PLANNED GIVING
Message from the President of PGGGNY
By William D. Samers, Esq.
Originally published in Planned Giving Group of Greater New York’s February 2006 newsletter

My recent involvement with a large gift has reminded me of a number of important points I have learned about philanthropy and planned giving.

• A big gift is worth many, many small gifts. While focusing on a big gift may take a concentrated amount of time, it is likely more worthwhile to your organization than closing a number of little gifts that ultimately will not impact your organization.
• Stand by your gift policies. You do not have to jump just because your organization is offered a large gift. By saying no to certain demands that require you to venture from your normal practice  and policies, you are adding credibility to your organization and maintaining a negotiating position. You can always ask your Board to make an exception to the policy, but having a policy gives your organization time to make an informed decision
  Be creative in planned giving. There is often a solution that may not be clear in the beginning of discussions. However if you take time to consider all the tools in the planned giving bag then you will likely discover the answer.
• Bounce ideas off of others. Utilize either your outside counsel, internal colleagues, or friends from PGGGNY to help you find creative solutions.
• Work with a donor’s advisors. It is critical you work directly with the donor’s advisors and that they be involved in every major decision. Moreover you want to be assured that they are  ultimately signing off on the donation. You are not acting as counsel.
• Don’t forget to continue to cultivate. Just because you are involved in the big gift does not mean the donor always wants to discuss or hear about the gift. Remember to focus on what brought the person to consider the gift.
• Admit you don’t know and that you will have to get back to the donor. No person wants to  sound stupid nor do they want to slow down the gift process, but it is okay to say that you need to investigate before providing an answer.

William D. Samers, Esq. is the President of Planned Giving Group of Greater New York, and Director of Gift Planning, American Committee for Weizmann Institute of Science