Legacy communications must address family security concerns, research finds

Getting one’s affairs in order and ensuring the family are provided for are the main reasons people make their Wills, with the latter also the main reason for not including a charity or non-profit organisation, a Swissfundraising study has found.

Swissfundraising conducted an in-depth study on gifts in Wills and legacy marketing as part of its annual study of the donation market in Switzerland. In the study, the 15% (232 respondents) of those surveyed who had already written their Wills were asked about their motives. The strongest motivation was a desire to ensure order and clarity (23%), followed by the basic need for security (20%), and the protection of children (20%) and partners (10%).

Only 5% of these had included a non-profit organisation in their Will. The study found that the main reason given for not doing so was the desire to benefit the family (56%). However, this becomes less important after the age of 70, dropping to 39%.

In terms of those who do not currently have a Will, 31% said they would be considering the inclusion of a charity in the future. The basic motive for this is the wish to do something good or to show solidarity, especially among single people (43%) and those who identify with centrist parties (49%). Again, however, the main argument for not considering including a charity is “family first” (63%).

This, Swissfundraising says, shows that legacy communications must be more efficient in actively incorporating the family’s need for security and in pointing out the possibilities, so that it is no longer a question of “either/or”.

In addition, the study states, an increasing potential for legacies means legacy marketing is becoming ever more important. It highlights the habits of the baby boomers who typically have greater resources than the previous generation, and also donate more, to a wider range of causes but often motivated by a desire for self-realisation. Those non-profit organisations that can show credible, inspiring goals and greater impact to give life more meaning therefore, are also more likely to see results.