PG Calc Blog

Do you need a reason to reach out to your legacy society members? Would you like to move the cultivation process forward with your top planned giving prospects? Here’s a fairly simple way to accomplish both – focus groups. While it helps to have some knowledge or experience in running a focus group, it is not a requirement and should not prevent you from conducting one. It’s a smart way to get thoughts on your planned giving marketing, whether about a new direction or the effectiveness of your current marketing program.

When it comes to administering planned gifts, many charities seek outside help.  Why?  Because a well administered planned giving program means happy donors.  The Gift Administration team here at PG Calc provides our customers with the highest quality service and the peace of mind that comes with knowing their donors' needs will be met. 

Recently the United States Post Office made a decision to change the classification that was referred to as “standard mail” to "marketing mail." This is a topic of some concern among nonprofits because anything that was referred to as direct-mail that was marked with the word "standard" will now read "marketing." The current thinking is that more recipients will throw out the mail because of the change in labeling. 

Every week presents another opportunity to hone my marketing skills doing something I find extremely difficult - writing. Whether for gift officers or donors, there is always an article or marketing communication beckoning to be created or revised. It's not easy for many reasons: finding the inspiration, determining the message and tone, reinventing new ways to say the same thing, but that is to be expected. Isn't that a marketer’s job?

After six years of drifting around in record-low territory, the Applicable Federal Rate, otherwise known as the IRS discount rate, has leaped upward 0.6% this month to 2.4%. That’s the highest the rate has been since mid-2014.  The leap was a direct consequence of the Federal Reserve raising its target for the Fed Funds rate in mid-December. What’s more, the Fed has indicated it expects to raise the Fed Funds rate in increments three more times during 2017. That would portend further increases in the IRS discount rate over the next 12 months.