Strengthen Today's Mission. Secure Tomorrow's Impact.
You don't have to be a large organization to build a lasting financial foundation. You just have to start.
The most powerful gifts your donors will ever make.
Planned giving and endowment programs represent the deepest expression of donor commitment — gifts that outlast any campaign, any fiscal year, and in many cases, any individual leader. Yet most nonprofits either delay building these programs or never start at all, assuming they need to be larger, more established, or better resourced before they can begin.
The truth is simpler: organizations that start early — even with modest goals and a handful of committed donors — build something that compounds over time. Vedco helps nonprofits take the practical, manageable first steps toward endowment and legacy giving, and then build from there.
Understanding the Basics
Endowment and planned giving, in plain language.
What is an Endowment?
An endowment is a pool of invested funds where only the earnings — not the principal — are spent each year. A $500,000 endowment generating 5% annually produces $25,000 in reliable, unrestricted income every year, in perpetuity. It's not a savings account. It's a permanent financial engine for your mission.
What is Planned Giving?
Planned gifts are charitable contributions arranged during a donor's lifetime but typically received after their death — most commonly through a bequest in a will or trust. They can also include gifts of retirement assets, life insurance, or charitable gift annuities. For many donors, a planned gift is the largest gift they will ever make to an organization they love.
Why Start Now?
The best time to launch a planned giving program is before you need it. Donors who make bequest commitments today may not fulfill them for ten or twenty years — which means the organizations that will benefit most from planned gifts in the 2030s and 2040s are the ones building relationships and programs right now.
Endowment Readiness
Is your organization ready to build an endowment?
Before launching an endowment campaign, it's worth asking honest questions about organizational readiness — governance, financial management, donor relationships, and board commitment. Vedco helps you assess where you are, identify what needs to be in place, and build a realistic path toward a successful endowment launch.
- Endowment readiness assessment
- Governance and policy review
- Board and leadership alignment
- Endowment goal-setting and timeline
- Investment policy and spending policy guidance
Legacy Society Development
Honor the donors who are investing in your future.
A legacy society is a named group of donors who have made a planned gift commitment to your organization. It's one of the most effective tools in planned giving — providing recognition, community, and a sense of belonging that deepens donor loyalty and encourages others to make similar commitments. Vedco helps you design, launch, and grow a legacy society that reflects your mission and honors your donors.
- Legacy society naming and design
- Membership criteria and benefits
- Recognition and stewardship program
- Legacy society launch strategy
- Annual legacy society events and communications
Donor Education & Planned-Giving Communications
Most donors don't know they can make a planned gift — until you tell them.
Planned giving is underutilized largely because donors aren't aware of the options available to them or how simple a bequest can be. Vedco helps you build a donor education strategy that introduces planned giving naturally, answers common questions, and makes it easy for donors to take the next step — without pressure and without jargon.
- Planned giving messaging and case development
- Newsletter and email content strategy
- Bequest intention cards and documentation
- Planned giving web content
- Donor conversation guides for staff and volunteers
Board Training & Gift Policies
Your board needs to understand — and champion — planned giving.
Board members are often the most credible advocates for planned giving — and the most underutilized. Vedco provides board training that demystifies endowment and planned giving, clarifies board roles in cultivation and stewardship, and helps boards adopt the policies needed to manage gifts responsibly.
- Board education on endowment and planned giving
- Gift acceptance policy development
- Endowment spending policy guidance
- Board member planned giving commitments
- Fiduciary responsibility and investment oversight
Donor Recognition & Long-Term Cultivation
Planned giving donors deserve your deepest stewardship.
Donors who make planned gift commitments are among your most loyal and mission-aligned supporters. They deserve recognition, relationship, and ongoing connection to the impact of your work. Vedco helps you build a long-term cultivation and stewardship strategy that honors these donors and keeps them engaged for the rest of their lives.
- Planned giving donor stewardship plans
- Recognition events and personal outreach
- Impact reporting for legacy donors
- Long-term cultivation calendar
- Transition planning for multi-generational donor relationships
Start Where You Are
You don't have to wait until you're ready. You build readiness by starting.
Identify your first legacy donors
Most organizations already have two or three donors who would make a planned gift commitment if asked. Start there.
Adopt a simple gift acceptance policy
A one-page policy that outlines what gifts you accept and how they'll be managed is all you need to begin.
Name your legacy society
Give your planned giving program an identity. A name, a purpose, and a small founding group is enough to launch.
Tell your donors the story
Add a planned giving message to your newsletter, your website, and your donor conversations. Awareness is the first step.
Ready to start an endowment or legacy-giving conversation?
Whether you're just beginning to think about planned giving or ready to launch a full endowment campaign — Vedco can help you take the next step. Let's talk about what's possible for your organization.