From Insight to Action: Rethinking Planned Giving When You’re Already Maxed Out

By Doug Knuth, Division I Athletics Director and Higher Education Fundraising Leader

n higher education and athletics, it’s easy to get consumed by the daily work—budgets, schedules, facilities, travel, compliance. I’ve spent enough years in those roles to know how quickly those demands take over your day. Most days, you’re just trying to keep everything moving.

If I’m being honest, that’s part of why I—and teams I’ve led—didn’t always get planned giving right.

We talked about it. We believed in it. But we treated it as something we’d get to once the immediate priorities were handled. And in athletics especially, there’s always another game, another trip, another event. Planned giving became something that lived just outside the core of what we were doing.

The problem is, that approach doesn’t just delay results—it limits them. As we face the imminent Great Wealth Transfer, I'm convinced many nonprofits will miss this amazing opportunity if they don't adjust now. Here is what I suggest to help you make gift planning part of your daily effort (not additional effort).

Where I Had to Recalibrate

At one point, it became clear that we weren’t lacking donor interest—we were lacking alignment in how we engaged them.

We had donors giving annually. Some were capable of major gifts. A number of them would eventually make legacy decisions. But we were approaching each of those conversations separately, often at different times, and sometimes by different people.

Looking back, the disconnect wasn’t effort—it was structure.

Research supports what many of us have experienced: donors don’t think about their giving in silos. They think about their relationship with the institution as a whole—what it means to them now, and what they want it to mean over time (James, 2018). When our approach is fragmented, we make it harder for donors to fully engage in that relationship.

The Real Constraint: Time and Attention

Here’s the reality for most athletics fundraisers and nonprofit leaders:
You’re not sitting around wondering how to build a better planned giving strategy.

You’re managing events. You’re hosting donors at games. You’re traveling. You’re trying to close gifts right now that impact this year’s budget.

So the question isn’t, “Why aren’t we doing more planned giving?”
The better question is, “How do we adjust without adding more to already full plates?”

What We Changed (Without Adding More Work)

The shift isn't about launching something new. It is about adjusting how we use the time we already have.

1. Stop treating planned giving as a separate conversation.
Instead of scheduling different meetings for different types of gifts, start incorporating simple, forward-looking questions into conversations you are already having:

• “What has this program meant to you over time?”

• “Have you ever thought about how you’d like to stay connected long-term?”

This didn’t add time—it changed the depth of the conversation.

2. Use data to focus your attention, not expand it.
You don't need more prospects—you need better clarity on the ones already in front of you. Basic modeling and internal insights can help identify donors who are more likely to be open to legacy conversations, often earlier than we would have guessed (Sargeant & Shang, 2016).

This allows you to be more intentional with the same number of interactions.

3. Make it a leadership priority—quietly but consistently.
This isn't about mandates or major structural change. It was about keeping planned giving visible in how we talk about success. When leadership consistently asks, “Who are we building long-term relationships with?” it subtly shifts how the team approaches their work.

What gets emphasized—gets integrated.

What This Looks Like in Athletics

In athletics, you see the difference quickly.

When everything is transactional, you get participation and occasional major gifts—but limited long-term continuity. When relationships are built with a longer lens, donors begin to see their connection to the program differently. They’re not just supporting this season—they’re investing in what the program represents over time.

That shift doesn’t come from adding more touchpoints. It comes from making existing touchpoints more meaningful.

Where I’ve Landed

If I could go back, I wouldn’t tell our team to “do more” planned giving. I’d ask us to think about every donor interaction as part of a longer story.

That’s the adjustment.

Because the reality is, none of us are getting less busy. The demands aren’t going away. But the institutions that figure out how to integrate “now and later” into the work they’re already doing will build stronger pipelines, deeper relationships, and more durable results over time.

But what’s clear is this: planned giving doesn’t require a completely new system. It requires a more intentional use of the one we already have. And the Great Wealth Transfer will provide an incredible return on this investment.

Let me know if I can help you in any way. Let's talk about moving your program in this direction.

References

James, R. N. (2018). The timing of planned giving decisions: Insights for nonprofit fundraising strategy. Nonprofit Management & Leadership, 28(3), 401–418.

Sargeant, A., & Shang, J. (2016). Fundraising principles and practice. Jossey-Bass.

Havens, J. J., & Schervish, P. G. (2021). The transfer of wealth and philanthropic potential. Boston College Center on Wealth and Philanthropy.

Havemo, E. (2023). Sustainable trajectories for business model innovation: Insights from visual thinking. Journal of Business Models, 11(1), 58–67.