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The Need For An Active Planned Giving Donor Engagement Strategy

Due to the aging of affluent Parishioners, generating planned gifts before Parishioners pass away is mission critical.

Why Dioceses and Parishes Need to Generate Planned Gifts:
Question: What will the financial impact be on a Parish when its top 20 senior (Age 65+) Parishioners pass away?

  • Answer No. 1: If they have not remembered your Parish in their estate plan, your offertory will decrease significantly as those Parishioners have died and can no longer donate to your Parish.
  • Answer No. 2: If they have left a bequest to your Parish, the Parish will financially benefit as those Parishioners’ financial support will increase by an average of $78k per bequest.

Most Dioceses are Experiencing Financial Difficulties due to Aging Donors Passing Away

Diocesan Mortality Statistics:*
# of Catholics
Passed Away
1 Baton Rouge 1589 1736 2017 worsening
2. Brownsville 2820 3076 3472 worsening
3. Fort Worth 825 1217 1545 worsening
4. Lafayette 2951 3204 3734 worsening
5. Omaha 1770 1782 1966 worsening
6. Phoenix 2652 2547 3148 worsening
7. Raleigh 1292 1188 1519 worsening
8. San Antonio 4488 4333 5575 worsening
9. Santa Fe 3022 2750 3379 worsening
10. Venice 2434 2102 2490 worsening

*Source – Official Catholic Directory (2020, 2021,2022)

Funerals vs. Bequests

Recent Parish surveys show reasons for concern:

  1. Most Parish priests said their Parish had received no bequests from deceased Parishioners last year.
  2. Parish priests said they had presided from 30 to 50 Parishioner funerals in the last year.

Can your Parish afford to continue being disinherited by its Parishioners?

Stewardship Planned Giving LLC

ROI on Planned Giving vs. Other Fundraising Strategies

(Bequests, Solicitations Have Highest ROI)
1. Direct Mail Appeal $3.66
2. Bequests $56.83 *
3. Community Fundraising $11.15
4. Events $3.43
5. General Donations $19.11
6. Lotteries and Art Unions $1.51
7. Major Gifts $33.33
8. Regular Giving $8.41

* Source – https://www.fpmagazine.com.au/which-activities-have-the-best-roi-342517