Start your bequest program

Start Your Bequest ProgramStart Your Bequest Program
Fiona McPhee
Pareto Fundraising New Zealand
The practicalities of starting a bequest program.
Where to start and what is possible with limited
resources

Where are we all at?
• Bequest budgeting
• Bequest resources
• Bequest strategy
• Bequest pledge tracking

The Reality
1. Very few people leave bequests
2. Bequests can accounted for over 40% of income
from individuals in NZ in 2012*
3. Bequests account for millions of dollars given to
charities every year
4. Traditionally there has been a low correlation
between regular donors to a given charity and
individuals who leave charitable bequests^

I Believe
• Bequests are received from people who either:
• Have an emotional connection with the cause unrelated to their
experience with you as fundraisers OR
• Have had a valuable and authentic long-term relationship with you
• Best return on investment from bequest marketing efforts will be
seen when a bequest strategy is focused on how you can best
utilise your available resources and capacity to:
• Provide a compelling reason to leave you a bequest
• Facilitate and maintain supporters relationships in the way they
want them
• Provide a compelling reason for these supporters to leave you a bequest and ask
them to do so

What we will cover
Who
How
What
Diversify

Who Leaves Bequests?
© Pareto Fundraising New Zealand 2013
*www.EncourageGenerosity.com

*www.EncourageGenerosity.com
People with no
offspring currently
leave around 7 times
more than those with
children

• When asked, 30% of people say they’d be
willing to leave a gift in their will once family
and friends had been provided for.
The “Family
First’
concept

• When asked, 30% of people say they’d be
willing to leave a gift in their will once family
and friends had been provided for.
• The trouble is only 7.5% actually end up
doing that.

Who Leaves Bequests
* Stats from Prof Adrian Sargeant, Indiana University

Who Leaves Bequests

Drive enquiries for conversion –
shallow prospecting
Start Somewhere

Real Person
• Bequests and Planned Giving
• Leaving a gift in your will to The Lost Dogs’ Home means you will continue to
provide support to dumped and lost cats and dogs for years to come. Bequests
are primarily used towards capital projects, such as new buildings and facilities,
or animal ambulances. Recently the Home was able to build the Stan and Helen
Moore Sick and Injured Shelter, The Lost Cats’ Home, Thelma Hoult Training
and Education Centre and begin construction of the Frank Samways Veterinary
Clinic through the generosity of supporters who left a gift in their will.
• The Home can also provide peace of mind for you and your pets with our Pet
Bequest Program.
• For more information please contact Tracey Anderson, Bequest Officer: 03 9321
8746 or tracey.anderson@dogshome.com.
• If you decide to leave a gift in your will to The Lost Dogs’ Home, please let us
know as we would appreciate the opportunity to thank you!

Proposition

Proposition
A gift in your Will could help us achieve our vision - to own and
protect, or assist others to protect, more than seven million hectares
or 1 per cent of Australia's land, water and wildlife by 2025.
Let the protection of Australia's precious natural environment be your
legacy for the future

Pets give us so much love and companionship and ask so little
in return. Here is your chance to give something back, a chance
to help literally thousands of animals.
Gifts in wills help the Lort Smith Animal Hospital to:
1. Provide surgery and medical care for pets of people with
limited means.
2. Care for surrendered animals in our shelter and find them new
loving long term homes.
3. Promote responsible pet ownership.
4. Foster an awareness of animals and the positive benefits they
bring.
Proposition

Promotion
• Stories of impact
(big and small gifts)
• Written
• Video
• Testimonials (why /
thank you for)
• Written
• Video

Stories of impact
• Frank Samways never set foot in the shelter that he would later donate millions of
dollars to. This generous, big-hearted and charismatic man loved animals more than
anything, and couldn’t bear the thought of seeing abandoned cats and dogs
incarcerated. However when he sadly passed away three years ago, at age 82, Frank
left behind the ultimate gift – a better future for the animals he cared so much about.
• The Lost Dogs’ Home is extremely humbled to have received the largest bequest in
our 100 year history; a $3 million donation left to us in Mr Samways’ will. Managing
Director Graeme Smith said that, before he died, Mr Samways had confided that the
Home would be a beneficiary, but didn’t specify to what extent.
• “He’d said, ‘I’m worth a bit’, but he didn’t indicate to me how much,” Dr Smith
said. “We were all truly gobsmacked when we heard the figure.”
• The money has been put towards purchasing an old building, 50 metres from the
Home’s Gracie Street headquarters, and converting it into a new state-of-the-art
private veterinary clinic. The current clinic brings in around $1 million per year of
income, and with the new clinic around three times its size, staff at the Home are
hoping it will draw a larger customer base.
• “The new clinic will incorporate a car park, five consulting rooms, two operating
theatres and a waiting room, “ Dr Smith said. “The income gained from this new
facility will go right back into funding the Home’s various services and programs.”
• The City of Melbourne approved plans for the new clinic last week. It will be named in
honour of Mr Samways. The old clinic will be converted into a dog and cat
adoption centre.
• “Frank his given us the gift that will keep on giving,” Dr Smith said. “Dogs and cats will
be benefitting from his kind donation for years to come. We will forever be grateful for
his generosity.”
• For more information on leaving a gift to The Lost Dogs’ Home in your Will, please
don’t hesitate to contact our Bequest Officer, Tracey Anderson, on (03) 9321 8744 or
via email tracey.anderson@dogshome.com.

