Blueprint for Bequest

Success: What Strategies

Bring Real Results?

Molly Martin

@CrescendoTweet

Facebook.com/CrescendoInteractive

molly@cresmail.com

Plannedgivingblog.com

Your Bequest Marketing

© 2014 Crescendo Interactive, Inc.

“If you had to describe your bequest marketingin one word, what would it be?”

STALE

NEGLECTED

NONEXISTENT

FICTIONAL

IGNORED

REACTIVE

• Most organizations are at 7%-8%

• You could be producing 25% from planned gifts!

• Are you missing out on 17%-18%?

Planned Giving

Annual Revenue Projection

Multichannel

Marketing

Web • Email • Print • Video • Social Media • Mobile

• Highlight Your Mission

• Common Story

• Consistent Branding

• Optimize Each Channel

• One Call to Action

• Inspirational Focus

• Connected Channels

Effective Multichannel Marketing

Farra Trompeter, Big Duck

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Web/eMail Special Events Direct Mail

How To Stay in Touch?

Boomers Preference

Blackbaud, The Next Generation of American Giving, August 2013

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

Web/eMail Special Events Direct Mail

How To Stay in Touch?

Seniors Preference

Blackbaud, The Next Generation of American Giving, August 2013

Launching an Effective Bequest

Campaign

© 2015 Crescendo Interactive, Inc.

•Trends and Stats

•Understanding Bequest Campaign Basics

•Campaign Strategies

•Case Studies

•Questions

Trends and Stats

• Age 44 first will

• Age 49 first bequest

• Average age of bequest donors is 58

• 79% of bequest donors have relationship with charity

• 2/3 of bequest donors make annual gifts

• A donors overall giving increases after they make a bequest

• Only 2% bequests revoked

Russell James III

18-4417%

45-5426%

55-6422%

65-7420%

75+15%

Bequests By Age

No Children

50%With Children

17.1%

With Grandchildren

9.8%

Russell James III

Bequest Donor

Demographics

Sargeant Study, Indiana U

Illness

Death of Spouse

Birth of Child/Grandchild

Death of Relative

Increase in Assets

Bequest Life-Points

Bequest Campaign Basics

– Why should you do a campaign?

•Bequest commonly make up 90% or more of

your planned gifts

•Anyone can do it

•Offers a service beyond solicitation

Bequest Campaign Basics

– What’s the purpose of my campaign?

•Engage, Educate and Empower

•Growth to Legacy Society Membership

• Increase Leads for Other Gifts

•Who Are Your Secret Admirers?

Bequest Campaign Basics

– When is the best time do my campaign?

•After tax season but before Summer

•All year long with monthly offers

•4-6 week timeframe

•When you have the time

– Who is my target audience?

Age

1. Generation X (Age 34-50)

2. Boomers (Age 51-69)

3. Seniors (Age 70-95)

4. Married

5. Single

6. Women

Segmentation

Loyal Donors

1. Five Years

2. Ten Years

3. Fifteen Years

4. Twenty Years

5. Cumulative Giving

6. Bequest Society

– What are the most common materials?

Wills Guide

Insert

Brochure

E-blast

Postcard

Bequest Marketing tools

1. Family

2. Contacts and Healthcare

3. Finances

4. Estate Plan Options

Wills Guide Topics

Wills Kit

• Personal Letter

• Letter of Intent

• Insert

• Brochure

• Bequest Language

• Wills Guide

• Business Card

Wills Guide Success

1. E-blast Wills Guide Offer

2. Website

3. Facebook Posts

4. Follow up

Electronic Campaign

E-blast: What is the purpose?

• Targeted Message

• Segmented

• Invitations

Email Acquisition Strategies

Events Free

Offer

Social

Media

Website

Sign-up

Phone

CallsPersonal

Contact

Survey Response

Card

• Images that illustrate your mission

• Motivating donor stories and testimonials

• Bequest Language & Tax ID

• Call to action

• Timely Information

• Let us know your plans

• Print Integration

Preparing Your Website

Example 4

Images

Donor Stories

Example 1

Call to Action

Let us know

your plans

Bequest

Language &

Legacy Society

Wills Guide Offer

eMarketing Success

• 90 bequest commitments

• Monthly e-mails

• Campaign May/June

• 30 requests per month

• Open rates of 18%

• Donor Survey

• 40% donor lead increase

WWW.WETAGIFT.ORG

1. Postcard or Insert

2. Promotional Ad

3. E-blast Wills Guide Offer

4. Facebook Post

Print & eMarketing

Campaign

Print & eMarketing

Success

• Wills Kit Offer• eBlast – 94,000• Postcard

• Millennials 25-45

• Boomers 45-65

• Seniors 65+

• Married – Children

• Married – No Children

• Single

Donor Leads

• Offer of Wills Kit

• Requests – 2,000+!

• Millions in bequest intentions discovered!

1. Wills Kit

2. Website

3. E-blast

4. Postcard

5. Insert

6. Ads

7. Facebook

8. Seminar

Multichannel Bequest

Campaign

Seminar

• 5 contacts in 5 weeks to invite attendees

• Send reminder 2 days before seminar

• Joint presentation by Gift Planner and Attorney to review 4 sections of Wills Guide

- Family / Contacts & Healthcare / Finances / Estate Plan

• Sign up sheet for next steps

• 6 week fulfilment from seminar to signed docs

Seminar Marketing

Success

Beginning of December – eNewsletter

Mid-December – eBlast

Beginning of January – eNewsletter

Beginning of January – printed postcard

Mid-January – eBlast

Week of the seminar - email reminders to rsvp’d guests.

Seminar January 28

Q & A

mailto:molly@cresmail.com