At Donor Republic, we’ve been honoured to work with some of Australia’s biggest NFPs on their journey to achieving truly astounding success through Gifts in Wills.
And yet, when speaking to fundraising managers and other leaders around the country, I’ve realised that while many organisations are aware of the potential of Gifts in Wills, they often have trouble knowing where to start, or how to achieve optimum results from their programs.
In this article, I’ll share the three ingredients that I personally believe can help you achieve above-average (and beyond) results for your Gifts in Wills program. But before I get to those, let’s quickly explore why Gifts in Wills is what Richard Radcliffe calls “the opportunity of a generation”.
Why you need to act on Gifts in Wills now
We’re all aware that our ageing baby boomer population holds an enormous amount of the nation’s wealth, and yet the reality is that only 11% of Aussies aged 55+ have included a gift to charity in their Will.
Combine that with the fact that according to The Benchmarking Project, Gifts in Wills returns an annual average of $24.50 for every $1 invested, and you’ll soon see why Gifts in Wills can quickly become the most powerful fundraising program in your organisation.
In addition, and beyond pure fundraising, Gifts in Wills offers a wonderful opportunity to do something valuable and significant – sharing your charity’s entire story, including past achievements, present work, and future vision.
With all that in mind, let’s take a look at the three ingredients needed for establishing a successful Gifts in Wills program, including a compelling proposition, creative execution, and a shared vision for the future.
Ingredient One: A Compelling Proposition
Your proposition is the core message that defines why a donor should consider leaving a gift in their Will to your organisation. It should be compelling, emotional, and supported by strong evidence, such as past achievements and current work.
At Guide Dogs, I had the privilege of working on one of the most successful Gifts in Wills programs in the country, and one thing stood out more than anything else: the power of developing a compelling proposition that resonated with supporters.
After conducting research with donors at a number of workshops, we discovered that what Guide Dogs’ supporters care about most is ensuring that people living with vision impairment never feel alone.
As a result, the proposition we developed focused on the bond between a guide dog and a human being, and drove home the message that with a guide dog, you never feel alone.
This emotional message clearly resonated with donors, with a significant number investing in the 30-year vision of the Guide Dog program through a gift in their Will.
Ingredient Two: Creative Execution
The creative execution is how you bring the proposition to life through storytelling and visual elements.
While the creative execution should be engaging, memorable, and emotional, it’s important to remember that your Gifts in Wills program is about building relationships with donors, so the creative execution should never undermine the trust donors already feel towards your organisation.
Before working with Donor Republic, the Royal Flying Doctor Service QLD, lacked a compelling proposition and creative execution for their Gifts in Wills program, relying on an old appeals-style strategy.
Through our workshop process, we uncovered that donors had a significant affiliation to RFDS founder, Rev John Flynn.
As you can see below, we developed creative assets based on the proposition Above and Beyond, which tapped into the values and vision of John Flynn – a pioneer and maverick, who pursued his vision for the Flying Doctor with incredible passion and determination.
Ingredient Three: A Shared Vision for the Future
When donors commit to giving a gift in their Will, they do so to achieve a particular vision for the future.
By sharing your vision with clarity, your Gifts in Wills program is a powerful opportunity to achieve alignment between the mission and goals of your organisation and the long-term intentions of Will makers.
The Guide Dogs’ Gifts in Wills proposition invited donors to help create a future where people living with vision impairment don’t have to be alone. Donors responded enthusiastically with income from Gifts in Wills skyrocketing from $11m to $32m.
RFDS QLD’s Above and Beyond campaign looked back to the vision of Rev John Flynn, and invited donors to take on that vision for themselves and continue his legacy. As a result, over 500 donors committed to a gift in their Will in the first year, and the program continues to perform strongly each year.
What’s next for your Gifts in Wills program?
The current state of Gifts in Wills presents a significant opportunity for NFP organisations who are proactive and ready to make the most of this unique moment in time.
Success will come when you understand your donors, develop a compelling proposition, invest in creative execution, and offer supporters a shared vision for the future. And if you need any help along the way, please contact our team at Donor Republic. We’d love to work with you to help achieve your Gifts in Wills objectives.
In 2016, Andrew Sabatino co-founded Donor Republic, which has grown to be the most sought after fundraising and marketing agency in Australia and New Zealand. Donor Republic currently provides fundraising, marketing and campaigning support to over 84 inspiring charities and organisations.
