Made a stop last weekend on my trip across Missouri and got my walnut bowl! My kids thought I was crazy stopping in the middle of “nowhere” to buy a bowl, but I got it anyway (along with a 1/2 pound of homemade pecan fudge and some Ozarkland marmalade)!
The bowl is smooth, dark brown and beautiful so I better take good care of it…which leads me to the next lessons on how a walnut grove is like planned giving…
Lesson 3: “Plant and forget” is not a good plan. Neglect doesn’t work for walnuts, and it won’t generate planned gifts. Consider a thoughtful cultivation program that includes information as well as “asks.”
What information? Certainly you want to let donors know how gift money is being used. Information on giving options and regulatory changes that might affect their plans is also helpful. It is hard to say “thank you” and “we appreciate you” too often.
Caring cultivation promotes growth of both gifts and trees.
Lesson 4: You don’t always know what you’ve got. In the walnut grove, the actual yield may differ from expectations, better or worse. A similar situation exists with planned giving, except that the potential for “better” is very high.
Yes, you’ll have immediate knowledge of certain gifts such as charitable gift annuities, but research suggests that you will know about only one in four gifts by bequest. Now, if only your walnut grove would deliver such pleasant surprises.
Author: Renee Durnin, CFRE
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