The Best Legacy Marketing I’ve Seen
We NEED to talk about this Legacy Giving Video from Greenpeace UK:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWMAL8usEO8
It’s by far the best piece of legacy giving marketing I’ve ever seen. As someone who started my fundraising career through activism, I’m feeling the emotional pull to give all of my estate to Greenpeace - just from one video.
But it’s one thing to look at a video and be moved by it, it’s another to understand why it’s so good.
There are lessons here you can apply to your own legacy giving marketing - even if you’re not an “activist” cause, and even if you don’t have the budget to produce a professional video. Here’s what you can use in your own fundraising:
It’s unapologetic. In Planned Giving fundraising, we emphasize gifts-in-wills are not about death, it’s about values held in life. (Heck, I even wrote a whole article about it!) This framing is important for fundraisers and donors. However, the uncomfortable truth is we ARE talking about getting money after someone dies, and you can address that head-on in a humorous and light-hearted way (while still staying true to your values and “why message”). Your donors might be doing this already - I’ve had many calls with Planned Giving donors who joke about “kicking the bucket” and hearses. Which brings me to my next point…
It’s a clever way to deal with “death avoidance” (which is a barrier to Planned Gifts - it’s uncomfortable to think about how we’ll all die someday). By addressing death head-on, the charity offers the donor an opportunity to “continue living” with their legacy gift - the donor even “talks from beyond the grave”! They’re leaning into death avoidance through a gift-in-will, rather than overcoming it.
It speaks deeply to the donors’ values. Dr. Russel James’ research shows that when a donor is considering a gift-in-will, they are using their “autobiographical brain” (i.e. writing their “life story” in their head). The video encourages environmental activists to reflect on their values and life story - then make Greenpeace part of it.
It’s identity-driven. This video reinforces the donor’s identity of being a fighter and activist. That "autobiographical brain”? It’s about figuring out who you are and what you stand for. When you speak to a donor’s identity, you’ll inspire transformational estate gifts.
It’s 99% about the why. They shared as little “how” as possible (just to make a gift-in-Will), then doubled-down on their “why” message. Charities are not estate planning offices - the lawyers can take care of that!
Greenpeace, which is already an “out there” cause with their dramatic activism, lends itself well to this type of off-beat legacy marketing. But other causes can learn from their approach - including yours.
For example, a social services organization might tap into the value of being “caring” - could donors care for children in your community “beyond the grave”? Their caring hearts shine beyond the grave, and ensure there’s always a safe place for kids to go after school?
I’m not suggesting that you should “copy” Greenpeace, but let this be your permission to experiment and have fun in your legacy giving marketing. It’s not all about serious lawyers and “estate planning”. Your cause brings your donors joy - and their estate gift can too.
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