Instead of feeling paralyzed by circumstances, nonprofit professionals should hit the ground running, according to Margaret Cuccinello, planned giving and major gifts officer at the Province of St. Mary of the Capuchin Order in New York. Cuccinello gave some of her ready-to-use suggestions at the National Catholic Development Conference in Arlington, Va.

Here are some tips: 

1.) Set goals. Establish some real goals your organization wants to accomplish every year. Don’t just think about the dollar amount to put on a thermometer cardboard cutout. Create some non-revenue specific goals, such as a 5 percent increase in volunteer hours.

2.) Enlist board and leadership. Don’t let your leadership and board members take a backseat in the organization. Find out where their influence and expertise would be most useful for the organization. See if board members or even the organization’s president will accompany a development officer to a major donor meeting.

3.) Create a gift acceptance policy. A policy could protect you, the organization and your donors. Think about the level of difficulty with each gift type, such as real estate or annuities. Decide if your organization can properly handle the gifts. Reevaluate the acceptance policy terms every six months to make sure you are on point with your gift direction.

4.) Know your prospects. Take a look at your marketing strategies for planned giving. Figure out which donors you need to speak with one-on-one and which donors can be cultivated even further through major or planned gifts. Cuccinello explained that with bequests, 97 percent of donors put a charity in their will because they were asked and had faith in the organization.