Even our best donors have to leave everything behind, so they may as well leave it to those causes they have supported during their lifetime and which represent their values. Endowment giving allows their estate plans to be a reflection of their total selves, including their charitable interests. So, I think we would all agree that there are multiple benefits for both donors and charities in endowment giving. It would be more comfortable for us to blame donors for their lack of generosity and foresight, but I believe the real fault lies with the charities, their boards, and the fundraisers they have hired and direct. First of all, in their need for immediate funds many charities do not take the time nor make the effort to ask for gifts for endowment purposes.
Most charities leave the initiative for endowment giving up to their donors.
Secondly, many charities who have endowment funds often take a very proprietary attitude toward these funds. A while ago, when I made some recommendations to a national charity that all gifts of a planned nature would go into their endowment fund, I met with some resistance. The controller didn't like the extent of this recommendation. He had been using these unexpected major gifts to make his annual balance sheet look more attractive. Thirdly, many charities don't even bother trying to make endowment giving seem attractive or enticing for their donors.