If you’re a nonprofit, you already are in the planned giving “business.” The question is whether you are actively prospecting for gifts, or just passively counting the occasional, unexpected bequest that comes your way. Saying “we’re not ready for planned giving” often covers up the reactive mode of a nonprofit satisfied with raising cash gifts for immediate needs, rather than taking a proactive stance—and raising more and larger funds for future endowment. We hear, “I’ll get around to it next spring.” Next spring comes and goes … Potential donors die, move away, or make commitments to other nonprofits. Opportunities for planned gifts critical to building the organization’s future strength are lost. Unfortunately, many fundraisers don’t realize that the average time from inception to maturity for a planned gift is just 7-10 years — only a few years longer than most campaign pledge periods.