Advantage^NFP Fundraiser is a comprehensive fundraising, membership, alumni and marketing database solution with many features provided as standard. One area that is catered for is that of Legacy Fundraising.  We thought we’d share out top tips for legacy fundraising with you.  They are…

• You don’t have to make a direct personal ask; why not use your regular newsletter. Include a legacy item in every issue, this constant drip-feed is a great way to keep legacy giving at the front of supporters' minds and is one way to encourage legacy giving without asking directly.
  
  
• Don't talk about "legacies" and "bequests", keep to simple, everyday words, like ‘gift in your Will’ that people will understand.
  
  
• You want people to be aware of your legacies programme well in advance. People tend to write or update their wills at significant life points (marriage, birth of children, retirement and illness). Think about how you can incorporate awareness of this into your communications.
  
  
• Legacy fundraising is accessible to all charities and not for profits, no matter what size. In fact, small, local organisations often have a more personal link with their supporters.
  
  
• Position Legacy giving in a positive, upbeat way, with messages like ‘What will you be remembered for?’ A legacy gift is, after all, often the biggest donations a supporter will ever make, so your approach should enable and encourage them to feel really good about it.
  
  
• A gift in your Will is simply one of many ways to support a charity and not one you should feel any more awkward about mentioning than any other.
  
  
• Tell stories about what legacies have achieved for your organisation.
  
  
• As with any form of fundraising - it's not just about telling people that you need the money. It's about making it extremely easy for them to give you the money.  Once someone decides to leave you a legacy - how do they do it? Get an information pack together that members can request or download from your website.
  
  
• Make sure legacy fundraising is included on your website. This usually lives in the donate section and is called something like 'remember us in your will'.
  
  
• Bear in mind 'If you don't ask you don't get', particularly with legacy giving, since your supporters need to know that they can give to you in this way in order to consider doing so in the first place - so it's really important to make sure they are aware of it. It's important to ask directly too, especially long-term, loyal donors, who have been supporting you generously for some time.
  
  
• It's imperative, when dealing with legacies, that your accounting process is extremely transparent.  It's essential that the wishes of the donor are carried out, and you must be able to show this in your accounting. You also want to keep track of legacy generated income, so that you can monitor it over time to see whether your awareness campaigns are working.

If you’d like to discuss your legacy fundraising programme and how it could be integrated with Advantage^NFP Fundraiser then please contact Jane Haywood on 01582 794229.