Why You Need a Marketing Program for Planned Giving and Major Giving
Updated May 20, 2026
A gift planning program is a critical component for any nonprofit seeking to grow its fundraising and build a sustainable future. Marketing for fundraising is much more than a financial strategy — it is an opportunity to connect with supporters on a profound level, allowing them to leave a lasting legacy.
Many charities underestimate the importance of actively marketing major and planned giving, missing out on substantial contributions that could ensure long-term financial health. By proactively educating, inspiring and engaging donors, nonprofits can build relationships that not only fund current initiatives but also empower the organization to thrive for generations to come.
Creative gift marketing is not just about asking for gifts; it's about telling the story of your organization's future and inviting donors, or a legacy society, to be an integral part of it.
Why every nonprofit should prioritize a creative gift planning marketing program
In today's competitive fundraising landscape, standing out to donors requires more than just a compelling mission, it demands innovative approaches that capture attention and inspire action. Nonprofits need a creative marketing program to deepen donor relationships and unlock new funding streams.
Here's why a creative marketing strategy is essential for success:
- Provides a Stable Revenue Stream
Planned gifts, such as bequests, charitable gift annuities or trusts, often represent the largest donations a supporter will make. These gifts ensure a consistent and predictable income source that supports the organization's mission far into the future. Major gifts, such as IRA qualified charitable distributions (QCDs), donor advised funds (DAFs) and bargain sales, typically involve contributions made during a donor's lifetime, providing immediate funding that enables organizations to advance their mission, launch new programs and scale existing initiatives. - Maximizes Donor Lifetime Value
Donors who include an organization in their estate plans tend to have a stronger commitment and emotional connection to the charity's cause, maximizing their overall contributions over their lifetime. - Encourages Legacy Building
Many donors find joy in creating a lasting legacy through a major or planned gift. Marketing this opportunity highlights how supporters can make an enduring impact, appealing to their values and long-term vision. - Expands Donor Base
A strategic major and planned giving program helps nonprofits reach new donors, including individuals who may not have the capacity to make large lifetime gifts but wish to make an impactful contribution through estate planning. This approach broadens your donor base and unlocks a broader group of supporters. - Enhances Donor Engagement
Planned giving initiatives encourage meaningful conversations with donors about their personal values, goals and aspirations. The deeper connections strengthen donor relationships, increase engagement and build lasting loyalty. - Strengthens Financial Resilience
Major and planned gifts can help nonprofits with reliable, long-term funding. Contributions create a buffer of financial resources for unexpected challenges or opportunities. - Complements Other Fundraising Efforts
A major and planned giving program integrates well with other development strategies and strengthens overall fundraising efforts. By integrating planned giving into your overall development strategy, you can maximize revenue and improve long-term sustainability.
How to Market a Major and Planned Giving Program Effectively
Marketing a major and planned giving program requires a thoughtful blend of strategy, storytelling and relationship-building to resonate with donors. These programs represent some of the most high-impact and sustainable fundraising opportunities for nonprofits, but they can also be among the most challenging to promote. To be effective, nonprofits must clearly communicate the value of these gifts, inspire trust and engage donors with tailored messaging.
- Educate Your Donors: Use a multi-channel marketing system (website, email campaigns, print and social media) to consistently educate donors about gift planning options. Share real success stories and outcomes to demonstrate how different gifts have made a difference.
- Simplify the Process: Offer streamlined digital tools, step-by-step guidance and interactive resources to make it easy for donors to include your nonprofit in their estate plans. Simplify giving to increase planned gift completion.
- Target Specific Audiences: Leverage donor data and segmentation to target high-potential donors. Personalized outreach improves engagement and gift outcomes. Focus on loyal donors, retirees and mission-aligned supporters.
- Use Multiple Channels: Implement a coordinated, multi-channel marketing strategy to include website content, emails, newsletters, surveys, events and personal outreach to promote planned giving.
How Crescendo Interactive Can Help You Develop a Giving Program
Major and planned gifts are a cornerstone of sustainable fundraising, and Crescendo Interactive stands out as the industry leader to help your organization succeed. Our GiftLegacy Pro 5.0 (CresSuite) marketing system revolutionizes gift planning marketing by combining cutting-edge technology, user-friendly tools and expert support. With Crescendo, nonprofits can significantly increase donor engagement, secure major and planned gifts, and achieve all of this while saving time and resources.
