Integrating Planned Giving and Major Gifts Conversations
Scaling Major Gifts. Strategies, action steps, and ideas for scaling major gifts by Tammy Zonker, Major Gift Expert & Keynote Speaker.
How to Integrate Planned Giving Into Major Gift Conversations
How do you bring up planned giving with major donors without derailing the current ask? You treat today's gift and tomorrow's legacy as two parts of one conversation about impact, then watch for readiness signals, ask one hopeful, future-focused question, and bring in the right partners when the donor leans in. If you lead major gifts at a small or mid-sized nonprofit, this is one of the simplest ways to deepen relationships and secure your mission's future at the same time.
Who this is for: Major gift officers, development directors, and executive directors who want to talk about legacy giving naturally, without handing donors off or waiting for "the right time." After reading, you'll be able to:
Spot the donors in your portfolio who are ready for a legacy conversation
Introduce planned giving alongside a current major gift in a way that feels hopeful, not heavy
Build a simple stewardship rhythm for donors who've included you in their plans
Let’s get into it
Here's a tension I hear about almost every week.
Your major donors are asking bigger questions about lasting impact. The great wealth transfer is well underway. Tax changes that took effect this year have many donors and their advisors rethinking how and when they give.
And yet, in a lot of organizations, planned giving still lives in a separate lane, with a separate person and a separate timeline. So major gift officers stay quiet about legacy because they don't want to "compete" with the current ask.
In my experience, that split costs us. Many of your best legacy prospects are already your most loyal current donors. Planned giving and major gifts aren't competing. They're two halves of the same story: what a donor wants to make possible today, and what they want to be true long after they're gone.
What to focus on next week
How do you know a donor is ready for a legacy conversation?
Look at loyalty before capacity. I've found that long, consistent giving is often a stronger signal than gift size.
Other cues include a recent life transition (retirement, a new grandchild, selling a business), board or volunteer service, and language like "I want this to keep going" or "What happens to this program down the road?"
How do you introduce planned giving alongside a current major gift?
Think "both/and." Once you've talked through the current gift, ask one hopeful, future-facing question:
"What do you hope is true about this work twenty years from now?"
"Some donors like to make sure their support continues beyond their lifetime. Is that something you've ever thought about?"
You're not making a second ask. You're opening a door and letting the donor decide whether to walk through it.
How should major gift officers work with planned giving specialists and advisors?
You stay the relationship lead. Your planned giving colleague or consultant joins once the donor shows interest, usually in a second conversation.
Have your organization's legal name, tax ID, and sample bequest language ready for the donor's financial advisor or estate attorney. Advisors are partners, not gatekeepers.
How do you steward donors who've made a legacy commitment?
Most legacy commitments can be changed, so the relationship matters for years. Send a personal update on the program their gift will sustain at least once a year. Invite them to see the work. Ask, don't assume, whether they'd like recognition.
And with permission, share their story. It's one of the most powerful ways to invite others to consider a legacy gift.
A Quick Story
A development director I coached was preparing to renew a three-year reading program pledge with a donor. He'd given faithfully for eleven years. During the meeting, the donor mentioned he'd just updated his will. The development director asked, "What would you want this program to look like twenty years from now?" The donor renewed and increased his pledge that day. Two months later, after a conversation with the development director, their planned giving consultant, and his financial advisor, he named the organization as a beneficiary of his retirement account to help sustain the program for the long term.
Try this next week
Set aside 45 minutes and work through this simple checklist for weaving legacy into your portfolio:
Flag your loyal donors. Pull portfolio donors with five or more years of consecutive giving.
Scan for future language. Review recent contact reports for words like "legacy," "someday," "grandkids," or "estate." AI can help you scan notes quickly. Just keep sensitive donor details out of public tools.
Pick five donors. Choose five people for a gentle, integrated legacy conversation over the next 90 days.
Write one question for each. Tailor it to what each donor cares about most.
Check your readiness. Confirm your sample bequest language and your planned giving partner are ready to go.
Want to take a deeper dive?
This week on The Intentional Fundraiser Podcast, I'm unpacking all of this in "Today's Gifts, Tomorrow's Legacy." I share more of the donor’s story, the signals I watch for, and how to build strong partnerships inside and outside your organization.
Listen to the full episode below.
Your donors want their generosity to matter for a long time. When you make room for that conversation, you're giving them a gift too.
Keep scaling,
Tammy Zonker
Major Gift Expert + Keynote Speaker
Founder + President of Fundraising Transformed
President of Modern Institute for Charitable Giving
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Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. Who is this approach best suited for?
This approach is designed for major gift officers, development directors, and executive directors of small and mid-sized nonprofits who want to grow current major gifts and legacy commitments together. It works especially well if you already have a portfolio of loyal, long-term donors and at least one person, on staff or on contract, who can answer planned giving questions.
Q2. How much time should I expect this to take each week?
Most fundraisers can get started with about one to two hours per week focused on reviewing portfolio signals, preparing legacy questions, and following up with interested donors. The more important piece is consistency. Protect this time on your calendar so it doesn't get swallowed by internal noise.
Q3. What if my organization is small and I wear multiple hats?
The principles still apply, but you may need to scale the tactics. Start with a lighter version of this process that you can realistically sustain, perhaps five donors instead of your whole portfolio, or one legacy question in a few meetings each month, and expand as you see results. A part-time planned giving consultant or your local community foundation can help with the technical pieces.
Q4. How do I know if it's working?
Look for early signals like donors responding warmly to future-focused questions, legacy interest documented in your CRM, and requests for bequest language from donors or their advisors. Over time, you should see this reflected in more documented legacy commitments, stronger retention among loyal donors, and more donors giving both current and planned gifts.
Q5. Where does AI fit into this, if at all?
AI is there to reduce friction, not replace your relationships. Use it for scanning contact reports for future-oriented language, drafting a tailored legacy question, or turning your notes into a warm stewardship update, while keeping the human work of listening, discernment, and relationship-building firmly in your hands. And keep sensitive financial or estate details out of public AI tools.