Summer School for Planned Giving

School ended recently in the area where I live and everything seems to be in slow-mode.  The hustle and bustle of cars leaving driveways at 7:30 a.m. to get the kids to school is missing; around Noon the local fast food parking lot is filled with stationary carloads of teenagers; and, my neighbors are busy planting flower boxes and garden areas with colorful flowers.  Indeed, summer is here and it’s time to do something different – maybe go back to school!

I’ve always found this point in the year a good time to learn something new – something quick and useful.  Something that I can review and digest while sitting outside soaking up the sun and getting my minimum 15 minutes of Vitamin D for the day.  This year I’m reviewing twenty or so popular terms in three languages that I hope I’ll use while traveling abroad.  I’ve found that simple phrases such as “Good morning, Thank you, Please and I’m ready for the check,” are among the most useful to know.  My lessons will be in French, Italian and German because I want to travel soon in parts of Europe where they’ll be spoken.  My sister and annual travel partner has given me a few pocket books for my studies.

Perhaps learning useful terms in a new language is on your summer list as well.  If one of the languages you’ve wanted to learn is Planned Gifts, I’ve got a useful pocket book for you:  23 Planned Giving Terms You Should Know.  I wrote this glossary of common terms a few years ago.  You can find it in Blackbaud’s free non-profit resource center online at http://www.blackbaud.com/company/resources/whitepapers/whitepapers.aspx#Prospect  and also as the glossary to Michael J. Rosen’s new book “Donor-Centered Planned Gift Marketing,” published recently by the Association of Fundraising Professionals.  No matter how you access it, take a few minutes while sun-soaking to learn how to get by in a foreign land.

Katherine Swank is a consultant for Target Analytics. You may reach her at katherine.swank@blackbaud.com.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Katherine Swank, J.D.

Katherine has over 30 years of experience in the fundraising industry as a consultant, development officer and advancement team manager. As a member of Blackbaud’s analytics consulting team for over a decade, she facilitates strategic, client-facing content for Blackbaud’s custom modeling, wealth screening, and prospect research solutions to enhance clients’ development efforts with data-driven strategies.  Before assuming this role, she served as the national director of gift planning at
the National Multiple Sclerosis Society home office. Katherine has raised over $200 million during her career. She is a past president of the Colorado Planned Giving Roundtable, a former lawyer and also served as an affiliation faculty member at Regis University where she taught development-related courses at the master’s level for more than 10 years. She is a frequent speaker at BBCON, NACGP, Apra, AFP and other industry conferences.