The Pentera Blog
Reaching Women Is Key to Planned Giving Marketing Success
Being interviewed recently for a donor story, a savvy donor gave a surprising answer when asked, “What would you say to encourage others to make a planned gift as you have done?”
“Women outlive men,” she answered matter of factly. “Many times the deceased male took care of the finances. But women work hard for the assets they accumulate, and they should have a plan for them.”
This donor’s advice touches on something that planned giving professionals should never forget and something Pentera has been saying for years: Women are not a niche audience in philanthropy, they are the audience.
Researchers at the Women’s Philanthropy Institute (WPI) at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis found that women are more likely than men to make charitable giving decisions on behalf of married couples. Other research by the University of Zurich found women are more charitably minded than men, and research by PayPal found that women donate more than men, despite earning less.
Pentera, a woman-led company since 2010, has long understood the important role women play in planned giving. Company president and CEO Claudine A. Donikian recently concluded a seven-year term on the WPI's advisory council. Claudine says, “Offering our clients content and strategies to market to women has been a very important goal of mine for more than ten years. The excellent results and response our content gets for clients only illustrates how receptive women are to planned giving messaging and the importance of planned giving departments communicating directly to them.”
In donor stories, most donors might say: “I think others should make a planned gift for the future success of XYZ nonprofit,” and that’s fine. But the savvy donor profiled recently had a little different response and one that contains an important message for planned giving marketers everywhere: In terms of life expectancy, family dynamics, and philanthropic temperament, it’s never wise to overlook women.
For more information about Pentera's services and how we can help you reach this vital market, please visit our website at pentera.com or email us at info@pentera.com.
