Five insights from supporter conversations & what they mean for your legacy fundraising plans

Over the past couple of years, I've had the privilege of speaking to dozens of supporters about Gifts in Wills through interviews, focus groups and proposition testing.

Every charity is different and these themes won't apply equally everywhere. But I've noticed a number of patterns showing up repeatedly across organisations, audiences and projects.

I thought it might be useful to share some of those observations — and some of the opportunities they might create for legacy teams.

1. Charities aren’t doing enough to communicate the impact their Gifts in Wills can make 

It’s surprising how often legacy communications still struggle to answer a very simple (and not unreasonable) question:

“What will my gift actually achieve?”

In interviews and focus groups, supporters often feel underwhelmed by what they see as vague statements about “changing lives” “empowering…” or what they call 'flowery language'. They want something tangible. 

One supporter summed it up perfectly during a recent interview - they asked me: “But how will they make an impact? What’s their actual strategy?” They don’t need a 30 page strategy document but a bit of detail goes a long way. 

What’s the opportunity? 

Show supporters examples of how recent gifts in wills have made a difference to your charity. 

From the many interviews and focus groups I’ve conducted, this is the type of communication which seems to resonates most with supporters.

2. Your warm supporters are 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, warm supporters are sometimes overlooked. 

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 they already trust you.

That does not mean ‘cold’ acquisition is not important, but if budgets and capacity are limited, it is worth asking whether you are engaging enough with the people who already believe in your mission. When I worked in house, a huge number of legacies game from people who did not seem ‘engaged’ on paper.  

What’s the opportunity?

Review how you are currently engaging warm audiences. Although it’s easier to set up and run acquisition campaigns, focusing on developing relationships (beyond email and DM packs) through in person events is an opportunity often overlooked. The other opportunity is to engage fundraising and marketing teams to engage audiences with Gifts in Wills. 

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.

This isn’t always the case as some prefer the specificity of a pecuniary gift but residuary gifts can feel more flexible and less daunting - especially when people do not know what they may need later in life for care costs and the uncertainty that comes with ageing.

What’s the opportunity?

Talk about residuary giving in a way so it’s framed that it puts family first. In interviews I consistently hear how family will always come first. 

Another opportunity is to offer a small percentage (even if it’s just 1-3%) people understand what you’re asking them to do and it feels like a ‘reasonable’ ask.

4. Your best legacy prospects don’t need a free will 

It might be time to rethink the call to action to download your free will guide. A lot of legacy marketing encourages people to “write your Will” or “create a free Will”. But many of your best prospects will already have one. 

When I’ve shown communications and creative to high value audiences, they sometimes say ‘well I already have a will’ or ‘I know how to create a will - it’s really easy’.

This is where charities need to focus on their greatest asset - the impact they make with supporters’ money. 

What is the opportunity? 

There is a big opportunity here to create a new ‘lead magnet’ - rather than a free will guide. How about a download detailing how Gifts in Wills have made a difference to people’s lives - even if it’s a single case study of how Gifts in Wills has helped. 

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 build a relationship 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! 

Just the subject matter can trigger people to actually take action - something they are happy for you to do. 

What’s the opportunity?

In person interaction and stewardship of your most prominent supporters could be time will spent - webinars and events or ‘one to many’ type opportunities are a great starting point for this.

Conclusion

These themes are showing up repeatedly across supporter interviews, focus groups and proposition testing and I hope are helpful for legacy fundraisers. Listening to supporters and meeting their needs has never been more important as legacy fundraising continues to become a much more competitive space.

More charities are investing in gifts in Wills. More propositions are being developed. More campaigns are being launched. That means the charities who understand what supporters really need - and how to make the ask feel relevant, credible and motivating - are likely to benefit.

My understanding of legacy giving comes from years of working with charities including Prostate Cancer UK, Macmillan Cancer Support, Dementia UK, Mind and more.

Across that work, my focus has always been the same: uncovering the human insight that can help charities and their agencies develop campaigns, propositions and supporter journeys with the potential to unlock real growth.

If you’d like to better understand the human insight behind your supporters’ motivations, barriers and decision-making - and use that insight to develop campaigns and ideas that resonate — you can book a 30-minute call with me here.