The PGM Blog

Have you ever heard of a theory of communication called the "cultivation" theory?The cultivation theory has been around since the 1960s, and it holds that "long-term exposure to media shapes how the consumers of media perceive the world and conduct themselves." In...

In the book Pre-Suasion: A Revolutionary Way to Influence and Persuade, author Robert Cialdini speaks of Unity: the idea that the more we perceive a person is “like us,” the more likely we are to be influenced by them. You can use this universal principle to grow your...

You've heard the quote: People don't remember what you've said, they remember how you made them feel. You've seen it in fundraising. When your donors feel valued and appreciated, their loyalty and affinity to your organization deepens. Your Legacy Society is an...

Stories That Stengthen Donor Relationships Transcript:  JEFF: Greg, you were telling me stories about donors who, once you kind of get into the concept of impact and what is possible, all the other [technical] stuff goes away. Do you care to share that with the group?...

Wealth Screening Lists vs. Marketing Lists   It's important to discuss why some of these screening tools and prospect identification is important for very large organizations, but why it's not an area to focus on so intensely if you are starting with a smaller...

Donor Science Consulting released a very helpful report that analyzed a group of 72k charities to see what we could learn from the “great recession” of 2008. Some highlights: Charities that successfully continued fundraising during the 2008 recession raised even more...

The most important parts of your planned giving website is to make sure that the website is reflective of the strategy of your marketing program. It goes back to what we talked about before: is the planned giving website inviting? Is the website inspiring people to...

I think it’s important to discuss why some of these screening tools, the prospect identification tools are important for some very, very, very large organizations--and why it isn’t an area to focus on as intensely if you are starting with a smaller list. Nobody has an...

In talking with fundraisers and other nonprofit professionals, we’ve seen a consistent and clear pattern: Organizations that continued their marketing without interruption saw continued donor engagement. Organizations that pulled back missed out on opportunities to...

Donor goes to the mailbox, right? They're not looking to get educated about the latest and greatest of the Cares Act. They are not go to their mailbox to find out exactly how a charitable remainder unitrust works. They’re not going to their mailbox for anything in...

Our lives have changed a lot in the last few months, but we've had the chance to evaluate what's working and what's not. Professionally, you've learned new methods for connecting with planned giving donors, using technology, and getting tasks done when you're not in...

Wouldn't it be great if your planned giving prospects called you every time they found your marketing interesting? Of course it would ... but, unfortunately, we both know they don't ... but that doesn't mean they aren't interested! Take a look at this screenshot:This...

We love interviewing our clients’ donors to get their planned giving donor stories. We hear some pretty remarkable things—things supporters are reluctant to share with a fundraiser. Their candor makes for compelling quotes and stories that resonate with other...

A few years ago, we interviewed a supporter of the Marine Corp Heritage Foundation. He had made a planned gift to the Foundation and was appealing to other Marines to “get their affairs in order” by updating their will or trust. Then he asked them to remember MCHF in...

Powerful donor stories are extraordinarily valuable because they make planned gifts so EASY to understand! Unfortunately, most donor testimonials aren't powerful ... in fact, they read like obituaries.  That’s nobody’s fault. It’s just the way it’s always been...

If I asked you the number one responsibility of your job as a fundraiser, what would you say? Building relationships? Engaging prospects? Finding money? Discovering legacy donors? Could you describe the system you use to accomplish this? The answer would vary based on...

Dale Carnegie once said, "A person's name is to him or her the sweetest and most important sound in any language." That's why, after thirty years of studying what works in marketing, we continue to come back to simple theme: personalize, personalize, personalize. As a...

You're ramping up for a Capital Campaign and want to avoid donor fatigue, so you decide to hold off on talking about making a planned gift. This way, you can keep donors laser focused on the needs of the organization. Before you land on this decision, consider the...

Have you ever heard the saying, “There’s three sides to every story: his side, her side, and the truth”? Personally, I’ve always found that humorous. But I’ve realized something—it describes some of the conversations we have with planned giving donors. Think about it:...

Let's do a mini planned giving website assessment. First, we'll start by looking at how websites were used in the past, and how websites are used now. Take a minute to look at this photo.  Does that look like a modern site? No. Of course not. If you landed on that...

I used to be a big Van Halen fan, so when I learned they were coming to Scranton, I bought a couple of tickets and put the date on my calendar. But on the day of the concert, I wasn’t excited. I was tired. I had worked all day. I had a two-hour drive ahead of me. To...

Please join us in welcoming our guest author, Michelle Martin, Messaging Strategist and a Trained StoryBrand Guide. We hope you enjoy this guest post in celebration of National Write Your Story Day – March 14, 2019. A wealthy family from New Jersey posted an ad...

In developing your planned giving marketing campaigns, have you ever wondered: What is a “good” photo? How do I take and identify “good” photos for marketing? How do I choose photos for marketing materials? Why do I need great images for marketing? We have your...

Please join us in welcoming our guest author, Naomi Liz for the second of our two-part series on photography for nonprofit fundraising and planned giving marketing campaigns. Naomi is a writer and photographer whose work focuses on nonprofit, humanitarian, travel, and...

Have you ever wondered if you could save your organization money by writing your own planned giving marketing and sending it yourself--rather than outsourcing it to a planned giving marketing firm? Before you make that decision, let's talk about the “high cost of low...

 receDoes the fundraising industry really need another planned giving website solution? Our clients told us yes, so we created the PGMicrosite, a simpler planned giving website that gives fundraisers an affordable, effective tool that gives donors easy access to...

You’ve read plenty of amazing donor stories … and some that aren’t so good. But do you know what sets them apart? Use this mini-assessment to increase reader engagement and donor response.

Google owns my inbox, my browser, my search engine. They know my every digital move. And even when I’m not on their platforms they’re still serving me ads elsewhere. So, you’d think if Google wanted my attention and my business, they’d know how to find me and get my...

A lot of people claim key fundraising phrases work with donors, but we think we've found planned giving's magic words--words that improve both your planned giving marketing AND conversations with planned giving prospects and donors. What would you do with MAGIC words?...

Have you ever wondered if there are any truly effective planned giving marketing strategies--or if donor engagement comes down to pure luck? As a fundraiser, you've heard it all. You know different planned giving marketing companies disagree on what really works, so I...

As part of a broad-scope multi-channel marketing strategy, email marketing for planned giving is a timely and cost-effective way to keep your organization in the hearts of your donors, especially your most loyal ones. Email marketing offers an opportunity to inform,...