The planned giving industry assumes that donor stories are an effective way to inspire other donors and to increase engagement, including response, in marketing materials. But what is it about donor stories that inspires prospective donors to make gifts? Could certain donor stories have the opposite effect and decrease engagement and response?

Claudine will discuss research that analyzes two key metrics that support or counter those assumptions. Based on the findings of the study, we will recommend when to use donor stories in marketing materials and when not to as well as what types to avoid. Guidelines are presented on how to write effective donor stories and donor blurbs to get the best response rates possible.

Speaker: Claudine Donikian, CEO, Pentera

Claudine A. Donikian, JD, MBA, has been the president/CEO and chief marketing officer of Pentera, Inc. since 2010 and is the first woman CEO in the planned giving marketing industry. Regarded as a top expert in the field, Claudine is a sought-after speaker and keynote speaker on the planned giving and AFP circuits and has presented new research studies at numerous national conferences as well as at the AFP International conference.

She served as a member of the advisory board for the prestigious Women's Philanthropy Institute at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy for seven years and is also a recent member of the board of directors of the National Association of Charitable Gift Planners (CGP).