September is just around the corner and with it comes a month-long celebration of gifts in Wills, as annual campaigns that support this type of giving take the spotlight. Gifts in Wills months have been growing in recognition and awareness and present a moment in the sector calendar to showcase all things legacy. Your organisation may well be planning a campaign to align with the amplification that comes from this month, or perhaps are watching what takes place to decide if it’s something you wish to be part of in the future.
A trend that we have seen growing year on year is the promotion of Free Wills schemes, and although these can be year-round and aren’t necessarily anchored to September, we see a flurry of Free Wills campaigns at this time of year.
A Free Will making offer isn’t a one size fits all promotion and this is one of the areas of gifts in Wills marketing we get asked about the most. So, if you are thinking about adding a Free Will campaign to your bequest marketing activity, or looking to revitalise a current scheme, read on for our top tips about getting the most out of Free Wills.
What are the factors to consider when adding a Free Wills scheme to your legacy programme?
Who doesn’t like something for free? Free ice cream (yes please), free hugs, buy nine coffees get the tenth for free. It’s a compelling marketing technique to attract customers, and a Free Will is no exception. There are some nuances to this particular area of giving and it’s important to ensure you have done your checks on the company you are using to ensure that valid, legal Wills are being written for supporters. But beyond the legalities, what should be considered to make sure that your supporter needs are covered by this promotion?
Put the supporter at the heart of your decision making
If you’re toying with using a Free Will scheme in your legacy marketing programme your starting point should always be the supporter view.
- What is in it for the supporter if you promote this type of giving?
- What will their experience be if they are using a scheme run by a third party that you are partnered with?
- How will their onward journey be managed if they let you know they have remembered you in this way?
One of the best ways to ascertain the supporter view is to literally put yourself in their shoes and go through the process of updating your Will using a Free Will scheme yourself. Perhaps ask a colleague to try out a different scheme or a different style – for instance online versus offline Wills – and compare notes afterwards about not just the process of updating your Will but also the experience you had as a customer using the service. For instance:
- Was it a service you would be proud to promote as a partner to your cause?
- How easy or intuitive was the process?
- What next steps do you think the supporter would expect from the charity once they’ve made their Will in this way?
Answering these questions can help you to craft the ideal experience for your supporters who might go through the same journey. If there are any gaps in your communications, ensure these are filled before you start to push a promotion.
Cold or warm
Free Wills schemes vary, but ultimately when you are using them in your bequest programme it is probably in one of two ways; either marketing to a cold audience of Will making age who you are hoping will support your cause, or marketing to your warm audience when they are considering supporting you in this way, as an incentive to update their Will to include your charity.
Cold audiences may be warm to your cause but not on your database, so marketing Free Wills externally can be a great way of connecting with them. The main thing to be aware of here us that your Free Will product may be taken up by people who aren’t going to support you with a gift in their Will, and so there is a level of risk promoting this offer to unknown audiences.
Warm supporters are those on your database and most probably those in your legacy pipeline. Offering them a Free Will can be a powerful prompt to help them take the next step in their Will making journey.
Breaking down barriers
One of the most obvious reasons for using Free Will schemes is their role in overcoming barriers to making or amending a Will. Gifts in Wills are one of the least transactional types of giving in the fundraising portfolio and there is always going to be an element of effort required to make or update a Will. By understanding this process and how your supporters feel about it you can decide whether Free Will schemes will help them in their journey, and if so, at what point they most need to use them.
It can be useful to map out the key barriers your supporters may have to leaving a legacy and working out whether introducing a Free Will scheme will help to break down any of these barriers. For instance, if your audience think making a Will is expensive then offering to cover the cost for them helps to manage this. If they think Will making is a tedious and overly long process (and let’s face it, in some cases this is true!) then perhaps promoting a streamlined online Will making tool will help them to take the step they need. Matching your offer to their barrier can turn a challenge into a motivation.
Free, but not to the cause
If Free Wills promoted to a cold audience are a marketing tool you’re exploring, then this next piece of advice is particularly pertinent to you. Drawing people directly into your gifts in Wills pipeline offers people of Will making age an opportunity to signal their support for your mission whilst receiving something in return. This is fantastic for cause-led supporters who are using a Free Will scheme to remember your charity. However, it can be worth monitoring and tracking inclusion rates if you are using a Free Will approach with cold audiences. If you find that you have a low gift inclusion rate for your charity you may wish to look at how you are promoting the campaign. Although free is a lovely hook for the audience, it’s not free to your cause. Considering how you word this to be clear they are charity funded Wills ensures people are mindful of this when taking up the offer.
Funding gifts in Wills is an incredibly generous gift to offer your supporter base, just ensure that those who resonate with your mission are the ones mostly using it. Ultimately, donor money is paying for these Wills to be made, and so organisations have a duty to ensure that returns are maximised.
Making the most of Free Wills in your legacy programme
Free Will schemes can offer an incentive to supporters, both warm and cold, who might be considering updating their Will to include your cause. Making sure you’re using them in the right way will ensure you are maximising their impact for your charity. Put yourselves in the shoes of your audience and consider the journey you are taking them on and what role this scheme plays in that journey. It might be as an acquisition tool, or to convert supporters considering this type of giving to take action. Ultimately, encouraging more people to make or amend their Wills is a positive shift, and if they can consider remembering their favourite charity at the same time, imagine what their collective legacies could achieve.
This article is about Free Will schemes in general. AskRIGHT fundraising consultants ltd are not affiliated with any providers of Free Wills promotions and are not able to recommend a particular provider for this.