Today is October 1, which means we are just twenty short days away from National Estate Planning Awareness Week (NEPAW).
NEPAW is recognized during the third full week of October each year, so for 2024, the celebration begins Monday, Oct 21, and runs through Sunday, Oct 27.
The goal of the week is “…to help the public understand what estate planning is and why it is such a vital component of financial wellness” according to the National Association of Estate Planners & Councils.
We’ve been giving you tips on how to get the most out of this special week for years. This time around we are pulling together the top 4 tips from years past.
2023: Don’t Miss This: Estate Planning Awareness Week is October 16-22
1. Debunk Your Donors’ Reasons for Not Creating a Will
Wills are NOT just for the wealthy. Thirty-five percent of Americans say they don’t have an estate plan because they do not have enough assets to leave anyone.
During NEPAW: Remind your supporters that there are reasons for everyone to have a will, no matter their tax bracket.
Creating a will is NOT hard. Fifteen percent of Americans say they don’t have a will because they don’t know how to create one.
During NEPAW: Host a seminar with local estate planning lawyers, provide free will planning kits, or create short videos outlining the process of creating a will.
Creating a will is NOT expensive. Anticipating high legal fees, 14% of Americans say they don’t have a will because it costs too much.
During NEPAW: Consider offering your supporters access to a free online will planning tool such as Giving Docs.
2022: Estate Planning Awareness Week is October 17-23. Let’s Get Started.
2. Make Your Social Media Work for You
Use hashtags like #estateplanningawarenessweek, #estateplanning and #NEPW to help bring eyes to your posts. And tell your followers what you want them to do with appropriate calls to action:
- Download our free brochure Estate Planning Starters.
- Visit our website to see how easy it is to get started.
- Contact me for a no-obligation consultation.
2021: Estate Planning Awareness Week is Oct. 18-24. Let’s Prep for Outreach.
3. Get Creative With Your Marketing
There are so many ways to tell the story of estate planning this week. Here are some ideas:
- Ask members of your nonprofit board to post on their social media accounts.
- Live stream a Q&A with a local estate planning attorney. Record it as future content to promote.
- Retweet content about the importance of estate planning from sources you and your donor’s trust.
- Pull quotes from your already published planned giving donor stories to share on social media platforms—no need to reinvent the wheel.
2020: How to Make the Most Out of Estate Planning Awareness Week
4. Estate Planning Starts With You
Many of us are still working from home. Travel and other activities are mostly on hold. Now is a great time to evaluate your own estate plan. If you already have one, review your documents to determine if you need an update. If you are among the majority of Americans who haven’t yet started the estate planning process, National Estate Planning Awareness Week is the perfect time to set up a meeting with an attorney to discuss your wishes. Your family members and heirs will be glad you did. You can then serve as a (more informed) resource to your donors on their estate planning.
Hungry for more ideas? Revisit the full blogs (click on their titles above or the images below) for more tips, social media prompts, sample text and stats to share.
