Gross income from Bequests has risen by 126% over the past 10 years (Pareto Benchmarking, 2019). It outstrips growth in all other individual giving types, apart from regular giving.

For the Royal Flying Doctor Service (Queensland Section), bequest income has increased from $3.3mil to $7mil over the last 5 years, and confirmed bequest volume has doubled. Prior to 2018, bequest marketing was limited to lead generation with supporter surveys and newsletters, an yearly conversion mailing, and limited 1-1 relationship management.

In our session we hope to share how the team at RFDS QLD are breaking down silos across teams to put Gifts in Will at the forefront of conversations with prospective donors. We will explore how the Supporter Engagement team (looking after mass acquisition and retention activities) and the Philanthropy team (looking after 1-2-1 stewardship) are working together to build a strong pipeline of gifts in will prospects. Using 2 years of gifts in will digital acquisition and tele-fundraising campaigns as case studies, we will challenge the idea that you can’t start a relationship with a donor with a conversation about a gift in will.