Over the next two decades, the transfer of wealth from Baby Boomers to their heirs and to charitable causes will be unlike anything the sector has seen before. Across Europe and beyond, organisations of every size are waking up to that opportunity, and many are investing in legacy content for the first time. The problem is that some of that content is built around the wrong thing entirely: the organisation, rather than the donor.

Beautifully produced films that open with mission statements, impact statistics, and carefully crafted brand messaging are everywhere. But what if we started to create content that did something much simpler and let legacy pledgers tell their stories?

What the neuroscience tells us

Professor Russell James at Texas Tech University has done some of the most compelling research in this area, using brain scanners to understand what happens when people consider leaving a legacy gift, and what he found is fascinating.

Legacy decisions activate what James calls the “visualised autobiography” regions of the brain, the parts we use when thinking about our own life stories and memories, and the stronger that activation, the more interested someone is in making a gift. This is why legacy giving is fundamentally different from other forms of donation: it is a deeply personal act of self-expression rooted in a donor’s sense of their own life and values.

Dr Claire Routley’s research (with Marina Jones) reaches the same conclusion through a different method. When she interviewed people who had left legacy gifts, they all had clear, identifiable life-story connections with their chosen charities, and the decision was never abstract or transactional but always rooted in lived experience and a sense of personal continuity.

One size does not fit all

Recent research by James and Routley adds a further layer of nuance that is particularly valuable for the sector. It found that people’s attitudes towards money fall into four broad mindsets: those who see money as a marker of status, those who experience financial anxiety, those who are planners, and those who are bargain-seekers. Each group is motivated differently, and the things that encourage someone to include a charitable gift in their will are quite different from the things that influence how much they ultimately leave.

This has direct implications for how you think about your content mix.

• For your planners, a pledger who talks through the practical decision behind their gift, how it fits into retirement planning or how the conversation with a solicitor went, can be more persuasive than any amount of emotional storytelling.
• For donors motivated by status and recognition, social proof content works well, including films that show the tangible, lasting impact a gift has made, or stories about named funds and what they have built over time.
• For those who are more anxious about money, the most powerful content is probably the warmest, featuring a pledger who had similar concerns and found a way through.
• For bargain-seekers, a short explainer film or an interview that touches on the tax efficiency of a gift in a will can open doors that purely emotional content might not.

The question worth asking is whether your legacy content is speaking to one type of donor and quietly overlooking everyone else.

What this looks like in practice

CoppaFeel is a breast cancer awareness charity with a young, contemporary brand, not what most people picture when they think of legacy fundraising, and their pledger film featured a supporter speaking directly about their connection to the cause. Why she had decided to make a gift, what it meant to her and her family, and how it sat alongside the rest of their lives. The film avoided production gloss, voiceover, and institutional messaging in favour of real people talking honestly, and it has secured 14 new pledgers with a 50% acquisition rate on launch.

The MS Society project took a different approach, featuring multiple pledgers each with different motivations including personal experience of MS, commitment to research, and a sense of community belonging. The deliberate diversity of perspectives reflected the reality that there is no single profile of a legacy pledger, and that showing multiple pathways into a gift is more inclusive and more effective than building content around a single archetype.

Five Talents took a different angle again, featuring Richard, a supporter with a development background, who talked through his gift in terms of due diligence and long-term investment thinking. That framing resonated deeply with Five Talents’ donor base precisely because it reflected how their supporters actually think and talk about money: it was their language, not the charity’s, and that distinction matters enormously.

Trusting the process

There is a practical question underneath all of this, which is how you actually find the right people to feature. Research from Remember A Charity found that 64% of legacy pledgers haven’t told the charities they’ve included a gift. Legacy pledgers are also far more likely to be among your existing supporters than you might expect — they could be your volunteers, regular donors or staff members.

The most effective process starts not with a camera but with a conversation. Talking to supporters, both pledgers and non-pledgers, about what would motivate someone to leave a gift reveals the authentic language and concerns that actually resonate in your community, and those conversations also open doors, because many supporters will say yes to sharing their story when approached with genuine interest and respect.

