Guide to the application of the fundraising cycle to a Legacy Campaign

The fundraising cycle applied to the legacy campaign Verify cause Mission, Vision and Case Update Collect and analyse data (DB) Relationship with potential testator Supporter loyalty Money, property, services, and collaborations: ask fearlessly! Communication: choice of media and contents Establish a Strategic fundraising plan Establish goals and share them internally Identify human and economic needs Analyse expectations of target audience Recruit volunteers and collaborators Identify potential supporters and estimate income Research on donors

The fundraising cycle (1) Mission Vision and Case: it is important to answer these questions Why does Radio Maria need a legacy? What is the Vision of Radio Maria? Which needs can a legacy cater for? Why does Radio Maria have to invest in a legacy campaign? Why should the donor name Radio Maria in its will?

The fundraising cycle (2) Goals: decide what use the income will be put to (1) It guarantees the long-term pursuit of Radio Maria activities It allows Radio Maria to expand and develop important or extraordinary projects which would otherwise be difficult to sustain It diversifies the sources of income… other?

The fundraising cycle (3) Goals: decide what use the income will be put to (2) It satisfies the expectations of the donors for which they are a type of well thought-out, targeted and very personal donation They bring elevated resources with a relatively low acquisition cost (once the campaign is working to its greatest potential!) It is a guarantee of resources in the event of emergency or at critical times!

The fundraising cycle (4) Research on donors and other targets to be decided: Who are the potential testators of Radio Maria? What do they think about a legacy campaign? What do they expect from Radio Maria in exchange for the legacy (if they expect something)? What do they like or dislike? By answering these and other questions it is possible to identify different targets depending on their interests and communicate with them in the best possible way

The fundraising cycle (5) Potential targets and motivations The average life expectancy of Italians is constantly rising The target audience are those born Let us look back at the reasons: Faith, social commitment, giving back the good that has been received, changes, absence of heirs and family problems. Let us analyse the context of the public at large in the country in which we operate and the file of our donors to identify targets with common denominators. Between 1915 and They are alone, sad, very old - They talk about death - They love contact with people - They are careful with their lives - They don’t spend money - They are defensive - They are “fragile” Between 1935 and They are dynamic, responsible - They are donors, volunteers - They are workers, pensioners - They are more or less well-off - They communicate more easily with various media - They have few or no children

The fundraising cycle (6) How and from whom do the Legacies arrive Common behavioural trends of donors Very large donations, substantial legacies Substantial special donations, medium-large legacies Sporadic, small, medium donations, medium and small legacies

The fundraising cycle (7) PEST analysis Politics: What are the current and future laws? Economic: Do the crisis and increase in the cost of living reduce potential legacies? Social: average life expectancy is increasing and what do women, who live longer, think about this? Technology: What effect does the Internet have?

The fundraising cycle (8) SWOT analysis (1) Strengths: an effective communication tool: the radio; listeners, elderly donors, existence of a potentially effective data base etc. Weaknesses: lack of a structure dedicated to the management of relations with the testators, possible lack of sharing between all internal targets (staff, volunteers, etc.)

The fundraising cycle (9) SWOT analysis (2) Opportunity: extinction of families, increase in the sensitivity to wills, power of the Religious Cause, widening the message to new targets in Italy and abroad Obstacles: “huge competition” from the Church itself and other Religious Bodies. Economic crisis and increase in average life expectancy

The fundraising cycle (10) Defining a strategic plan Decide how to integrate the Legacy Campaign into Radio Maria’s global fundraising strategy Decide which targets to start working on. Board, volunteers, members, supporters, insiders, donors and the public at large Decide to integrate other communication tools into the radio to give the potential testator the opportunity to “come close”

The fundraising cycle (11) The relationship with the potential testator - It is necessary to integrate the theme of legacies into all the management and communication tools geared to donors, volunteers and internal and external targets - It is necessary to listen to donors and interlocutors making the relationship with them increasingly intense and cared for - It is necessary to develop communication targeted on the theme of legacies and to gather all the useful information that can follow

The fundraising cycle (12) The legacy as the result of many forces Cause Accomplished projects and prospects Analysis and research Tools, involvement, ad hoc motivations for each target Motivation, interest and passion In-depth analysis, Trust Expectations Recognition and testimonies Relationship!! DONATION: - yearly - periodic - frequent - recent - absent -a one-off payment - voluntary work LEGACY!

The fundraising cycle (13) The collection and analysis of data It is essential to be able to rely on a good Database of relational marketing and be aware that it has to be implemented and cannot be done without It is necessary to make a list of all the useful information relating to the potential testator (before and after any will) Continuous consultation of the DB to monitor the behaviour of donors and testators

The fundraising cycle (14) The database and its strategic role (1) Organise the historical data Be acquainted with the motivations of the donors Manage the different segments of the targets (in and out) in a personalised manner Test communication and messages on a regular basis Analyse, verify, and store the results

The fundraising cycle (15) The database and its strategic role (2) Some useful data in relation to the legacies Personal information including date of birth Origin of contact Behavioural information Significant dates in relation to the legacy Type and value of legacy Total amount of payments, if made by a donor Other non-profit beneficiaries Existence of direct heirs Name of notary public /will executor History of the development of the contact Etc.

The fundraising cycle (16) The assessment of the results and updates It is difficult to predict the results of a legacy campaign, but from experience we can say that they are guaranteed and arrive regularly It takes from two to five years to see results. It is possible to assess a trend and make predictions and increasingly targeted plans only after several (5/10) years

The fundraising cycle (17) Assessment of the results and updates Over the years, going back over the stages of the Fundraising Cycle on a regular basis, it is possible to gauge their actions in an increasingly better way and to reach increasingly better results. It takes from two to five years to see results. It is possible to assess a trend and make predictions and increasingly targeted plans based on consolidated analysis and data only after several (5/10) years

Websites of several organisations involved in Legacy Campaigns

References to succession law in Italy p siamo/allegati-chi-siamo/Guidasuccessioni_tutelate.pdf Italian research on heirless succession trends between 2005 and 2020 Gianpaolo Barbetta per Fondazione Cariplo Sito – Osservatorio (bisogna registrarsi per richiedere il Quaderno sulla ricerca sui lasciti)

Useful links Ethical code on UK legacies fundraising.org.uk/Codes_and_regulation/Codes/codes-directory Fundraising guidelines