“Supporters can make such a difference through including a gift in their will to the charities they support, and the Remember a Charity campaign helps achieve this”
Cystic Fibrosis Trust raises around £1 million a year from legacies. As we strive to beat cystic fibrosis for good, membership of the Remember A Charity consortium is a vital part of our legacy strategy so that in the longer term we can dramatically increase this figure. It helps ensure that our generous supporters understand the difference they can make and adds tangible value to my work.
A revised strategy
We joined Remember A Charity to better promote legacy giving to our supporters and beyond. In the past, the charity had shied away from mentioning Wills as cystic fibrosis is a life-shortening condition, and whilst life expectancy has come along way in our 51 years, we know we’ve still a long way to go.
I am aware that research reveals legacies typically make up a third of income for national health charities. Our legacy income accounts for circa 10% of our total income, soI devised a strategy to increase this and Remember A Charity is a key component.
Strength in numbers
As a member of the consortium we benefit from nationwide marketing campaigns and strategic partnerships. The budget, influence and impact of Remember A Charity far exceeds that which any charity working alone could achieve. The logo its and promotion of membership itself adds kudos to our marketing and connects us to the wider awareness campaign.
Last year, our campaign for Remember A Charity in your Will Week allowed us to focus on attracting more gifts in Wills to help us focus on our future goals, leading to 212 new legacy enquiries.
Remember A Charity Week 2014
In September 2014 we dedicated a whole month to promoting legacy giving. We offered a free Will-writing service to our most loyal supporters, including a direct mail campaign to 6,000 individuals and a digital promotion.
Our community fundraising team were also trained to promote the campaign face to face. The Remember A Charity Living Legends themed giveaways, such as the bookmarks and stickers, were helpful in reinforcing the message and encouraging conversation about legacies among supporters who had perhaps not thought about supporting the charity in this way.
Adding synergy to your legacy fundraising
If you are serious about legacy fundraising, membership of the consortium will add real synergy to your work. By aligning with the wider vision to make legacy giving the social norm, you will enhance your strategy. I think it makes absolute sense to join Remember A Charity; to make the most of the campaigns, to influence the will writing public, and ultimately to make charitable legacy giving a social norm. Supporters can make such a difference through including a gift in their will to the charities they support, and the Remember a Charity campaign helps achieve this
Find out more about Cystic Fibrosis Trust here.
Michael Clark, Legacy and in-memory Manager at Cystic Fibrosis Trust
Michael Clark 