Planned Giving in Community College Development Efforts: Plans, Strategies, and Luck

Abstract

Community colleges increasingly use fundraising as a strategy to fortify their financial situations, and one strategy that has been used less frequently for community colleges is planned giving. Planned giving encompasses a variety of giving options that result in a deferred realization of funds. The current study described the types of planned gifts currently used by community colleges, their organization, and the reliance placed upon them. With a sample of 150 community college development officers, findings identified that planned giving plays an important role and is utilized by colleges, but their use is largely unintentional and not viewed as strategic.