May 2021 — In Service: The Column of the ADRP President

Keri KallawayKeri Kallaway
Senior Director, Donor Relations and Gift Services
Children's Hospital Colorado Foundation

Dear fellow ADRPers,

I remember being in a meeting with my Senior Vice President a few years ago and hearing him share the statistic that more than 70% of planned gifts are revocable. Let’s pause for a moment and let that soak in – 70%! And, recently when reading this Bloomerang article I saw this statistic cited once again.

There are several reasons why stewarding planned giving donors is important, but we also need to understand why donors commit to planned gifts. Perhaps their planned gift is what the donor sees as their legacy – a very important decision for their future. Maybe it is a way for the donor to engage their children in philanthropy or maybe they simply want to support your organization but do not have the resources to do so today so they opt for supporting you tomorrow. Nonetheless, it is a donor decision that should be valued and appreciated just as all donors to your institution.

One of the themes at my organization over the past couple of years has been, ‘Back to Basics.’ This includes phone calls and handwritten thank you notes to many of our donors including those in our Tammen Society. This activity was especially important to us when the pandemic hit.  We wanted to be able to connect with our donors, personally thank them, share the impact of their commitments (current and future), and share hospital news. Donors truly appreciated these personal touch points and during a time of uncertainty, we gave them a feeling of security by letting them know their investments were safe and the state of our organization was stable.

Whether it be a phone call, an email or invitation to an event over Zoom – yes, planned giving donors do use computers – continue to engage with this important group of donors.  Remember, they too should be thanked and stewarded and can always make the decision to revoke their future gift.

So, in closing I ask, what does your stewardship program look like for those who have made planned gifts to your institution? How many touches do they receive a year and what is the quality and depth of those touches? I’ve started a discussion on My ADRPjoin in and share your thoughts!



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