...Of the Fundraising world -  
Bequests/Gift in Wills/Planned Giving/ Legacies

There is a plant that is called the 'Chinese bamboo' tree. The 'Chinese bamboo' tree takes five years to grow.  And during that time, the ground has to be watered and fertilised every day and it doesn’t break through the ground until the fifth year.

But once the ground is broken, within five weeks it grows 90 feet tall. 
Now the question is does it grow 90 feet tall in five weeks or five years?
 

The answer is obvious it grows 90 feet tall in five years; because if at any time, had the person stopped watering, nurturing, fertilising; that bamboo tree would’ve died in the ground.

During the five years, many people may well come along to see the daily watering and fertilising and say hey what are you doing? 'You’ve been at this long time!',
"You say you’re growing a Chinese Bamboo Tree? Looks like you’re wasting your time!" 
Then the questions and criticisms come; "Shouldn’t you give up?", "How long have you been working on this?" and "is this is all you’ve got to show for it".  

The reality is when things don’t happen quickly, many people quit.

Bequests / Gift in Wills/ Planned Giving/ Legacies, by whatever name, are the “Chinese Bamboo Tree” of the Fundraising world.

There are many organisations that are just not prepared to do the ‘watering, fertilising and nurturing for the 5 years’. 
There are even more who start the process but after no immediate rewards visible within a year or two, their commitment waivers.  

Leaders of organisations who don’t understand bequests/ gift in wills, the value of stewardship and what they are growing, either quit or remove resources.

So the watering, nurturing stops, and the program shrivels and dies. Whether because of doubt that the "tree will ever break ground" or loss of patience. Other priorities take precedence and the rewards are given up.

Sadly during COVID-19, many organisations have deemed it appropriate to stop the care and nurturing by letting their gift in wills/ bequest resources go.
If they only knew, what that might have meant to the future income that could have come  in just a few short years.

The good news is, for the few who commit to the process, invest in the strategy, remain consistent. For those that provide the fundamental care and nurturing.
The rewards once they 'breakthrough the ground' are staggering.
The growth and benefits of such a program, almost always cause those skeptics to wonder why they had not done this sooner.

The rewarding part of bequests/gift in wills,  is the same as many things acquired through hard work in life ‘the harder of the battle the sweeter the victory’.

For some organisations the ‘bamboo tree/bequest gift in wills program’ can generate as much as 40,50,60,70 event 80% of your total income on an annual basis. But it requires being willing to commit to the long term.

Of course, the irony is the same people who were critical, will be the first to want to know what your secret is. And when the successes start coming, they may even claim that "they knew it would work the whole time".

The right time to start growing your organisation’s bamboo tree was 5,10,20 years ago....The next best time is now.

The fundamentals are not difficult, do not have to take a huge amount of time, but require daily watering and fertilising and a commitment to do so for the next five years and beyond.

If you want to talk about what you need to start growing your own bamboo tree. Happy to have a conversation to make sure you have what you need.
In five years and five weeks, or sooner, you could have something that will impress many and make you wonder why you didn't plant the seed many years ago.

DVA Navion Bequest / Gift In Will, Strategic Counsel, Assessments and Training