The Awyr Las Legacy Strategy Overview 2018/21
The Awyr Las Legacy Strategy Overview 2018/21
1. Background
The Awyr Las Support Team has been working with solicitors and fundraising professionals to determine how legacy giving should be promoted to potential legators. The following points have been considered when drawing up this legacy marketing strategy:
- In 2000 Smee & Ford’s annual legacy trends showed 87% of legacies were from females – now 60% are from women and 40% are from men. Legators have changed from being almost exclusively single females to typical baby boomers.
- Legacies are driven by personal experience and a legacy has never been a spontaneous gift – it is thought about sometimes for decades, until an individual decides to write their will
- Clear barriers to legacy giving through the charity currently exist because of: a lack of trust in BCUHB; people are unaware that giving to hospital services is possible; people are unclear of how their legacy will help make a real difference; increased competition from other charities that demonstrate greater urgency, need and clarity on its outcomes and future ambitions
- Legacy marketing must include: infographics which will resonate for much longer and strong and urgent, inspiring ambitions which can be achieved with the help of legators. Bequest marketing is much more about inspiration than it is about wills and codicils.
- Legacy giving must be targeted primarily to those in their mid-to late sixties when making their final wills, and service users
- Direct selling of bequests is unlikely to work; donors should feel it’s a decision they have made themselves. Nonetheless, the Awyr Las Support Team (ALST) needs to make sure that bequests are spoken of and referred to frequently in multiple communications
- According to NCVO legacies represent 14% of all fundraised income by UK Charities. Across the largest charities ranked by legacy income, gifts in wills account for 27% of fundraised income.
2. Context
As the below figures show, Awyr Las has traditionally relied heavily on legacy gifts in comparison to other charities. Whilst Awyr Las needs to diversify its income streams, it nevertheless needs to ensure that legacy gifts can be maximized.
Year | Total income | Total legacy income | Legacies as a % of total income |
2011/12 | £2,836,000 | £1,591,000 | 56 |
2012/13 | £2,123,000 | £904,000 | 43 |
2013/14 | £3,092,000 | £1,667,000 | 54 |
2014/15 | £2,436,000 | £725,000 | 30 |
2015/16 | £3,300,000 | £1,661,000 | 50 |
2016/17 | £2,555,000 | £969,000 | 38 |
2017/18 | £2,483,000 | £991,215 | 40 |
During October and November a small group of NHS staff, Awyr Las supporters, marketing professionals and solicitors with experience in Will writing were asked to contribute to discussions on Awyr Las’ legacy marketing plans. Some interesting insights from these discussions have informed the legacy marketing plan:
A. People were surprised to hear that not all legacy donations would be classed as ‘significant’ amounts. There was a perception that only the wealthy leave legacy gifts to charity which highlighted the fact that promotions should explain that legacies of all amounts can make a difference.
Year | Total legacy income | Number of legacy gifts | Average legacy amount | Largest legacy | No. of legacies under £10,000 |
2015/16 | £1,398,441 | 66 | £21,188 | £439,720 | 45 |
2016/17 | £997,522 | 84 | £11,875 | £120,000 | 57 |
2017/18 | £991,215 | 62 | £15,987 | £500,000 | 44 |
B. The current legacy leaflet serves a purpose but is too generic. It was felt that different messages need to be used for different age groups and target audiences. For older people using hospital services the message could be focused on making them consider the positive experience they had, for example: You’ve been treated by gifted nurses, doctors and surgeons, but will others? You can leave a gift in your will to make sure others benefit from the very best care possible.
C. Those involved in the discussions understood the need to help ensure legacy gifts can be as unrestricted as possible, but noted that only 20% of legacies given in the past 3 years have been given to a hospital general fund. The other 80% have been given to specific wards and departments. The important message appears to be the need to ensure confidence in being able to give to a specific department, particularly because as Awyr Las’ legacy donations are reducing in number and size, some partner charities that support NHS services are reporting that they are receiving increasing numbers of legacy donations.
A promotion to highlight all the recent legacy gifts and the impact which has been made because of them needs to be the main focus of the new website and refreshed generic messaging campaign so that the message is clear that donations can support all different areas of healthcare. A message for this could be: They gave back because they were looking forward.
D. Some NHS staff spoke of feeling uneasy when they see targeted promotions about legacy giving. In order to reduce the stigma around speaking about legacies, there may need to be targeted campaigns to make all NHS staff more aware of legacy giving to reduce the discomfort that some people feel when it is discussed. A message for this audience could be around: You consider your legacy every day, so do your patients.
E. Videos for use in staff meetings, on social media and in public presentations should be developed so they can easily be shared and played to help more people share the message about giving back through remembering a healthcare service in a will. A suggestion was to have a short video with the message: Remember your nurses and your special doctor or surgeon? Remember the healthcare service close to your heart in your will.
3. Legacy Marketing Plan
Key audiences:
NHS Staff (as advocates, not necessarily legators themselves) | NHS volunteers |
Patients and visitors | Target age groups (50+) |
Solicitors (as advocates, not necessarily legators themselves) | Target age group influencers (late teens early 20s) |
Key marketing methods:
Leaflets and Posters (distribution channels essential) | Mailing and telethon |
All presentations & meetings | Specific legacy events |
Social Media | Press coverage |
Website (drive audiences to it) | Surveying |
2018/19
Audience | Method | Responsibility | Date of completion |
All | Review website copy & video | Head of Fundraising | March 2019 |
All | Revised leaflet & posters | Head of Fundraising | March 2019 |
Solicitors | Mass mailing | FSMs | March 2019 |
Solicitors | Event (with Gwynedd Law Society) | Head of Fundraising | March 2019 |
2019/20
Audience | Method | Responsibility | Date of completion |
NHS Staff | Surveying | FSMs | September 2019 |
NHS Staff | Video in meetings | Head of Fundraising | March 2020 |
Target aged | Group and Assoc. mailing | FSMs | March 2020 |
Solicitors | Mass mailing and event (internal) | FSMs | December 2019 |
2020/21
Audience | Method | Responsibility | Date of completion |
Patients | Specific healthcare area new legacy appeal | Head of Fundraising | March 2021 |
All | Review website copy & video | Head of Fundraising | March 2021 |
Solicitors | Mass mailing and event | FSMs | December 2019 |
4. KPIs
I. Social media: minimum one reference to legacy giving per month
II. Press coverage
III. Meet above timetable
5. Monitoring and Evaluation
I. Increase in request for legacy packs / information and reason for choosing to leave a legacy
II. Interest in specific legacy events
III. Feedback from surveys / discussions with solicitors and supporters
6. Complying with Regulation and Best Practice
Local solicitors Breese Gwyndaf have offered their expertise and guidance on a pro bono basis to ensure all wording used on legacy promotions and information packs is in line with current regulation and to ensure best practice is followed at all times.
7. Budget
The planned activity will be funded through the existing agreed fundraising budget.