The National Trust is aiming to increase its legacy donations with the launch of a new guide to making or updating wills, aimed at providing supporters with relevant and easy to understand information.
TDA has produced the creative, copy and design for the guide, which will be sent out to any supporter who has requested further information about leaving a gift in their will to the Trust, whether in response to a prospect mailing, or unprompted. It will also be handed out at National Trust legacy events, and sent to professional advisers who may be assisting their clients to write a will.
The guide has been designed to have a long shelf life, with a strong focus on quality, so that supporters keep it for future reference. The charity has found that in the past, response forms from supporters about legacy gifts have been returned many years after information has been sent to them. This reflects the long-term nature of the thinking and planning process involved in writing or updating a will.
It also includes all the details which someone will need to leave a legacy gift, together with uplifting messages about the benefits of doing so, and contains a response device for further information about National Trust legacy days, or to let the charity know when they have included it in their will.
National Trust head of legacies Marcia Dover said: “Legacy gifts are a wonderful way to protect the properties and landscapes our supporters care so much about. They’re also vital to our future, making up a fifth of our annual income. It’s vital, therefore, for us to provide information and advice to anyone considering this. Their gift could help their memories of a treasured place or property live on forever.”
TDA senior account director Corinne LeLoup added: “We’ve worked hard to make this new guide feel personal to every supporter who receives a copy. Essentially, this is an invitation to start a journey with National Trust, not just a one-off donation request, so there’s a subtle difference in the feelings we want to evoke. The messages we’ve focused on are uplifting and inspirational, as our biggest priority here is to engage with supporters.”
