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Session 1A

Engaging Loyal Donors in Planned Giving Conversations

Sarah Martin, CFRE

Wednesday, September 21
10:00 – 11:00 PM (MT)

About the Session

 

Asking about planned giving is good stewardship. Whether you are an out-the-door fundraiser or behind-the-scenes support person, this presentation will show you how to balance the science and art of engaging loyal donors in planned giving conversations. Regardless of the size of your fundraising team, or your capacity to meet with donors in person, you can develop the tools needed to have meaningful conversations with loyal donors that lead to new planned gifts and major donor discovery.

We know that engaging Loyal Donors at all giving levels increases both outright and deferred giving. This presentation will go beyond why you should engage your Loyal Donors and outline how to do it. I will provide data that supports the importance of both in-person and virtual donor engagement, go into specifics about how to have conversations that lead to planned gifts and major donor discovery, and outline the importance of ongoing stewardship. The pandemic provided The Nature Conservancy’s Loyal Donor Program with the opportunity to prove that you don’t always need an in-person meeting to strengthen relationships. You can make “the ask” virtually or over the phone. By comparing pre-pandemic and pandemic data I will show that thoughtful stewardship is paramount to securing planned gifts but above all, no matter what the situation, you have to make the ask.

Learning Objectives

  • The highest quality donor discovery comes from talking to the donor.
    - You can build a relationship and make a complex planned giving ask over the phone or in a virtual setting.

  • Asking about planned giving is good stewardship.

Keywords:

Relationship-Building; Foundational Elements of Donor Relations; Donor Loyalty; Planned Giving; Donor Experience

Who Should Attend?
   



 
 

Healthcare; Environmental Organization; Religious Organization; Social Services; Foundation; Arts; Public College/Univ; Advocacy; Private Secondary School; Private College/Univ; Other non-profit

Suitable for any size shop

 Suitable for all levels  
 
About the Speakers

Sarah Martin, CFRE
Loyal Donor Officer
The Nature Conservancy

As a Loyal Donor Officer with The Nature Conservancy, I engage our most steadfast members in planned giving conversations. I have over a decade of experience in nonprofit fundraising ranging from grassroots membership campaigns to principal gift research and prospect development. I am a Certified Fundraising Executive and have a bachelor's degree in Geography from the University of Arizona. I am also a certified pastry chef and prior to working in the nonprofit sector, I spent many years in professional kitchens and even spent some time as a research chef. I served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ecuador where I organized a woman-focused micro-banking program and facilitated environmental education workshops. When I'm not raising money for the planet you can find me running trails and savoring delicious homemade confections.