How do you start a planned giving program?

Start with your loyal donors, not a brochure. Find the people who have given consistently for years, put basic infrastructure in place (a gift acceptance policy, simple ways-to-give language and a way to recognize legacy donors), then start asking. Most organizations wait too long because they think they need everything perfect first. In practice, the conversations come first and the infrastructure grows with them.

Who are the best planned giving prospects?

Loyalty is the strongest signal. Donors who have given for many years, even at modest levels, are often your best legacy prospects. We also look at affinity, life stage and wealth capacity. Many planned gift donors don't have the capacity for a large gift today but can make a much larger gift through their estate.

Can a small shop run a planned giving program?

Yes. PBS KVIE described itself as a small shop that needed help connecting with planned giving donors. Through Legacy Call, the station closed $4.62 million in planned gifts, secured 63 planned gifts and added 106 donors to its pipeline.

How much is an average planned gift commitment?

Through the Legacy Call process, the average confirmed gift commitment is roughly $48,500, often 200-300 times a donor's largest annual gift.

How does the Legacy Call process work?

It follows a seven-step journey: prospect identification, donor list review, a pre-call letter, qualification calls from a trained Stewardship Officer, referral to a Gift Planning Specialist, confirmation and reporting, and a warm hand-off to the organization's internal planned giving team.

Who is a good prospect for Legacy Call?

The best Legacy Call prospects are an organization's most loyal, longest-tenured donors, often those who have given consistently for 10 or more years but at modest annual levels. Their loyalty frequently signals capacity for a much larger deferred gift than their giving history alone would suggest.

How is Legacy Call different from a traditional planned giving newsletter or mailing?

Unlike a static newsletter or mailing, Legacy Call is a live, two-tier phone-based methodology: trained Stewardship Officers have real qualifying conversations with donors, and qualified leads are handed to a Gift Planning Specialist for a genuine planned-giving conversation, not just information delivery.

Planned Giving Consulting & Legacy ProgramsYour most loyal donors are ready for a legacy conversation. Legacy Call finds them.

A full-service, two-tier planned giving methodology, not a single survey, that uncovers bequests and deferred gifts most capital campaigns leave on the table.

A donor's hands writing in a personal journal, symbolizing legacy and planned giving

The Untapped Gift Behind Every Loyal Donor

Planned giving prospects rarely make large outright gifts, but their loyalty often translates into deferred commitments worth 200-300 times their largest annual gift. Legacy Call is Catapult's full-service, two-tier methodology for identifying and closing bequests, beneficiary designations, life-income gifts, and other planned commitments.

41% of planned giving donors give 10+ consecutive years to the organizations they value
Tier 1 qualifying calls reach 60-70% of prospects, with 10-15% positive response
Tier 2 gift-planning follow-up closes 25-32% of qualified leads
Average confirmed gift commitment: roughly $48,500

The Legacy Call Process

A structured, seven-step donor journey, personalized enough to feel like a face-to-face planned-giving visit, scaled to reach your entire loyal donor base.

1. Prospect identification using proprietary donor-data analysis
2. Donor list review & approval alongside your team
3. Pre-call letter previewing the conversation and sharing an impact story
4. Prospect qualification calls from a trained Stewardship Officer
5. Gift phase: referral to a Gift Planning Specialist for eligible prospects
6. Confirmation, fulfillment, recognition & daily reporting
7. Warm hand-off to your internal planned giving / stewardship team

Start, Grow or Reignite a Planned Giving Program

Some clients come to us with no planned giving program at all. Others have a legacy society that stopped growing years ago. Either way, we start with the same question: who in your file has the loyalty, affinity and life stage to leave a gift, and has anyone asked them? From there we build what you need around it.

Readiness review of your donor file, materials and past planned giving efforts
Gift acceptance policy, ways-to-give, gift commitment forms and recognition plan
A planned giving case statement and donor cultivation kit
Website and marketing messaging for planned gifts
Prospect portfolios, ask strategy and coaching for staff, board and volunteers
Best practices for stewarding donors and processing gifts after a donor passes

Built to Extend Your Existing Team

Our Gift Planning Specialists don't replace your development office. They extend it, confirming intentions your team is already working and surfacing new ones your team hasn't found yet.

Results From Our Programs

Planned gifts our clients have closed and confirmed.

$4.62M

In planned gifts closed for PBS KVIE

Planned gifts secured for PBS KVIE, plus 106 donors added to the pipeline

$4.89M

In confirmed planned gifts from 500 loyal donors at a Northeast university

Confirmed planned gifts in that 500-donor program

PBS KVIE: a small shop builds a legacy pipeline

We reviewed the database, selected loyal donors and called them to say thank you and identify planned giving interest. Our planned giving consultants then followed up to educate donors and discuss commitments. The program closed $4.62 million in planned gifts.

