Tips for Creating a Compelling Planned Giving Email
Are you looking for ideas to create a compelling planned giving email that will engage your donors to support your cause? It can be a daunting process to find new and exciting content to send to your supporters on a regular basis. This is especially true right now when donors are spending more time at home. Many donors may be more regularly checking their emails and receiving virtual messaging.
Which emails will your supporters read and will it be yours? Some of the most popular subjects for donor emails currently include IRA rollover gifts and charitable bequests. We are beginning to see more emails related to end of year giving. How do you present these ideas to your donors in an interesting way that leads to responses and gifts? Many charities offering planned gifts focus on a different gift option each quarter. Below are a few tips to think about when writing meaningful planned gifts marketing emails.
Frequency
If your team has enough content, you can send planned giving emails weekly. There are many organizations that send emails successfully at this frequency. If your organization does not want to publish a weekly newsletter, contacting supporters monthly or quarterly is another approach. One of the best ways to determine the level of contact your donors wish to receive is by asking about their communication preferences in a donor survey.
Below is an example of an engaging email you can send to your donors. You may even want to send this email more than once per year. Notice the promotion of the free estate planning guide with a link for download. Many charities have these fill-in-the-blank guides available on their planned giving websites. Completing one of these estate planning guides is a way for donors to organize their information about family, finances and goals prior to visiting with their attorney. By providing this helpful tool, the charity is offering a service to a large segment of the population we know are currently creating and updating their estate plans.
This is the type of email that has worked well to begin the legacy giving conversation with donors during COVID-19:
Support the causes you love by including a charitable gift in your estate plan. It costs you nothing today and creates a lasting impact on our mission tomorrow. Click here to download a FREE estate planning guide or contact us for assistance in creating a plan this is right for you.
Website Links
Crescendo’s marketing studies show that emails are one of the ways donors arrive to planned giving web pages. Adding links in an email to a custom donor story, a gift option web page or your “contact us” page can help increase the click-throughs to your website. Here is an example:
A new year brings new opportunities to save on taxes! If you are 70½ or older and own an IRA, you may want to consider the IRA Charitable Rollover option. You can transfer funds directly to our organization as a qualified nonprofit to potentially fulfill your required minimum distribution this year and avoid paying excess income taxes. Best of all, an IRA rollover gift is an easy way to help further our mission. Contact us today to get a head start on your 2020 tax planning!
Include Images
Personalizing your emails with images that show your organization’s mission and accomplishments are compelling to someone who supports your cause. It is highly recommended to add contact information and photos of your planned giving team to your emails, so donors know with whom to follow-up for more information. Images of supporters and special events can evoke feelings of memory and solidarity for your cause. Here is an example of an email that may resonate with donors if photos from a legacy event were included:
Join our legacy society! You may already be qualified to join one with significant rewards. If you have made a planned gift of any type or size to our organization, then you are automatically eligible for membership in our legacy society. Your legacy is important. If you’ve included our organization in your plans, please let us know. We want to honor you with membership in our legacy society, and more importantly, we want to make sure you are thanked today and your legacy is honored tomorrow.
These are just a few ideas to help you create compelling planned giving emails. For more strategies to engage your donors, please contact Crescendo at 800-858-9154.
