Planned giving is rarely a solitary endeavor. It’s a collaborative effort between your organization, your donor, and the donor’s advisor, attorney, accountant, or trust officer. Bringing these allied professionals into the conversation requires intentionality and teamwork, but when done well, this often-overlooked step has the potential to bring in additional planned gifts.
How do these relationships benefit your organization?
Relationships with allied professionals offer many advantages, including the following:
• Useful expertise. Planned giving can be complex, often involving significant tax and legal considerations. Allied professionals bring specialized financial, tax, and legal advice to the planning process. When paired with your own guidance on the gift process, you know the donor’s interests and goals are being met effectively.
• Increased donor trust and confidence. Involving a donor’s trusted advisor, attorney, or accountant in the gift planning process reassures the donor that their gift will be structured properly. It also positively impacts the donor’s view of your organization as a trusted, reliable resource. Donors appreciate an organization’s willingness to collaborate and see it as a sign of welcome transparency.
• Expanded prospect pool. Positive relationships with allied professionals can lead to new prospects who are interested in making philanthropy an integral part of their estate and financial planning. These connections can significantly benefit your organization over time.
How do these relationships benefit allied professionals?
From the moment a client begins considering a planned gift, your organization can become a valuable partner to allied professionals. Some of the biggest advantages you offer include:
• Providing resources. If you aren’t already, consider offering:
• Sample charitable bequest language
• Regular educational outreach with useful information on key planned giving tools, useful strategies, common pitfalls, and legislative impact
• Gift illustrations
• Handouts designed for advisors or donors (case studies, tax summaries)
• Your organization’s gift acceptance policies
• Continued education (CE) seminars on planned giving strategies
• Donor-facing information to help clients understand tools and concepts
• Sharing expertise. With a depth of knowledge and experience in planned giving, you can make yourself available to answer questions whenever they arise.
• Helping them stand out. Clients want to work with financial professionals who thoughtfully include charitable giving as part of the conversation. In a competitive market, these professionals stand out. By encouraging and empowering allied professionals to initiate charitable discussions with their clients, you help them provide greater value to their clients and set themselves apart from the competition.
What are the best ways to approach a partnership with allied professionals?
Efforts made to cultivate relationships with allied professionals are important. Consider the following suggestions to create positive connections and impactful gifts.
• Show respect and cooperation. Lay the groundwork for solid collaboration by entering into every interaction with respect. Present yourself as a resource, a helper, and a partner. Keep their perspective in mind and treat any disagreement as an opportunity to learn or share new information.
• Foster positive interactions. Invest time in building successful relationships with allied professionals. Look for intentional ways to engage—attend meetings where you are likely to encounter allied professionals, establish a local advisory council to form or deepen connections, and regularly share mission updates and donor stories.
• Emphasize shared success. Reinforce the fact that all parties benefit from a collaborative planned giving process. Donors feel heightened confidence that their gift will be suitable, effective, and properly executed. Allied professionals strengthen client relationships and expand their knowledge of planned giving and your work. Your organization secures a valuable gift and strengthens your reputation within the professional community.
• Express gratitude. Show appreciation for the professional’s advice and role in the planned giving process. Consider a handwritten note or phone call, public recognition in your newsletter or other correspondence (with permission from the donor and allied professional), or an invitation to a donor appreciation event.
Encouraging allied professionals to incorporate charitable planning and including them in the planned giving process benefits everyone. By being intentional about building these relationships, you foster collaborative partnerships that can lead to powerful legacy gifts.
Want to learn about our quarterly technical newsletter for allied professionals? Visit our website or reach out to request more information.
Gift Planning After the OBBBA is a one-page handout for allied professionals—great to include in outreach or hand out at seminars. Request a sample and ask about our minimal personalization fee.
