you.  (Clients who will not permit their advisors to share this information may nevertheless allow their advisors to inform you of their bequest arrangements on an anonymous basis.) 

Ideally you will have the time to share this information through personal visits.  A good place to start is to ask your Board members for the names of the professionals they use and to provide an introduction.  Assemble a packet of materials to take to the meeting - an annual report, sample bequest language, information about your legacy society, a gift notification form, and a supply of business cards.  You might also include a timely article related to your organization, philanthropy, tax changes, and the like (see the Forbes article about the benefits to financial advisors of working with their clients on their philanthropic goals).  Some charities package this information in a labeled file folder so that it can be filed (and retrieved) easily for future reference.  Offer an opportunity for the advisor to visit your charity and learn more about its work first-hand.  Finally, if you can make use of the expertise of selected advisors as part of a planned giving committee or similar group, they may well appreciate being asked to participate.

Volunteers.  Consider enlisting volunteers to help you in spreading the word about your bequest program and in asking for bequest gifts.  Once trained in the basics of estate gifts and how to talk with donors, ask them to meet with selected prospects or with individuals that they suggest as good candidates.  In charities that operate largely through volunteers, this may be the only way to ensure that personal asks for estate gifts are made.