10 Emotional Connections for Legacy Fundraising

There is an essential logic in fundraising—hearts, minds and cash. The mantra for this is no gift is made without emotion to drive it.  The moment you connect. A close spark or bond is created. This remains true above all with legacy gifts.

But we often focus on function first – wills, probate, tax. Maybe we are scared. Maybe we don’t understand. Maybe we don’t know. Either way, it’s not where transformational legacy gifts sit and it’s not where donors start.

 Here are 10 emotional connections for legacy fundraising to get you connecting

1. Find your founder story and relive it through the eyes of your founders
2. Systematically collect and share stories
3. Recognise long-term consideration of a gift will start with an emotional connection
4. Understand the motivation for giving is emotional and won’t always be remembered
5. Teach your organisation to be able to have a legacy conversation as you would with a trusted friend
6. Show the work and the inspirational transformation made by legacy gifts
7. Join up legacy admin so its part of the gift process and joy of giving
8. Do everything possible to make face-to-face happen
9. Reassure donors about their fears and barriers – soothe them
10. Find and use your own personal connection to legacies

So – uncover the emotion, dig deep, be brave, open your hearts – but above all, connect.

If you’d like to explore other great tips to open up your Legacy Fundraising click here for your free download A to Z of Legacy Fundraising. It's a checklist of 26 tips, ideas and prompts. Click here for your download