How I used to think about charitable bequests:

They were exceedingly rare, pretty much magical events.

They came out of nowhere. They were entirely unpredictable.

They were a big deal. Often transformative. Celebrated.

But they “just happened.” All we could do was hope they’d come when we needed them.

Our real bread-and-butter was the day-to-day fundraising we did that produced the cash flow we needed to keep operating.

Boy was I wrong!

The first way I was wrong about bequests

Bequests from donors don’t just happen.

Okay, sometimes they seem to just show up out of the blue. If you never do anything at all to encourage donors to give that way, you just might eventually get one. Kind of the way you might a $100 bill on the sidewalk during one of your daily walks.

But really, if you hope to get donor bequests on a regular basis, you need to make bequests a regular part of your communications with donors, with things like these:

• You regularly mention the idea of gifts-in-wills in places like your donor newsletter. Remind people it’s possible, and it’s a great way to make a long-term difference for the things they care about.
• You actively recruit potential bequests. The best-known way to do that is a well-built Supporter Connection Survey. You can also reach out to some donors by phone and other means.
• You treat all your donors well, asking them relevantly, treating them as partners, showering them with thanks and love, and reporting back regularly
• You are able to help donors think through a bequest and do it properly. Bequest donors, even those of modest means, are major donors!
• You cultivate those who have committed to a bequest, often for many years. It’s a long-term strategy, not quick money!
• You acquire and cultivate the most bequest-likely donors – that is, older donors.

That last point is very important. The overwhelming majority of people who consider charitable bequests are 70 and older. Direct mail is still the best way to find and cultivate them. If you cancel direct mail because it “no longer works,” you are likely going to choke off your source of bequests in the future.

The second way I was wrong: Bequests are not just “gravy”

Organizations that are intentional about cultivating bequests over time raise a lot of funds through that channel. Often twice, three times, or more what comes in from living donors.

It takes patience. “Closing” a bequest commitment can take months or more. It’s a big and important decision for the donor. And then it can take years for the money to come in – because (hopefully) the donor has many happy years left!

In a very real sense, your normal fundraising is largely about finding and cultivating future bequests.

I hope you’ll join me in this different thinking about gifts in wills. It can really change the way you raise money!

Wondering how to start or improve your bequest giving program? Then you’ll want to download our free ebook, Easy Building Blocks for a High-Producing Bequest Program. It gives you the first steps for a program that zoom your toward getting those amazing bequest donations.

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• This Breakthrough in Donor Surveys Can Unlock a Treasure Trove of Bequests
• A Practical Lesson from Star Wars: How to Raise 2 to 5 Times as Much from Real-Life Donors
• Your To-Do List for Skyrocketing Income in the Coming Years