Try Dying for Giving Tuesday
Rather than featuring the horrifically over-used matching gift offer or the ubiquitous “Give because it’s Giving Tuesday” non-motivational message, why not try a giving call-to-action that features something very much on donors’ minds these days? Death.
At the outset of the pandemic, many organizations were nervous about their planned-giving communications, wary that they would appear insensitive.
However, from what we’re hearing and what’s been reported fundraisers who continued providing information about legacy giving have found significant success securing new bequest commitments. Not surprising given the daily pandemic stats on mortality and the likelihood that reasonable people will think more and plan more concerning their own impermanence.
Take a look at the 2020 analysis by FreeWill, the company that provides free online estate-planning tools, and you’ll find enough ammunition to persuade any reluctant or worried folks in your organization that it’s time to seek bequests.
The FreeWill analysis of bequests on their platform ranged from as low as $100 to more than $50 million. The mean size of a bequest was $60,828. Just over 13% of wills with bequests included more than one bequest, averaging out to 1.3 bequests per will. As a result, the mean size of all gifts within a will with a bequest was $82,232.
A quick check of the FreeWill website (at noon on 11/14/21) indicates the potential power and usefulness of this free online tool. To date it’s raised more than $4.2 billiion in commitments among 600+ nonprofits who feature the service. And FreeWill claims that folks who use the service to make their wills are 5 times more likely to leave a charitable bequest than the national average and those charitable bequests made via Free Will are 2.5 times larger compared to the national average.
So, as you enter the final stretch in preparing for Giving Tuesday you might want to think about placing some information and link to FreeWill on your donation page. Here’s how Wikipedia featured it a post-donation landing page headlined “Other ways you can help Wikipedia thrive.”
The 2020 FreeWill analysis is a fascinating read. Not only will you find out about bequest habits by the usual age and gender demographics; the analysis will tell you about giving patterns geographically, by marital status, presence of children and yes, even the likelihood of increase/decreased bequests if pets are present in the donor’s home.
Roger
6 responses to “Try Dying for Giving Tuesday”
Behavioral Science Q & A
Integrating an individual giving appeal with other communications from a charity can have both positive and negative effects, and the outcome largely depends on how it’s executed. Advantages of Integration Brand Consistency: Maintaining a consistent appearance and messaging across all communications can reinforce the org’s brand identity and strengthen brand recognition and trust among your […]
Read Full Answer
I’m not aware of any in-market tests specifically comparing recurring vs. gift frequency language. I suspect the answer might not be the same with all gift frequencies, nor with all people. It sounds like a great opportunity for you to test and find out what works for your audience. Based on the literature, here’s a couple […]
Read Full Answer
Based on what we know from existing data, those renewal notices can actually be pretty effective in getting people to donate. They tap into our psychology – creating a sense of urgency, reminding us of past support, and using personalization to make the message hit home. They’re playing on our natural tendencies to feel obligated […]
Read Full Answer
Interesting question. I had a quick look at the testing done on this topic. On the positive side, in all cases, over half of donors decide to cover the fee. In some cases, it goes as high as 65%. Not a negligible percentage at all. Here’s another test from iRaiser showing consistent results (see point […]
Read Full Answer
There’s just one thing to consider when designing a supporter journey: the supporter. More specifically, you need to take into account: Who the supporter is i.e. their identity, which is the reason they support this cause, and their personality, which describes the way they “see” and process the world. These will determine the kind of […]
Read Full Answer
I’m not an expert in this but a quick search surfaced this article on the effect of tax reforms on 2019’s charitable giving. The researchers didn’t find a reduction. Actually, they observed an “increase in charitable contributions in 2019, even with the lower tax rates and the dramatically smaller number of taxpayers who itemize their […]
Read Full Answer
thanks Roger, this is great. I wish more nonprofits would use a tool like Freewill or GivingDocs as it’s indeed great, but just note that their service is not free to nonprofits… it’s based upon your revenue/number of donors who could potentially be using that service… it’s still peanuts compared to what you could be getting and you’d more than pay for it with one bequest, but there is an upfront cost associated with it for the nonprofit. And just a quick reminder, start planting seeds about legacy gifts to your monthly donors!! They’re even more likely to leave you in their will. I did a test with an organization recently, just adding a tick box on their reply form about leaving the org in the donor’s will uncovered a heap of commitments and considerations. It doesn’t take much but it takes something.
Roger, any option other than the Matching Gift subject line is a welcome relief. Discussing estate planning is such a huge win for everyone involved. Even if estate plans and documents are in place, who among us is not in need of updating them anyway, probably only a select few…
Love the suggestion.
However my initial response to the tease email was “I can just see some fundraiser NOT reading the entire article and doing something like “Talk to us before you die”!”
All good comments. Roger, I go back now almost 40 years in the first inclusion of estate commitments in Capital Campaigns, an Art Franztreb legacy. I could be one of the founder of the term “integrated campaign” which has evolved into Comprehensive campaign. Our friend at Texas Tech has opened the conversation for contemporary conversation.
Proud of the billions included in estates because of our simple work. Put me in the unknowledgeable column on Freewill and others, I do wonder about legal issues of confidentiality, ability to articulate your mission to the donor. The small size of designation illustrates a lack of sales techniques by nonprofit. Stunned to see someone just discovered putting a box to check for more information. Just got off the phone with a former employee of a client that we had recommended the CEO sending a Valentine, with a place to include will, first time out resulted from over 150 indications of inclusion in estate plan.
Did a study with a rather large group of estate designations maybe 6000 in which we review the amount realized based on continued communication and a focus on valuation. They would have three or four hundred pass a year. Average Results: Estate Gift Realized from Unknown Donor, $40,000; Gift Realized from Donor we knew had included but not amount, $150,000; Gift realized from donor who we knew and had valued her estates over $600,000. My point is you don’t just get the gift signature because we know changes in will just before death may be as high as 35%. Good reminder.
Legacy giving programs often never get off the ground because people think talking about death is creepy. Yet the past 20 months has had people questioning meaning of life, and own mortality, in unprecedented way. People are wondering what their legacy might be. Just possibly, they may wish part of their legacy to be supporting causes they cared about during their lifetime. It’s not going to happen though, unless YOU begin the conversation. There are so many ways to plant the seeds through your website and marketing messages. And using tools like Freewill and Giving Docs open up new opportunities for sure.
66% in the U.S. don’t have will. One service you can offer? Explain why it’s a good idea. Nearly 70% of people make gifts to charity during their lifetimes; only 6% leave a bequest. Why? No one makes the case for why it’s a good idea. Bottom line: no one asks them!
Drs Adrian Sargeant & Elaine Jay found 88.7% of donors indicated belief it’s appropriate for NPOs to ask for legacy gifts. If donors OK w/it, you should be too! I know we’re uncomfortable with mortality, but it happens to everyone. We shouldn’t let discomfort get in the way of offering donors information that will help them feel good about enacting and perpetuating their values. It’s a win for them and a win for the larger community and society.
Claire, thank you for your comments. The astounding amount of estate gifts what go wanting or into the financial planner’s hands would change the world. You mentioned Adrian Sargeant, You may know he was the first HARTSOOK Chair in Fundraising at Indiana, continues to be a close friend. His stats are right on, it is the lack of courage, sophistication, respect, down right understanding most of us know we are going to die. The issues isn’t willingness or understanding of need it is the ability to ask and close.
You were also right during the past 24 months we all thought we were going to die, what a great time to get in the will. But no, fundraisers stayed away.
I have made a fortune for my clients through realized bequests that others ignore. Thanks for your wake up call. Or at least refer them to me, I will close the gift.