Read the case study →

A Northeast university: 500 donors, 50 confirmed gifts

Of 500 loyal donors contacted, 116 expressed planned giving interest and 50 confirmed planned gifts totaling $4,894,000. We also identified another $328,500 in gift potential.

Read the case study →

What Clients Say

“Loma Linda University Health has partnered with Catapult Fundraising for several years, and the results have consistently exceeded our expectations. Catapult has generated qualified leads that have developed into meaningful planned gifts, delivering a strong return on our investment. Maria Healy has been exceptional to work with, responsive, attentive, and highly professional. She communicates with our team regularly and ensures that every detail is carefully managed and implemented.
Our partnership has now expanded to include the scheduling of Zoom and face-to-face donor appointments, helping us deepen relationships with prospective donors and advance more meaningful conversations. I highly recommend Catapult Fundraising for its professionalism, service, and proven results.”

Bill LaBore
Director of Planned Giving, Loma Linda University Health | Philanthropy

“Legacy Call was a gamechanger for us. As a small shop, it helped us reach a much wider audience of planned giving donors, and the response was incredible: several new gifts and a full pool of new prospects.”

Colleen Schulman, CFRE, CSPG
Chief Philanthropy Officer, PBS KVIE

“Catapult has been a tremendous partner in helping us qualify gift planning leads generated through our marketing efforts. By identifying prospects who are genuinely interested in our mission and considering a legacy gift, they have lightened the load for our gift planning officers and enabled them to focus their time on the donors with the greatest potential. It's made our fundraising efforts more focused, efficient, and productive.”

Debra G. Kathman, JD
Senior Director of Gift Planning | Development, World Wildlife Fund

Free tool

Find the donors nobody is talking to

Before you build a legacy program, find out how many loyal donors you actually have. Our free report card grades your legacy readiness, shows what a pool that size is worth on average, and tells you where to start. Estimates are welcome.

Open the donor loyalty report card

Planned giving questions.

How do you start a planned giving program?: Start with your loyal donors, not a brochure. Find the people who have given consistently for years, put basic infrastructure in place (a gift acceptance policy, simple ways-to-give language and a way to recognize legacy donors), then start asking. Most organizations wait too long because they think they need everything perfect first. In practice, the conversations come first and the infrastructure grows with them.
Who are the best planned giving prospects?: Loyalty is the strongest signal. Donors who have given for many years, even at modest levels, are often your best legacy prospects. We also look at affinity, life stage and wealth capacity. Many planned gift donors don't have the capacity for a large gift today but can make a much larger gift through their estate.
Can a small shop run a planned giving program?: Yes. PBS KVIE described itself as a small shop that needed help connecting with planned giving donors. Through Legacy Call, the station closed $4.62 million in planned gifts, secured 63 planned gifts and added 106 donors to its pipeline.
What is Legacy Call?: Legacy Call is Catapult's full-service, two-tier planned giving methodology for identifying and closing bequests, beneficiary designations, life-income gifts, and other deferred commitments from an organization's most loyal donors.
How much is an average planned gift commitment?: Through the Legacy Call process, the average confirmed gift commitment is roughly $48,500, often 200-300 times a donor's largest annual gift.
How does the Legacy Call process work?: It follows a seven-step journey: prospect identification, donor list review, a pre-call letter, qualification calls from a trained Stewardship Officer, referral to a Gift Planning Specialist, confirmation and reporting, and a warm hand-off to the organization's internal planned giving team.
Who is a good prospect for Legacy Call?: The best Legacy Call prospects are an organization's most loyal, longest-tenured donors, often those who have given consistently for 10 or more years but at modest annual levels. Their loyalty frequently signals capacity for a much larger deferred gift than their giving history alone would suggest.
How is Legacy Call different from a traditional planned giving newsletter or mailing?: Unlike a static newsletter or mailing, Legacy Call is a live, two-tier phone-based methodology: trained Stewardship Officers have real qualifying conversations with donors, and qualified leads are handed to a Gift Planning Specialist for a genuine planned-giving conversation, not just information delivery.

Turning Donor Relationships into Charitable Gift Annuities

Free live webinar

Ready to start the gift annuity conversation with your loyal donors? Join our free live webinar with Endowment Partners.

Turning Donor Relationships into Charitable Gift Annuities

Wednesday, November 4, 2026 · 11:00 AM PT / 2:00 PM ET

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