It is a wonderful surprise when an executor calls to inform that one's college has been remembered in an individual's estate, either for a future gift or one that is being distributed. Leaving this legacy often enriches the final years of a donor's life. But too often, these opportunities are left to chance because community college development professionals think of the cultivation of planned gifts as highly technical and fraught with the problem of talking to people about their deaths. The development professional needs a cursory knowledge of wills and trusts. The most productive way to access this knowledge is to cultivate partnerships with community professionals. There are instruments used in estate planning intended to jump-start discussions without broaching the subject of death. This article discusses the significant keys for a successful college planned-giving program.