Legacies / Planned Giving

On holiday in Devon recently, I visited the famous Donkey Sanctuary (yes really!). Two things struck me. Firstly, entry was free – a great way to attract new donors from around the country. Secondly, on the walls around the site were huge boards naming their legacy donors, year by year - and I mean huge! They were unmissable and listed the many hundreds of people who have remembered this charity in their wills. So what can we learn from this?

Legacy marketing can be a bit "us" and "them" can't it? We the charity ask them the supporters for a donation, using marketing techniques to overlay and crunch the data. We segment and target prospects that match the best profiles and have the greatest propensity to give. It can all seem a bit one way, impersonal and data driven. But there is a different way.

For those feeling daunted by 2012, a word of encouragement. It’s not all bad news. Yes, things will be tough, but we’re all getting used to that. Nevertheless, you will still need something to carry you through the year and help you raise the funds your organisation depends on.

A good friend of mine is currently enduring the nightmare of sorting out the affairs of an aged relative who has died intestate.

Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) is to phase out their CAF Gift Vouchers.

In this week's budget, the Chancellor has handed legacy fundraisers a gift by incentivising legacies as a form of donation.

This weekend I watched the world's biggest half-marathon, the Bupa Great North Run.

As a keen runner who also ran the race last year for charity, I am always inspired by everyone who takes part.

Today our environment and youth charities have been busy marking the week up and down the country.

Remember A Charity’s greatest strength is its 140 members. But its coalition of members is also its biggest challenge. How do you tell the story of so many charities during one week?

Legacies are often a difficult form of fundraising to promote.