As May comes to an end, we are also wrapping up Leave a Legacy Month. We wanted to take the opportunity to assess how legacy fundraising has changed over the past 18 months and how COVID-19 has made us rethink how we approach legacy giving in Canada.
We know Canadians are reaching out to estate planners and will services at unprecedented levels because of the pandemic. While charities should be discussing legacy giving with certain groups within their donor base, we would argue that now more than ever organizations should be approaching legacy giving in a way that is sensitive and strategic.
1. Be Top of Mind
Individuals prepare or restructure their wills at times of family restructure, such as the birth of a child, divorce, or due to a significant reminder of mortality (Chartered Institute of Fundraising UK). I do not think there is anyone with access to TV, internet, or a local paper that has not been reminded recently of their own mortality.
For a charity, being “top of mind” when such a large portion of the population are thinking about their will is critical. This is an ideal time to ensure that your organization is clearly articulating how to leave a gift in a will. Ensuring you are top of mind should go beyond direct mail outreach. Legacy giving should be articulated throughout the donor journey from your website to your regular newsletter
2. Choose Your Tone Wisely
While being direct is a skill every fundraiser should master, we have seen significant pushback from donors towards organizations that in away seem to be capitalizing on the current state of the world. Your donors are currently inundated with reminders of death, your legacy outreach should not contribute to this sense of uncertainty.
Legacy giving outreach should instead lean into providing donors with a sense of well-being and control. Leaving a gift in a will should be seen as an empowering act of planning and purpose any donor can make for the ongoing improvement of their local or international community.
3. Choose Your Tone Wisely
While being direct is a skill every fundraiser should master, we have seen significant pushback from donors towards organizations that seem to be capitalizing on the current state of the world. Your donors are currently inundated with reminders of death, your legacy outreach should not contribute to this sense of uncertainty.
Legacy giving outreach should instead lean into providing donors with a sense of well-being and control. Leaving a gift in a will should be seen as an empowering act of planning and purpose any donor can make for the ongoing improvement of their local or international community.
4. Create a Sense of Like-Minded Community
Understanding the motivation of a legacy donor is key to creating effective donor communications. While a cash donor gets an instant sense of gratification, a legacy donor is looking for something different. They are looking for validation that people ‘like them’ make a legacy gift, that they are contributing to the ongoing betterment of their community, and that their contribution will last beyond their death.
A simple way to effectively demonstrate this sense of community is through sharing donor stories on a regular basis. By providing varied and robust legacy donor profiles, it is easy for donors to see not only how simple becoming a legacy donor can be, but that there are ‘people like them’ doing it every day.
If you are looking to create a robust, integrated legacy program reach out to Fundraising Direct today to get a free consulting session.