In fundraising letters, we look for the words that will move a donor to send a gift. Why not take the same careful approach when we cultivate planned gift donors? Research by Russell N. James, III shows that there are words that work, and they might not be the words you think they are. Planned gift donors do like to know that there are tax benefits; they prefer making gifts to investments; and they like to honor a family member. Read more in a recent blog post at the Partnership for Philanthropic Planning.

[Editor’s Note: Blog authored by nonprofit researcher and former Giving USA editor Melissa Brown who attended recent meetings of the Association of Philanthropic Counsel and the Science of Philanthropy Initiative. She translates the research into practice in the above linked blog post. Melissa is an independent researcher in the nonprofit sector and the director of the Nonprofit Research Collaborative, which includes both CFRE International & Partnership for Philanthropic Planning among its partners. She has authored or edited 10 editions of Giving USA (a publication of Giving USA Foundation, numerous published articles, a handful of scholarly papers, and a training manual for The Fund Raising School.]