Planned Giving Coaching - Part 2 |
Oct 22, 2009 |
Last week I talked about coaching champions on planned giving. I'd like to continue with that topic, but address one of the more challenging aspects of it, at least in my opinion. I'm talking about non financial types of planned gifts that have a transformative effect on both the giver and receiver.
It's certainly easier to come up with ideas for these types of gifts from a personal and familial aspect. For example, in my family my grandmother and parents are both filling out a Legacy Journal that they received from Christian Grandparenting Network (you can get one free by going to their website). These are super cool! They have all sorts of questions ranging from experiences they had when they were young, to how they met their wife/husband, to experiences through their marriage and with their children. It's funny how my grandmother thinks she has nothing interesting to tell yet her early life experiences are so foreign to how we live today they're fascinating! This is a greater gift than any cash or estate!
But, does this thinking transfer to nonprofits? Are there non financial gifts that people can pass along to causes that transform the heart of the giver AND the receiver?
I think most certainly yes, although it may require some time and prayer to know just what those things are. Here are at least two examples:
1) Gifts in Kind that have special meaning. For example, passing on all your treasured Christian books and Bibles (average American has 9!) to a ministry who can send them overseas to people who have little to no access to such books (see Christian Resource International). Here's a way to pass on your faith (which probably most certainly grew from reading these books!) to help others receive the same great benefit.
2) Experience. Yes, I know this is a strange one, but consider this. When you train a younger generation to do the things you're doing in a particular cause, you've just passed along something invaluable that will continue on even after you leave this world! Take it a step further and train and encourage them to train others so that it has a multi-generational effect.
I bet you can think of just
one thing, but whatever you do, just remember -- all transformative gifts are done in collaboration with God. Allow Him to lead you in how to offer what He's given you to the people and purposes He directs. Allow your gifts to display all the glory and magnificence of who God is and how He has gifted us uniquely and abundantly.
