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Preparing to Launch
In this lesson, you’ll learn:
How to write a legacy plan
Which components to include in a legacy giving plan
How to set goals for your organization
How to create an implementation strategy
Once your organization has decided to start or build a legacy giving initiative, the next step is to create a legacy plan. The focus of the legacy plan is to create a step-by-step strategy for developing a legacy giving initiative, which will build your organization’s endowment. The legacy plan provides a roadmap for your organization to secure current and after-lifetime gifts for your organization’s endowment.
The intent of the case statement is to remind the donor of the impact your organization has had on their life and the community, and to explain how they can ensure that this impact continues in future generations.
You can use the case statement both as a stand-alone piece during legacy conversations with prospective donors and as the introduction to your legacy plan. The case statement should promote legacy commitments by encouraging donors to join others just like them.
Ideally, your case statement should be no longer than one page.
To begin drafting your case statement, please respond to the following questions:
A management plan describes who is responsible for implementing your legacy efforts.
To draft your management plan, please respond to the following questions:
Create a list of target audiences and prospects that outlines who you will contact for legacy conversations. The questions below will help you understand what makes a great legacy giving prospect.
To draft the list, please respond to the following questions:
Prospect
Name
Leadership Role or Relationship to Organization
Legacy Committee Member Assigned
Meeting
Date(s)
Information Learned at Meeting(s)
EXAMPLE:
Joan Zimmerman
Board Member
Shoshanna Goldberg
October 3, 2022
Plans to donate life insurance policy
Prospect
Name
Leadership Role or Relationship to Organization
Legacy Committee Member Assigned
Meeting
Date(s)
Information Learned at Meeting(s)
Joan Zimmerman
Board Member
Shoshanna Goldberg
October 3, 2022
Plans to donate life insurance policy
Prospect
Name
Leadership Role or Relationship to Organization
Legacy Committee Member Assigned
Meeting
Date(s)
Information Learned at Meeting(s)
Joan Zimmerman
Board Member
Shoshanna Goldberg
October 3, 2022
Plans to donate life insurance policy
Prospect
Name
Leadership Role or Relationship to Organization
Legacy Committee Member Assigned
Meeting
Date(s)
Information Learned at Meeting(s)
Joan Zimmerman
Board Member
Shoshanna Goldberg
October 3, 2022
Plans to donate life insurance policy
Prospect
Name
Leadership Role or Relationship to Organization
Legacy Committee Member Assigned
Meeting
Date(s)
Information Learned at Meeting(s)
Joan Zimmerman
Board Member
Shoshanna Goldberg
October 3, 2022
Plans to donate life insurance policy
Prospect
Name
Leadership Role or Relationship to Organization
Legacy Committee Member Assigned
Meeting
Date(s)
Information Learned at Meeting(s)
Joan Zimmerman
Board Member
Shoshanna Goldberg
October 3, 2022
Plans to donate life insurance policy
As part of a legacy plan, think of the ways you can market and get the message out given your current organizational infrastructure.
Here’s an example of a marketing checklist for your marketing plan:
To draft your marketing plan, please respond to the following questions:
What visuals are currently in your facility?
In your organization, do you have any electronic communications?
What are some ways you can highlight past donors? (Use your tagline when appropriate; e.g.,“Made possible through a legacy gift” or “JFS thanks [Name] of blessed memory for remembering us with a legacy gift.”)"
What other marketing initiatives do you currently have in place?
Does your newsletter include the following?
Do your events or meetings include the following?
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Announce the new legacy society; this is a great way to recognize donors.
Begin listing donors as soon as they sign a declaration of intent.
Implement a stewardship plan for legacy society members.
Include the names of your legacy society members in your annual report, newsletters, website, and in your facility.
Recognize members at events.
Place “Be remembered forever by (Organization) with a gift in your will, trust, retirement account, or life insurance policy” in your email signature block and on all marketing materials.
Please note: The Sustaining Your Legacy Initiative lesson has more detailed ideas for marketing.
Stewardship is how we show our appreciation and gratitude to donors, help them stay engaged, and remind them they made a good investment. This step is key to a successful legacy initiative.
As part of a legacy plan, think about methods you can easily implement to acknowledge legacy commitments. Try to have a minimum of four activities a year.
To draft your stewardship/recognition plan, please respond to the following questions:
Send cards for birthdays and Jewish holidays.
Write a personal note thanking the
donor for their legacy commitment
within two days of receipt.
Host an event for legacy donors,
either as a stand-alone event or before
or after another organizational event.
Create a legacy society.
What will you call it?
Honor legacy donors at an event
or meeting.
List legacy society members in a newsletter or acknowledge commitments somewhere in your building and on your website.
Share your legacy donors’ testimonials with the greater community.
Make a personal phone call
immediately upon receipt of a
declaration of intent.
Make a personal phone call
immediately upon receipt of a
declaration of intent.
Please note: See the Sustaining Your Legacy Initiative lesson for more stewardship suggestions.
Setting goals is important for keeping legacy committees motivated and focused. For the first two years of creating or building your legacy giving initiative, focus on building your donor base. Set specific goals, such as securing 18 legacy commitments, adding a new legacy committee member by the end of the year, or including a legacy update in a board report.
Here’s an example of legacy commitment goals:
Group Type
Meeting/Conversations
# of Legacy Gifts
Legacy Committee Members
Practice by having the conversation with each other
4
Board of Directors
Group presentation and one-on-one conversations
5
Past Presidents
Group presentation and one-on-one conversations
3
Longtime Loyal Donors, Members, Staff
One-on-one conversations
6
For each year, list the groups you intend to reach out to, the number of conversations you expect to have with this group, and the number of legacy commitments you expect to secure.
Group Type
Meeting/Conversations
# of Legacy Gifts
This section of your legacy plan should serve as a checklist of tasks to accomplish in the first year of launching or building your legacy initiative, with timelines provided so you can make sure that you reach your goals. Consider who will do what and when – the more detailed, the better.
Here’s an example of an implementation plan:
To draft your implementation strategy, refer to the goals, marketing, and stewardship sections of your legacy plan, and create a to-do list by month or quarter.
Summer 20
Winter 20
Fall 20
Spring 20
Let’s review what you’ve learned so far.
1. True or false: The focus of the legacy plan is to create a step-by-step strategy for developing a legacy giving initiative, which will build your organization’s endowment.
2. What’s the intent of the case statement?
3. What’s the intent of a legacy management plan?
4. What’s the intent of stewardship?
