Here is a list of some of the most common questions we hear regarding planned giving. If you have a question and can't find the answer on this site, please ask one of our experts.

The development department at my station is essentially a one-person office, and that's me. Is it realistic to start a planned giving program?

I'm ready to expand my planned gift marketing program beyond bequest solicitations. What is the next step?

Why would a development officer at another organization help me? Aren't we competitors?

Beyond bequests and gift annuities, what's a good way to learn more about the types of planned gifts we should be seeking for our station?

Is there a way to project the amount of planned gift income my station might receive on a year-to-year basis?

Is it worthwhile to solicit planned gifts during pledge?

How important is it for our board of directors to be involved in our planned giving marketing program?

I've heard that planned giving donors are unlikely to attend special events. Is that true?

What kind of results can I expect from organizing an estate planning seminar for prospects?

What is the most important single marketing tool I should use for my planned giving program?

How important are donor visits to the success of a planned giving program?

How do I identify planned giving prospects on our membership file?

The development department at my station is essentially a one-person office, and that's me. Is it realistic to start a planned giving program?

Yes. Begin by focusing on bequests. Get your marketing program started with the tools available on this site. Even though you may have to start small, your development program is incomplete without a planned giving office. To stay competitive in the crowded philanthropic marketplace, you must offer the opportunity to make legacy gifts. You may not know all you want to know, but get started with the tools available here and you'll learn.

I'm ready to expand my planned gift marketing program beyond bequest solicitations. What is the next step?

Consider charitable gift annuities, the second most popular and effective source of planned giving income. They are not difficult to understand, and they provide donor benefits that make them easy to offer and close. For information on how they work, visit with an experienced planned giving officer from an organization in your area that already offers them and make an appointment with a trust officer at the bank where your station maintains its accounts.

Why would a development officer at another organization help me? Aren't we competitors?

Quite the opposite. You've probably heard that a rising tide raises all ships. Keep two facts about bequests and public television in mind: Only 8% of donors have put any charitable organization in their will, and most who make bequests to public television stations also leave money to several other organizations. By using your own air to market planned giving to your community, you are educating the 92% who have not made bequests and this will benefit everyone.

Beyond bequests and gift annuities, what's a good way to learn more about the types of planned gifts we should be seeking for our station?

Look through the links on the Resources page to find books and publications to broaden your knowledge. Join a local planned giving roundtable, a regional chapter of the National Committee on Planned Giving, or the Association of Fundraising Professionals to network with planned giving officers in other area organizations. Consider investing in a planned giving training seminar. There are a number of excellent seminars given across the nation each year that offer fundamentals, among them, those of the Robert F. Sharpe Company which produces the Visions newsletter and other materials for PBS stations.

Is there a way to project the amount of planned gift income my station might receive on a year-to-year basis?

Not precisely, but after your planned giving program has gotten underway, you will begin to see a pattern develop in annual planned gift income. After five years, you will begin to feel safe in making conservative, reasonable projections on the amount of income the station may receive. A caveat, however: During your first year, you may receive a $1 million gift, and during the second year, only $10,000. It is impossible to make precise projections, as most stations are able to do with membership revenue.

Is it worthwhile to solicit planned gifts during pledge?

Yes. Planned giving information should be part of the appeal around programs beloved by older viewers, such as Lawrence Welk and Britcoms. There are also programs popular with existing members that get little traditional on-air response, such as The NewsHour, Washington Week in Review, and Wall $treet Week, where some stations discuss only major and planned giving. After a pledge host mentioned a planned gift that his station had received during an on-air break, the station received three calls asking for more information and a direct gift of $10,000.

How important is it for our board of directors to be involved in our planned giving marketing program?

It is extremely important. Boards approve the station budget. The more they understand about your program and the long-term role it can play in easing your station's financial pressures, the more willing they will be to provide your program with necessary resources. Board members are often an excellent source of planned giving leads. And one or two may be in a position to supply specialized expertise.

I've heard that planned giving donors are unlikely to attend special events. Is that true?

Most of your prospects are elderly and find if difficult to drive after dark. If you hold special events at night, many are unlikely or unable to attend. But if you conduct events on weekends during the daylight hours, your studio may be filled to capacity. In planning events, put yourself in the shoes of your audience and make it easy for them to participate.

What kind of results can I expect from organizing an estate planning seminar for prospects?

It all depends, of course, on the quality of the speakers and printed materials, but if you understand the needs of attendees and structure the seminar to address those needs, you can expect good results — sometimes sooner than you expect. The key in all your marketing efforts is to bring prospects the information they need at a time and place that allows them to get it.

What is the most important single marketing tool I should use for my planned giving program?

Your own air! Of all the marketing tools available to you, television is the one tool that no one else has. It's easy to talk to your prospects while they're enjoying the very station and the kinds of programs their gifts can preserve. Without using your own air, your program is no different from those of other charitable institutions that use direct mail, brochures, etc. Other organizations know just what they would do if they had a television signal to market their planned giving program. Do what they would do.

How important are donor visits to the success of a planned giving program?

Never underestimate the value of a personal visit with a planned giving donor. A planned gift requires a donor to make choices related to family and finances, and often your personal visit will make the difference in whether or not a gift is made. Donors appreciate personal attention and are flattered that their gift is important enough to your station to warrant a personal visit. Planned giving is a business that is best conducted face to face.

How do I identify planned giving prospects on our membership file?

The single greatest indicator of planned giving inclination is not the size of past gifts, but the number of them. Remember that planned giving prospects may be living on fixed incomes, but have assets that could be handed on to you in a bequest. Look for those who have been giving to you for a number of years, no matter the amount. Look for those who have made numerous gifts — perhaps a small annual membership, with two or three smaller gifts through the year. If your station has over 10,000 active members, it may be cost-effective to have an outside agency append age information to your donor records. For smaller stations, look for gifts around programs that are popular with older viewers — Lawrence Welk, Britcoms, Masterpiece Theatre, The NewsHour, Washington Week in Review, Wall $treet Week, etc.