If you do one thing, and one thing only, establish personal contact with donors and prospective donors. Good stewardship is essential, but it's not merely concerned with preserving the status quo. The better you know your donors, the more opportunities there will be to engage in real planning. Bequests are only the beginning of the planning process. Most donors begin with something simple, and as their confidence and commitment to your charity grows, so their gift plan may become more sophisticated.
Some donors increase their bequests.
Others decide to give cash during life, either in addition to the bequest or in lieu of it. The goal of planned giving is to develop a gift plan that not only is right for the donor, but also, if at all possible, helps the charity get the gift as quickly as possible. The very best planned gift is thus often a cash gift. Don't be so sophisticated that you forget what the bottom line is. The other reality of development work is that you will not likely be confronted by a planned giving situation for which you are unprepared.