Hi all
I work for a small campaigning organisation and we don't often get legacies, but in the last month we've received two substantial bequests. Gifts of this size would usually result in a letter from the chair but, obviously, one cannot write to the person responsible for the gift in these cases. Our Treasurer has asked me to look at what we should do.
Apart from the formal acknowledement to the solicitors, is it usual practice to write to the relatives of the deceased? In a case where we had a relationship solely with the deceased, it seems very odd to write to the next of kin c/o the address we have for the deceased, but even in a case where we have a relationship with a spouse, partner or child it is difficult to imagine how one would phrase a letter.
My instinct is only to make contact where there is a personal relationship, e.g. the deceased and their family were know to one or more board members and the organisations thanks can be expressed as a part of a more general letter of condolence.
How do organisations who deal with legacies more regularly deal with this?
Any advice would be gratefully received.
Jon
