290: A Fresh Look at Planned Giving with Tess Conrad

Episode 290 of the What the Fundraising podcast, hosted by Mallory Erickson, titled "290: A Fresh Look at Planned Giving with Tess Conrad" was published on April 7, 2026 and runs 23 minutes.

April 7, 2026 ·23m · What the Fundraising

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Summary

Planned giving is often seen as complex and intimidating, but is it really that complicated? Today's conversation takes a closer look at what planned giving truly involves and why many organizations may be approaching it the wrong way. This episode uncovers simple yet powerful ideas that can transform how fundraisers think about long-term giving! Tess Conrad is the Founder & Principal Consultant at Full Potential Fundraising. She helps small fundraising teams build and grow effective planned giving programs. The discussion covers key myths, strategies, and practical insights on planned giving. Tess explains that planned giving is often overcomplicated by focusing too much on tax and estate planning, when the real role of fundraisers is to inspire donors. She emphasizes that planned giving is not limited to wealthy donors, but includes loyal supporters with long-term potential. The conversation also highlights the importance of a strong base of loyal donors, a long-term mindset, and meaningful engagement rather than just pledges. Tess further shares insights about using simple tools such as interest checkboxes, maintaining consistent communication, and aligning giving opportunities with donors' values. Overall, she presents planned giving as a trust-based, relationship-driven strategy that can significantly strengthen overall fundraising efforts. In this episode, you will be able to: Understand planned giving beyond technical details. Recognize common myths in planned giving. Identify loyal donors as key prospects. Assess readiness for planned giving. Adopt a long-term fundraising mindset. Get all the resources from today’s episode here. Support for this show is brought to you by Donor Perfect. Our friends at Donor Perfect really understand fundraising on so many levels. Stay aligned while working online with a seamless and secure payments experience for your donors and your team. Empower donors to give where they are, whenever they like, automate data entry, and process online, monthly, and mobile payments, and accept payments over the phone. Connect with me: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_malloryerickson/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/whatthefundraising YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@malloryerickson7946 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/mallory-erickson-bressler/ Website: malloryerickson.com/podcast Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-the-fundraising/id1575421652 If you haven’t already, please visit our new What the Fundraising community forum. Check it out and join the conversation at this link. If you’re looking to raise more from the right funders, then you’ll want to check out my Power Partners Formula, a step-by-step approach to identifying the optimal partners for your organization. This free masterclass offers a great starting point