• Selecting the right prospects for planned giving can yield successful results.money image by cherie from Fotolia.com
  
  Planned giving is a way for a donor to establish a charitable donation or fund prior to his death. The donation is usually given to a non-profit organization or higher education institution. Through planned giving, a donor can plan to leave money, real estate, or assets (such as stock shares) to an organization once he passes away. The donor may also invest money to receive benefits during his life, and grant remaining funds to the organization upon death.
  
  There are a number of ways to determine the best prospects for planned giving. This is valuable information for non-profits or education institutions because it helps to develop marketing plans and outreach.
  
  

People Attached to the Cause

• According to Blackbaud, a company that provides technology solutions to non-profits, 97 percent of people donate to a non-profit because they care about the cause. For higher education institutions, this often refers to alumni who are giving back to their alma mater. For other non-profit organizations, this means that people who are passionate about the charity are likely to donate. Targeting these groups is a solid start for planning giving solicitations.
  
  

Annual Donors

• A survey conducted by the National Committee on Planned Giving determined that annual donors make strong planned giving prospects. Individuals who donate annual gifts show a commitment to the cause or organization, and are likely to continue that trend through planned giving. Targeting these people is statistically more likely to yield a gift than almost any other group.
  
  Within the annual gift donors, there are subsets of individuals who are likely to participate in planned giving. Based on income and lifestyle, these people include middle-aged married couples in the upper to moderate income bracket, single females over age 65, retirees on fixed incomes who are active in your organization in some way and wealthy people between the ages of 55 and 70.
  
  These common donor statistics can help you identify individuals in your database who are highly likely to participate in a planned giving program.
  
  

An Organization's Former Member

• Individuals who have a history with the organization are more likely to participate in planned giving. Probable prospects include current and former trustees, donors, staff members, employees, and any other individuals who have had direct contact with the organization. A strong link to an organization is a good predictor that an individual will participate in giving at some level. Even if the prospect is not interested in planned giving, she will most likely be open to making some type of gift.