How to build confidence and relationships for legacy conversations

• Largest Armed Forces charity in the UK
• Set up in 1921 and gained a Royal Charter in 1947
• Expert advice and practical support to the Armed Forces community
• Spent over £42m to support beneficiaries in 2023
• Poppy Appeal is our largest fundraising campaign
• Over 3,000 volunteers helping to distribute 21m poppies
• Around 20% of income is from gifts left to us in Wills

Royal British Legion

• Fundraising Directorate
• Supporter Development department
• Gift in Wills program and the Legacy Management Team
• Gift in Wills Team –
• 1 x Senior Product Manager
• 1 x Sup. Dev. Manager (Stewardship focus)
• 1 x Sup. Dev. Manager (Warm Conversion focus)
• 2 x Sup. Dev. Coordinators

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Structure

• Established in 2016
• 14,479 prospects and pledgers
• 63,114 at the end of January 2024
• Objective: 77,466 by 30 September 2027
• Stakeholder program: Gifts in Wills Offer 2023

Our journey

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• A unique collaboration with Poppy Appeal
• Share information with over 350 volunteers across the North-West and Northern Ireland about gift in Wills
• Thanking and signposting donors during Poppy Appeal 2023
• Through specially created resources
• Using data to analyse the impact of the test

Gift in Wills Offer 2023

One: Strategic change

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2. Identify your stakeholders

Supporter Care – Key player

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• Team ‘champion’
• Briefing for any new campaigns
• Dedicated teams channel for discussion and shared documents
• Inductions for any new team members
• Regular check ins with the managers

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Data Services – Meet their needs

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• Senior Product Manager meet with counterpart monthly
• Teams chat / channel

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Identify your stakeholders

• Data Services
• Acquisition
• Development / Retention
• Income Processing
• Finance
• Print/Mailing House
• Creative Agency
• Response Handling
• Other Fundraising
• Corporate Partnerships
• Welfare / Operations
• Membership / Branches
• Marketing
• Digital / Website

Identify your stakeholders

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1. How much legacy income did your organisation bring in over the last year?

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• From how many pledgers?

• What is the average gift?

• What impact does that (unrestricted income) have on your organisation?

3. Understanding your impact

• Last year (2023), the Royal British Legion received £25.8m from 947 supporters.
• This is an average gift of £27,000 from each pledger.
• This is around 20% of the income that we use to fund our work with the Armed Forces community.

Understanding your impact

£27,000 – one legacy donation equates to:

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• 225 supporters giving £10 a month across 1 year
• 270 mid value donors giving £1,000
• 1,350 people donating £20 to an appeal

Understanding your impact

• Partnered with an external consultant to plan the theory
• Gifts in Wills Team induction into what we do
• Head of Department (HOD) as an advocate
• Email from the Fundraising Director to invite all of the other Fundraising HODs

4. Maximise support

• Matching up legacy terms
• “Did you know that RBL offers a free Will-writing service?” (information sharing)
• Put the HODs into groups based on the strategy
• Quick, medium, long-term ways
• Discussed in plenary

5. Be in the room where it happens

• Free Will-writing service for all volunteers and staff
• Mention leaving "1% of their Will to RBL, but 99% to family and friends" in comms
• Include legacy nudge at Fundraising Events (on the day)
• Provide training to staff to have legacy conversations
• Xmas appeal around legacy pledging gives a non-cash opportunity when people are cash poor

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Be in the room where it happens

6. Talk, test, learn, and repeat…

• Follow up meeting
• Request on the Shop Home Page
• Call to action link in emails (monthly)
• Bright, diverse imagery
• On for 6 months (Feb to Aug 2023)
• Monthly catch ups
• Talk, test, learn, and repeat

Talk, test, learn, and repeat…

Talk, test, learn, and repeat…

• Offer inductions for new starters
• Ensure there is a legacy question at an organisation wide town hall
• Give updates at team meetings, etc
• Volunteer for other teams/other events

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7. Get yourself / your team out there

Legacy Days are a great opportunity to show other staff and teams what you do:

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Location with a military connection and have around 100 guests at each event

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• Explosion Museum of Naval Firepower (Gosport)
• Ragley Hall (Alcester)
• Chatsworth House (Bakewell)
• National Army Museum (London)
• Virtual Event

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Beneficiary talking about their experience with you

Could someone who is an expert in your cause

8. Leveraging stewardship

Need support from staff/volunteers for delivery and supporter experience.

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• Supporter Care
• Other IG teams: look at the cross-sell opportunities
• Finance
• Data Services
• Legacy Management Team
• Poppy Appeal
• External creative agency
• Consultants helping to deliver our Gift in Wills Offer�

Leveraging stewardship

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• Reach out to other teams
• Invite senior stakeholders to engage with supporters
• Virtual event?
• Invite a guest or a +1
• Measure feedback & further requests for information
• How else can I utilize stewardship events?

Leveraging stewardship

1. Strategic change
2. Identify your stakeholders
3. Understanding your impact
4. Maximize support
5. Be in the room where it happens
6. Talk, test, learn, and repeat…
7. Get yourself / your team out there
8. Leverage stewardship opportunities

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Summary

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jreid@britishlegion.org.uk

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You can also find me on LinkedIn too

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Thank you and any questions?