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Include a Charity

2022 Gifts in Wills Conference

28 July 2022

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Keeping it real – �making successful connections with Wills Days�

Wesley Mission Vision statement

‘Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.’

Attributed to John Wesley

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A brief history of Wesley Mission

1812 - Wesley Mission commenced its work
210 years - Wesley Mission has been caring for the community
1906 - The Hon. Ebenezer Vickery - legacy gift
1963 - The Rev Alan Walker commenced Lifeline
1973 - David Morgan Centre opens

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Keeping it real – �making successful connections with Wills Days�

A brief history of Wesley Mission Gift in Wills journey:

commenced over 40 years ago
CEO/Superintendent Rev Dr Gordon Moyes hosted a Sunday night radio show on 2GB

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Keeping it real – �making successful connections with Wills Days�

Wesley Mission Gift in Wills strategic plan includes:

visitation program
donor surveys
prospecting
targeted bequest mailings
drip feeding through regular appeal mailings
include a gift in Wills story in every newsletter

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Supported by Wills days

commenced our Wills day in 2005
since then we have conducted 66
on average we hold 4 per year
in FY 19/20 we conducted 12

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Keeping it real – �making successful connections with Wills Days�

Where has Wesley Mission held the majority of our Wills days since 2010?

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Location	# of Wills days held	# of identified gifts where the bequester is happy for Wesley Mission to acknowledge them	# of identified gifts where bequesters wishes to remain anomomus	Overall total
City	18	75	26	101
Gymea	5	5	4	9
Newcastle	4	16	2	18
Blacktown	4	5	-	5
Chatswood	4	4	6	10
Parramatta	3		3	3
Hornsby	2		4	4

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Keeping it real – �making successful connections with Wills Days�

Results of Wills days from 2010 - 2021:

# of days held - 44
# of appointments -1,725
# of attendees - 2,145
# of gifts Identified -111
value identified - $1,780,850
ave: gift amount - $16,044

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Keeping it real – �making successful connections with Wills Days�

How many bequesters have donated since being identified?

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Keeping it real – �making successful connections with Wills Days�

Wesley Mission - Wills days - advertising - what medium did we find as the most effective - 26 May 2022?

Family friends (High) – (50%)
Hope media – low – (8%)
local newspaper – geographically (declining since Covid)
Posters - community centre display (low)
social media (High and growing) – (42%)

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Keeping it real – �making successful connections with Wills Days�

Wesley Mission - Wills days - how does it work prior to the day?

by asking the right solicitor to attend
confirm a venue
Trybooking – also include the opportunity for people to make a donation
advertising 3-4 prior to event
48 booking available per day
Cost - $80 – 20 minute appointment

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Keeping it real – �making successful connections with Wills Days�

Wesley Mission - Wills days - once a booking is received what happens?

confirmation letter of appointment
client instruction form
guide to Wills and Bequest booklet
reconfirmation 48hrs prior to the Wills day

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Keeping it real – �making successful connections with Wills Days�

Wesley Mission - Wills days - how does it work on the day?

clients are allocated a solicitor
build an ongoing relationship with the solicitor
all client leave with a gift - personal information booklet and folder
great opportunity to chat with those that are attending

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Wesley Mission – Wills days – who attends?

50/50 split male/female
all demographics
representation of that local community
staff members
members of our congregation
clients of our services
people updating their Will

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Wesley Mission - Wills days - what have we learnt over the years?

there is a need for this type of community service
support other community services to assist with their clients
its flexible
can be the ‘icing on the cake’ with regards to identifying gifts in Wills
Solicitors appreciate it as it is a good acquisition stream for them

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Keeping it real – �making successful connections with Wills Days�

Wesley Mission - Wills days - what have we learnt over the years?

COVID - changed the way we operate
now offering both face to face and virtual meetings
you can do a number of arrangements

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Keeping it real – �making successful connections with Wills Days�

Wesley Mission - Wills days - what have we achieved?

increase in our Gift in Will pipeline
increase our cash donors
assisted with brand awareness
opportunity to help people

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Keeping it real – �making successful connections with Wills Days�

Wesley Mission - Wills days - what does the future look like?

do we continue with Wills days?
do we continue as we are?
invest further in this current model?

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Wesley Mission - Wills days - what does the future look like?

it works and it is effective – for Wesley Mission
it will take time to build
implement and test

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Thank you

stephen.burfield@wesleymission.org.au

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Be part of a movement

www.includeacharity.com.au