GiftLegacy 5.0's Cutting-Edge Features:
- Motivating Gift Information
Deliver a fully optimized planned giving website that educates donors, showcases giving options and drives conversion. Our system includes an intuitive website, custom pictures, interactive features and detailed yet approachable explanations to empower donors to make informed decisions, increasing their likelihood of committing to a gift. - No-Cost Wills Planner
Remove friction from estate planning with a no-cost, easy to use will planner tool. Our CresWill online tool helps donors create a simple will. By simplifying estate planning, Crescendo removes barriers to including your organization in a donor's legacy. - AI-Powered Content for Personalized Outreach (Cresi AI)
Our Cresi AI tool generates creative, tailored content that resonates deeply with donors. With Crescendo, your planned giving communications will stand out, inspiring action through AI personalization. - Branded Multi-Channel Marketing Assets
Crescendo allows you to maintain marketing materials that reflect your brand identity. From websites and enewsletters to estate planning guides and brochures, every element is customized with your organization's colors, logo and imagery. This seamless branding builds trust and credibility with donors. - Automated Email Marketing (Enewsletter and Eblasts)
You can stay connected to your donors through professional, engaging weekly enewsletters featuring popular rotating-content articles and your own custom content. A wide array of eblast templates are also available, including those targeting specific gifts like IRA QCDs, DAFs, stock gifts and bequests. - Print Literature Made Easy (CresPrint)
Through CresPrint, our web-to-print tool, your organization can access over 500 customizable brochures, postcards, inserts and articles. QR codes link directly to your website, making it easy for donors to learn more and bridging print to digital engagement seamlessly. Our tool simplifies customization, enabling your team to produce branded, professional-quality materials efficiently. - Interactive Giving Tools (IRA & DAF Widgets)
Enable donors to initiate and complete gifts with user-friendly widgets, through your website. By streamlining the giving process, Crescendo optimizes the donor experience. - Planned Giving Benefits Calculators
Planned giving can be complex, but Crescendo simplifies it with benefits calculators that demonstrate the financial and tax advantages of different gift types. These customized, printable presentations are ideal for donor meetings. - Donor Insight & Survey Tool (CresSurvey)
Understanding donor motivations is critical to cultivating meaningful relationships. Crescendo's survey tool gathers valuable insights into why donors support your organization, helping you tailor communications and campaigns for maximum impact. - Storytelling that Converts (Donor Stories)
Highlighting real-life examples of generosity can inspire donors to consider how their gifts can make a lasting difference. Crescendo provides impactful stories on your gift planning website that inspire and motivate others to follow suit. - Major, Planned and Blended Gifts Expertise (CresPro)
PPlanned and major gifts go hand-in-hand, and Crescendo's CresPro software equips your team with powerful tools to develop proposals, create a comprehensive master gift case, and generate professional, customized donor presentations. With our CresLeader tool, you can manage staff access and ensure streamlined workflows. - Customized Marketing Plans (CresCoaching)
Crescendo's CresCoach team works with you to create a tailored six to 12-month marketing plan designed to increase donor engagement, grow your endowment and deepen donor engagement. This strategic guidance ensures your efforts are focused and effective. - Engaging Professional Advisors (GiftLaw Pro)
Planned giving often involves legal and financial professionals. Crescendo's GiftLaw Pro website offers deduction calculators and tax planning tools specifically for CPAs, attorneys, trust officers and advisors, making collaboration seamless. - Optimized for All Devices
Your gift planning website, powered by GiftLegacy 5.0, is optimized for desktops, tablets and smartphones, ensuring donors can engage with your planned giving program anytime, anywhere. This accessibility is key to capturing attention in today's fast-paced, digital world.
Explore Crescendo's Multi-Channel Marketing Solutions
Visit our Marketing Solutions section to discover how GiftLegacy 5.0 (CresSuite) can help your nonprofit increase planned gifts, engage donors and create a sustainable fundraising pipeline.
