PLANNED GIVING MYTHS & REALITIES
By: Adrienne Wright
In my role as PGM’s client engagement & analytics specialist, I meet with our clients regularly to review their dashboard and track which of their prospects are actively engaging with our planned giving materials. In this blog series, I share common misconceptions I hear repeatedly from our clients—and the realities that allow successful PG officers to shine.
Myth 2: “Too Many Emails Will Scare Donors Away” — Understanding Engagement vs. Fatigue
Organizations often worry that frequent communication will annoy donors. But thoughtful consistency actually builds familiarity, not fatigue.
- Familiarity Builds Trust Seeing your organization’s name repeatedly reminds donors of your mission—making future outreach feel comfortable, not intrusive.
- Quality AND Consistency Developing a steady cadence of meaningful PG messaging is key. Educational, mission-driven content—alongside inspiring donor stories—adds value every time it lands in the inbox.
- Donors Engage on Their Own Timeline Regular, thoughtful touchpoints keep your organization top-of-mind when donors are ready to make big decisions, like revisiting their estate plans. Many donors naturally dip in and out of planned giving communications as their lives ebb and flow—this is normal and predictable, and we build our marketing cadence around it.
In my dashboard reviews with clients, we look at relevant data points like open rates, clickthrough’s, and unsubscribes to make sure prospects remain engaged over time.
Find your rhythm—we’ll help you communicate with confidence and clarity.
Contact us to learn how consistent outreach drives engagement.