8 Steps to a successful

Bequest Program

Dive into the Tacklebox

Jena Clark

Guide Dogs SA/NT

1. How does talking about death make you feel?

2. Is recognition important to you?

3. What will your legacy be?

Who’s Uncomfortable?

• Families

• Fearful

• Public speaking is #1 fear (even over death) in surveys

• Glenn Croston Ph.D.

• Don’t talk about it enough

• BBC UK

Who’s Uncomfortable?

• NFP Employees

• Lack of Education

• Involved with Include A Charity?

• Webinars

Who’s Uncomfortable?

• NFP sector

• Educating the community

• Missed opportunities

• In 2005, 58% of Australians had a will

• Only 7.5% include a charitable bequest

• (Giving Australia, 2005, Giving Australia: Research on

Philanthropy in Australia)

• These stats now being followed up with Giving Australia 2015

LET’S GET COMFORTABLE

Guide Dogs can rest easy knowing a sustainable bequest

program is there to support them through their training

Before you can start your successful Bequest Program make sure you have in

your Toolbox…

1. Plan (expect to achieve 70% on average)

2. Staff Resources & Budget

3. Database for acquisition

4. Staff are educated• Pecuniary (cash gift)

• Residual (remainder of estate)

• Percentage (of either residual or entire estate)

• Asset (bonds, shares, real estate etc)

• Bequests apart of Planned Giving or Major Gifts programs

• Do you know your donor?...

Know Your Donor

• Australians dying in 2012 were born in 1930

• They experienced the great depression

• Married after WW2

• Brought up in religious households

• Lived as part of the ‘nuclear family’

(Australian Bureau of Statistics 2012, 3202.0 – Deaths Australia, 2011)

2013 / 2014 2014 / 2015 2015 / 2016

JulyCall bequestors and thank for their Tax Appeal donation Call bequestors and thank for their Tax Appeal donation Call bequestors and thank for their Tax Appeal donation

Employ Bequest Officer 0.6 FTE Increase Bequest Officer 0.8 FTE

Aug

Paw Prints Bequest Story Paw Prints Bequest Story Paw Prints Bequest Story

Laser variable bequest tick boxes Laser variable bequest tick boxes Laser variable bequest tick boxes

Research of confirmed bequestors

SeptBequest story at E Litter graduation Bequest story at G Litter graduation Bequest story at puppy graduation

Create a bequest charter Recognition program to commence Digital bequest presence & information hub

OctLaser variable tick boxes for Virtual Giving Laser variable tick boxes for Virtual Giving Laser variable tick boxes for Virtual Giving

Offer discounted Unleashed Tickets Offer discounted Unleashed Tickets Offer discounted Unleashed Tickets

NovPersonalised Xmas appeal with laser variable tick boxes Personalised Xmas appeal with laser variable tick boxes Personalised Xmas appeal with laser variable tick boxes

Xmas Bequest event - pre-empt Xmas appeal landing Xmas Bequest event - pre-empt Xmas appeal landing Xmas Bequest event - pre-empt Xmas appeal landing

Dec Xmas cards, Calendars, Buddy Dog & Dog Tag Xmas cards, Calendars, Buddy Dog & Dog Tag Xmas cards, Calendars, Buddy Dog & Dog Tag

Jan Happy New Year Photo with Tango and delivered Happy New Year Photo with Tango and delivered Happy New Year Photo with Tango and delivered

Feb

specific survey question for bequests specific survey question for bequests specific survey question for bequests

personalised question for known bequestors personalised question for known bequestors personalised question for known bequestors

hand written notes on survey packs Establish routine visit calendar hand written notes on survey packs

Mar

Fulfil on Survey with bequest brochure and follow up phone call

Fulfil on Survey with bequest brochure and follow up phone call

Fulfil on Survey with bequest brochure and follow up phone call

Bequest specific mailing after survey results Bequest specific mailing after survey results Bequest specific mailing after survey results

2Evolve bequest calling after direct mail appeal 2Evolve bequest calling after direct mail appeal 2Evolve bequest calling after direct mail appeal

AprInclude tick boxes on Paw Prints + follow up Include tick boxes on Paw Prints + follow up Include tick boxes on Paw Prints + follow up

laser remove variable tick boxes laser remove variable tick boxes laser remove variable tick boxes

Maydatabase updates and cross referencing database updates and cross referencing database updates and cross referencing

Lawyers and Estate agent meetings Increase Lawyers and Estate agent meetings Increase Lawyers and Estate agent meetings

June

Invitation to Quiz night Invitation to Quiz night Invitation to Quiz night

Leave take home brochure at Quiz night Leave take home brochure at Quiz night Leave take home brochure at Quiz night

Phone call to look out for Tax Appeal Phone call to look out for Tax Appeal Phone call to look out for Tax Appeal

Personalised tick boxes to Tax Appeal Personalised tick boxes to Tax Appeal Personalised tick boxes to Tax Appeal

Everyone says “You have Puppies!”