Testimonials
Making a difference with a bequest
When the late John Stringer was diagnosed with primary-progressive MS in 2002 his family found it
‘almost inconceivable’ that the cause of MS was not known and there was virtually no treatment for his
form of the disease.
John was unlucky to have a very aggressive form of this debilitating disease which caused a very
rapid decline and he died just six years later.
‘Research into MS was John’s wish,’ said his father David Stringer, who believes medical progress in
auto-immune diseases lags far behind other diseases and that research into MS needs a huge boost.
Both David and his wife Carmel, have given meaning to John’s wish and have generously pledged half
of their estate to MS Research Australia (MSRA).
This promise honours John’s memory. His wife Michelle, who cared for him, and the rest of his family
are supportive of this heartfelt instruction.
‘With the current progress in genetics - and stem cell research in particular - it is clear that the cause,
treatment and cure for MS are attainable,’ he said.
John’s family believes MSRA provides the focus necessary to unlocking the mystery of MS.
‘Supporting research facilitated by MSRA seemed by far the best way of giving some real meaning to
John’s wishes, which my wife and I both shared.’
‘It’s of primary importance to me that the disease that took the young man, who was my son, best
friend and golf buddy, in the prime of his life be beaten. We will do all we can so that others do not
have to go through what he did and what we did.’
John, who was a nurse at Melbourne’s Lort Smith Animal Hospital, is survived by his father and sister,
Sharee, who will be executors of the family estate in future.

Promotion
• Repetition
• Clear, concise
messaging
• Focus on
impact (not just
how to)
• Make it easy to
pursue

Promotion
• What about solicitors?
– Consider who you are, where you audience
is and how much influence you can have
with the resource you have.

Promotion - Solicitors
•Share a SIMPLE message with them
•Most significant factor increasing the incidence of
charitable bequests in the UK and the USA - the
mention of charities by a solicitor at the time a Will
is being prepared.
•UK study has shown solicitors are making a difference
by asking the question about philanthropic gifts in Wills:
• the number of charitable bequests included in Wills increased from
4.9% when the option was not mentioned by the solicitor to 10.8%
when the question was asked.

Enquiry Brochure
• Is it from a real
person?
• Does it provide
contact details?
• Does it present
your proposition?
• Does it ask?
• Could a more
personalised
approach aid
conversion?

Asking
• Someone has expressed interest:
• Ask them to do it
• Face-to-face, phone, mail
• Ask them to seek more info / support
• Ask them to tell you
• Why?
• Us: so we can steward them
• Them:
» Most common: so we can plan ahead
» More honest:

Asking
• Someone has expressed interest:
• Ask them to do it
• Face-to-face, phone, mail
• Ask them to seek more info / support
• Ask them to tell you
• Why?
• Us: so we can steward them
• Them:
– Most common: so we can plan ahead
– More honest:
Why Oxfam suggest you tell them:
“Its really helpful if you could let us
know that you have included us in
your will – that way we know that
we needn't ask you again. We can
also update you with aspects of
our current work, and areas of
work that are particularly
interesting to you”

Key Messages
• Proposition (why you)
• Family first
• Tell your family
• Over 70% of planned bequests are not realised by people
with a surviving spouse, this drops to 50% for those without
a surviving spouse
• Tell us

After the ask - Follow Up
Did they receive the letter /
remember previous
conversation / visit?
Did their lawyer find the
wording useful?
Any further information
needed?
Have they had the opportunity
to make the addition / changes

After the follow up -
Converting

Diversify
Assumes you have
your person, your
proposition & your
wording

It’s Ongoing

Follow Up
You should re-confirm their status at least once a
year.
Follow Up Questions:
• Are you still considering a bequest?
• Have you been to the solicitor?
• Would you like help finding a solicitor?
• Would your family be interested in seeing X, Y or Z?
• Can I share with you a story of the impact of a recent bequest

Ongoing Stewardship
Distinctive Recognition?
• Not everyone wants to be publically
recognised
• Not everyone wants to be ‘part of the
club’
• Everyone wants to feel remembered,
valued and respected

Ongoing Stewardship
The Love
• Treat them
differently – like
VIPs
• Don’t change
what you do now
– add to it
The
Understanding
• Research them
• Ask them
questions
• Check in

Some Benchmarks - Confirms
Research
suggests around
40% of confirmed
bequests are
realised

Thank You
Fiona McPhee
fiona.mcphee@paretofundraising.com
Twitter: fimcphee
Phone: +6421 336 905
Web: www.paretofundraising.com

Can I Help?
• Establish a new program
• Review a current program
• Audit your program, processes and resourcing
• Develop your proposition
• Build capacity – training & mentoring
• Facilitate prospecting
• Materials review & development
• Surveys
• Bequest Appeals
• Conversion programs phone & mail
• Online journey & collateral
• Promotion stories

Start your bequest program

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