Do you still have people in your organization who think planned giving is only for older donors . . . and that “old people don’t do digital?” If so, you’ll appreciate the insights from a presentation by Kimberly Blease, Stephen George, and Rhona Rahmani, Using Digital to Reach, Inspire and Unlock Support in Planned Giving for Growth & Recovery. They shared interesting data from Blakely’s research with donors from the US, UK and Canada.

Here’s are some highlights:

• People aged 45-55 were the most likely demographic to consider a gift in their will during the past year.
• Donors who have made a legacy commitment have an average long-term value 19 times larger than the typical donor, so bringing younger donors in to your planned giving program can improve current and future revenue.
• Up to 20% of the planned gifts received by an organization come from non-donors. These are people who have used your services (or their family and friends) or even admirers from afar.

So, it’s clear we want to reach younger audiences and non-donor audiences with our planned giving marketing. But that can get expensive with mail pieces. Promoting planned gifts through email, e-newsletters and your social media channels can help you reach these audiences cost effectively.

In digital promotions, as in the mail, it’s important to focus your marketing on the impact the donor can have with a planned gift. Who will the gift help? What will the future look like because of their gift? All donors need to be reminded of the “why” with emotional connection, inspiration, storytelling and videos tied to their values.

Are you using digital and social channels in your planned giving program? If so, we’d love to hear from you. Add your comments below.