After dozens of supporter interviews, these five themes keep emerging.
Over the past 24 months, I’ve spoken to dozens of supporters about gifts in Wills - I wanted to share the key themes
Alongside those conversations, I’ve tested different campaigns, propositions and messages with charities of different shapes and sizes.
1. Supporters want to know their gift will actually make a difference
I know it sounds obvious. But it’s surprising how often legacy communications still struggle to answer a very simple (and not unreasonable) question:
“What will my gift actually achieve?”
Supporters often feel underwhelmed by vague statements about “making a difference” or “changing lives” or what they call 'flowery language'
They want something more tangible. They want to understand the role of gifts in Wills, and how gifts in wills make an impact.
One supporter summed it up perfectly during a recent interview:
“But how will they make an impact? What’s their actual strategy?”
When someone is considering one of the biggest gifts they may ever make, broad promises are not enough.
An opportunity here is showing how a recent gift has made a difference to your charity - this is something which seems to resonate with audiences .
2. Your warm supporters are probably your strongest legacy prospects
One thing that continues to surprise me is how much attention some under-resourced legacy teams give to cold acquisition, while existing supporters do not always receive enough communication.
People who have donated, volunteered, attended events, campaigned, given in memory, or seen the charity’s work first-hand already have something incredibly valuable:
They do not need convincing that the organisation matters and already trust you.
That does not mean acquisition is not important, but if budgets and capacity are limited, it is worth asking whether you are making the most of the people who already believe in your mission.
3. Residuary gifts deserve more attention
I’ve noticed a shift in how supporters respond once residuary giving is properly explained.
For many people, it simply makes sense.
Rather than asking them to commit to a fixed amount today, they understand they are leaving a percentage of what is left once family and loved ones have been provided for.
That often feels more flexible and less daunting - especially when people do not know what they may need later in life for care costs, family support or the uncertainty of ageing.
It is about changing how it is explained.
4. It might be time to rethink your call to action
A lot of legacy marketing encourages people to “write your Will” or “create a free Will”. But many of the people you are speaking to probably already have one.
A simple prompt to review or update an existing Will may be more relevant for many audiences than encouraging them to start from scratch.
5. Conversations still matter
Digital journeys, direct mail and advertising all have an important role to play.
But I do not think we should underestimate the power of genuine conversations.
Whether it is a webinar, an event, a supporter call or one-to-one stewardship, creating space for supporters to ask questions and explore the topic can make a real difference.
I’ve lost count of the number of interviews I’ve finished where someone has said something like:
“This chat has been a really useful prompt. I’m going to update my Will.”
Quite a few have even said they are now considering leaving a residuary gift to the charity I was interviewing on behalf.
One of them had an estate worth over £1m and decided to leave a residuary gift - that could be a pretty good return on an hour-long conversation!
Sometimes the biggest opportunities do not come from finding a completely new audience or launching a brand-new proposition, they come from explaining your impact more clearly, making the ask feel more relevant, and having more meaningful conversations with the people who already care about your cause.