Hello and Happy 2021!

It’s been quite a while since I’ve written to you. So many times I sat down to write, but ultimately decided not to crowd the already crowded airwaves with another message. If you’re like me, you received more blog posts in 2020 than you could read. 

This year, I’m really excited to bring you “Twelve Months of Practical Gift Planning”. Here’s what you have to look forward to.

Each month’s article will be a quick reference guide to accepting gifts of a different asset.

You will receive, step-by-step guidance for accepting gifts of each kind of asset, including:

• A list of questions to ask the donor
• A list of information to gather and
• Considerations for weighing risks and benefits of that kind of asset. 

If you received this message from me, you’re already subscribed to GiftTips and don’t need to do anything more to receive these resources. If you’re not subscribed, just click the button at the bottom of this article to subscribe and make sure you don’t miss even one installment. 

Before you receive the first installment, I want to set the stage and get you ready for what’s coming your way. 

By now, you’ve probably read at least one article or study on gifts of non-cash assets. Dr. Russell James at Texas Tech University is doing ground-breaking research in this area and I can’t thank him enough for that work. 

According to his research, we know that cash only makes up about 5% of America’s wealth – yet IRS data says cash still makes up more than 85% of the dollars given to charity each year. That is out of balance. If we concentrate on fundraising from wealth, rather than cash, charitable dollars will skyrocket into the Trillions and beyond!

Dr. James’s research further shows that charities that raise some of their funds from assets – not just cash – outpace those that don’t by 50%-66%!

I realize that accepting a gift of something like real estate or privately-held stock can seem daunting. It was to me when I first entered the field of gift planning. Not to fear, there are lots of professionals out there ready to help you and I’m one of them.

My goal for 2021 is to help you 1) feel more comfortable having conversations about asset gifts, and 2) know how to get started when a donor wants to move forward. 

Get ready for Twelve Months of Practical Gift Planning coming to your e-mail inbox! Until then, I wish you a spectacular start to this new year!