Industry trends are that

bequests are declining so

diversifying your revenue

portfolio and redeveloping a

dying database is crucial

0

500000

1000000

1500000

2000000

2500000

3000000

3500000

FY09 FY10 FY11 FY12 FY13 FY14 FY15

Bequest Revenue

Buddy for Life

Invest in Mass Fundraising – DM, F2F, Tele

Large Bequests in FY09 & FY10 that were

unknown

9 revenue channels

13 revenue channels

22 revenue channels

$0.00

$1.00

$2.00

$3.00

$4.00

$5.00

$6.00

$7.00

$8.00

FY09 FY10 FY11 FY12 FY13 FY14 FY15 FY16

Fundraising Growth(Ex Bequests)

income

expense

profit

GDSANT Donor Pyramid 09

Bequest

Direct Mail, Products, Lottery, Events26,000

$1m

$38.46

87

$3.2m

$36,781

GDSANT Donor Pyramid 15

Bequest

Major Donor

Regular Giving, Tele RG

Direct Mail, Products, Lottery, Tele, Events

35,000

$1.5m

$42

15,000

$4.6m

$306

100

$350k

$3,500

50

$2.0m

$40,000

Step 1

Target Market

1. Anyone over 60 years?

2. No children

3. $5 or $10 over a period of time

4. Donated more than 5 years / 10 years

5. RG for over 3-5 years

6. Donates over many programs

7. Types of responses (definitions)

Enquiry, intending, confirmed, never

Step 2

Materials

1. Acquisition pack (also known as Conversion Pack) – when, targeting criteria

2. Enquiry pack

3. Thank process

4. Multi-Channel set up – Mail packs, Website page, Phone Scripts, Event material

Materials #1: Acquisition Pack

• August 2015

• Sent to 5000 warm donors based on segmentation

• 221 Responses

• $1,220 in donations (without an ask)

• 24 confirmed bequests

• RR = 0.0048%

• Average bequest is $30,000 at Guide Dogs

• 24 confirmed bequests x $30,000 =

• $720,000

• Good Investment as this campaign cost $14,000

Count of ID Bequest Status

2 Confirmed Pecuniary

2 Confirmed Residual

14 Confirmed Undefined

2 Considering / Undecided

6 Intender Undefined

192 Not Interested

1 Partially Received

2 Received

221 Total

Materials #2: Enquiry Pack

Materials #3: Thank You Process

1. Thank You Phone Call

2. Invitation to Welcome/Thank You Event

3. Regular invitations to all events as special guests

Direct Mail Integration

1. Include tick boxes

2. 97 enquiries

Materials #4: Multi-Channel set up

Events

Website Page

Phone Scripts

Name it … Club ItStep 3

Step 4Survey213 enquiries

Halfway Mark - Recap

Step 1: Target Market (Research)

Step 2: Materials

Acquisition Pack, Enquiry Pack, Thank You Process, Multi-

Channel Setup

Step 3: Club It

Step 4: Survey

Step 5

Warm Telemarketing Campaign

310 confirmed enquires total from DM & Survey

76 confirmed via telephone

Outsource versus volunteers

Compare results between outsource and volunteers

Ensure an action item achieved on the call

Script

Stop & Think…

Cost Comparison on Long-term Investment

VOLUME COST ROI

DM 5,000 $14,000 24 confirmed @ $30,000 per Bequest = $720,000

TELE 319 $5,000 79 confirmed @ $30,000 per Bequest = $2,370,000

Step 6

Events

Acquisition Events

• Mention Bequests at as many Events as

possible

Stewardship Events

• Meet CEO, puppies & clients

• Part of thank process

Step 7Relationships: What’s your tool?

• DVD of your program or thank you message

from client

• Letter from patient or key stakeholder

• Speaker post-event

• Household visits

• Will checking

• With more bequests = more contested

• Research donors

Step 8

Future Plans

• Increase Bequest

• Industry has no issue with this technique in other programs

• Get comfortable

• Increase ask in other areas

• Don’t stop asking in the original program

8 Steps1. Target Market (Research)

2. Materials

3. Club It

4. Survey

5. Telemarketing Campaign

6. Events

7. Relationships

8. Future Plans

Following these 8 steps has increased our confirmed Bequestors from

87 in 2009 - 399 in 2016

Feeling Comfortable?