Planned Giving Without a Planned Giving Officer
You do not need a J.D. to start a legacy program. Bequests, beneficiary designations, and the marketing that surfaces them.
Through the K-12 Schools lens
This module's premise, you do not need a specialist to run a legacy program, describes most independent and parochial schools exactly, where a director of advancement is also running the annual fund, the gala, and the capital campaign with no planned giving officer anywhere on staff. A legacy society at a school converts well because parents and alumni already think in terms of the school's continuity across generations, and a name tied to the founding or a beloved former head of school tends to land better than anything generic. The bequest conversation, raised gently during a stewardship visit, often surfaces naturally when a parent mentions their own children have graduated and they are thinking about what comes next for the school they still love.
Continuing education
1.00 points
Securing the Gift · Relationship Building
Learning objectives
- Explain why bequests and beneficiary designations make up most planned gifts by count and describe who tends to leave them.
- Build a bequest prospect list from tenure and engagement rather than capacity.
- Launch a legacy society in one season: the name, the membership sentence, the enrollment form, the charter letter, and the records that outlive the staff.
- Raise legacy giving inside an ordinary donor visit, receive an intention with gratitude, and stay within the boundaries that keep the fundraiser out of legal and tax advice.
- Set up the standing channels and the annual letter that surface intentions, and run the response protocol within a week of each raised hand.
Designed for CFRE continuing education. Not yet accepted; no CFRE points can be claimed.
Lessons
- 20 min
Video lesson
The 80/20 of planned gifts
II See · Securing the Gift
- 22 min
Template· DOCX
Legacy society starter kit
V Receive · Relationship Building
- 17 min
Field guide· PDF
Bequest conversation guide
IV Invite · Securing the Gift
- 15 min
Field guide· PDF
Marketing planned gifts quietly and well
VI Accompany · Relationship Building
This is members-only material.
Members get every lesson, template, and worksheet in all eight tracks, plus the support to put them to work in your shop.
More in this stage
Boards, Teams & Leadership
Running the Development Shop
Directing the work is a different craft than doing it. Plans, budgets, staff structure, and the operating rhythm of a healthy shop.
Capital Campaigns
Capital Campaign Readiness
Before the feasibility study, before the consultant: an honest readiness assessment and the two years of quiet work that make campaigns succeed.
Boards, Teams & Leadership
Hiring, Coaching, and Keeping Fundraisers
The average fundraiser tenure is 16 months. Build a team that stays: hiring for the real job, coaching the craft, and career paths that retain.