Here's what Terry Axelrod had to say about cultivating bequests in the Nov. 20, 2004 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel story, "Looking for share of $6 trillion in bequests over next 50 years" by Jason Gertzen.

Many Americans are including bequests in plans for divvying up their estates, said Terry Axelrod, chief executive officer and founder of Raising More Money, a Seattle consulting firm.

Universities, social service agencies and various non-profit organizations that depend on donations increasingly are reaching out to this widening pool of potential contributors, said Axelrod, whose company works with clients across the country, including some in the Milwaukee area.

"Non-profits are cultivating donors," Axelrod said. "They are not going to leave something to you in their will if they haven't already been caring about your organization for a lot of years. This is a deep commitment."