I have a confession to make.

I’ve often told people that I do my gift planning work “off the side of my desk.” Maybe you’ve done that too.

There are a lot of good reasons why:

• Our boards want us to work on the current year’s budget achievement. Deviation from that can be misunderstood and, sadly, even discouraged;
• Unless you are a gift planning specialist, taking time to speak with a donor about a legacy gift is tough to prioritize;
• Planned gifts are increasingly complex; talking with someone about the technical side of gift planning can be overwhelming;
• Donors don’t like talking about dying and they may especially not want to talk about it with a stranger. It’s not a fun topic for us to bring up, either.

Why put gift planning squarely on the centre of our desks?

Like planting a tree, the time to start talking with our donors about their Will is now. It’s not about me, or you, or your current board. It’s about a better future.

There are a few things you can do to centre gift planning on your desk.

1. The easiest thing that we can do to advance legacy giving is to encourage more people to write (or revisit) their Will. A 2018 Angus Reid Institute poll found that half of Canadians (51%) say they have no last will and testament in place. Of the fifty percent who have a Will, only one-third (35%) said they have one that is up-to-date.

2. Include a “Find Out More” checklist in your appeals, newsletters, and e-messages. Craft a list of things that your stakeholders might want to know more about, such as: membership, volunteering, serving on the board, and include leaving a gift in a will on your list. Because the checklist is passive and non-threatening, it can be the start of a conversation.

3. Make a list of professionals who love your charity and are amenable to including charitable gifts in their Will. Along with those in your circle of influence, the CAGP willpower website is a wonderful resource. Take a look at the professional advisors in your area who are committed to charitable giving.

4. For a little more effort, invite your local advisors for a visit. Serve coffee and a muffin and tell them all about your charity. A professional advisor won’t tell a donor where to give, but, if asked, many will offer suggestions for charities that they think highly of.

5. Prepare Wills language. This will take a couple of hours, and it may then sit in your planned giving folder unused for months. Lawyers want to include precise information on your charity in your donor’s Will. You will be so grateful to your past self when a lawyer requests a copy of yours.

Talking about a gift through a will is just the right thing to do. The more we inspire people to reflect on how they want to be remembered, the better our shared future will be.

Sandra Baker is the Director of Advancement and Admissions at a private high school in beautiful Hamilton ON. She’s worked in a range of charitable organizations, from symphony orchestras to social services agencies, both as an employee and as a consultant.