Good legacy content then needs to balance emotional connection alongside rational explanation, and clear personal values alongside motivations that other viewers can recognise in themselves. The collaborative approach matters too, including sharing drafts, gathering feedback, and making sure participants feel comfortable with how their story is told, not only because it is ethically right but because it consistently produces better content.

Authenticity over polish

In our experience, and that of many legacy fundraisers we have worked alongside, over-produced content tends to underperform compared to more authentically produced videos.

The Five Talents project demonstrated that supporters respond to straightforward, evidence-based storytelling that reflects their own language rather than the charity’s marketing register.

The wealth transfer currently underway is unprecedented, and organisations that invest now in building trust, creating authentic pledger stories, and reaching supporters across different motivational profiles will be better positioned for what is coming. It does not need to be complicated or expensive to begin, and your supporters deserve the opportunity to create impact that extends far beyond their lifetimes.

About Emma Bracegirdle

Emma Bracegirdle is founder of The Saltways, an ethical video production company and consultancy working exclusively with charities and nonprofits. The Saltways works with organisations of all sizes and causes on legacy video content, training, and storytelling strategy. You can reach Emma at emma@thesaltways.com. The Saltways is celebrating the power of ethical storytelling in the charity sector with a Charity Film Festival on 24 September, bringing together charity and nonprofit professionals for a full day of film screenings, workshops, panel discussions, live music and live streamed awards ceremony.

Many NGOs will be familiar with this issue: communication largely takes place within the same bubble. It poses a constant challenge, especially in political campaigning. So how can we reach new people with our messages? And then, how can we win them over as long-term allies?

For Oxfam, as a political NGO in particular, how to reach new people is a question that arises repeatedly and with great urgency. Social inequality is one of our core issues, and once a year, we publish our Inequality Report at the World Economic Forum in Davos, which generates a lot of media attention. However, the central product of the report is a 60-page study – not exactly a crowd-pleaser that is likely to go viral on social media.

The task

So the questions we ask ourselves every year are:

• How can we communicate our complex political work?
• How can we be low-threshold and target-group-oriented?
• How can we generate leads with the help of this product?

We know that we need to reduce the complexity and encourage engagement but that we also need to remain credible. So how do we reach those who find reading a study too time-consuming, and communicate our content clearly and simply?

As a politically active organization, we must not fall into the trap of populism, and as a donation-based organization, credibility is central to our supporters.

So what can we offer beyond the news headline? And how can we encourage people to engage with us on our various channels?

Our answer to this question is usually: we start a petition. But apart from the fact that petitions are time-consuming, the problem remains that we usually address the same audience. And in this case, we only had six weeks to launch the campaign in time for the World Economic Forum.

The path to the product

From the outset, 2024’s campaign was planned as a cross-team project. It could only work if we brought together expertise from our advocacy, campaigning, and communication teams. So first, we set up a strict schedule with clear responsibilities and sign-off loops. This was clearly going to be a sprint.

In search of something new, we placed particular emphasis on attracting new target groups. With the help of user-centred design thinking approaches, we wanted to break away from Oxfam’s academic communication style and be as accessible as possible without coming across as patronizing. We asked ourselves: Which target group do we want to reach? And above all: What are their needs and interests? And how can we create added value for them?

The idea: a children’s book!

Why? Because parents and guardians are perfect match. They’re interested (including politically) in the future of our society and planet, and willing to get involved – but they have little time.

As parents and guardians, they’re also always on the lookout for interesting, high-quality entertainment for children that they can use to spend time together.

This offered an opening for us to simplify these complex issues with a child-friendly presentation. We came up with a little rabbit that encounters various situations symbolizing social injustices and presents solutions for a fairer world.

In book form, titled “Sometimes the world’s not fair”, it presented an opportunity for parents and children to learn together and discuss social injustice.

The campaign set-up

Our goal was to collect email leads (with double opt-in) and phone numbers (through required fields) with the e-book as an incentive. First however, we launched the campaign with a limited print edition at the World Economic Forum in Davos. After this sold out, the campaign continued as an e-book only.

We used advertising to reach people – mainly via paid campaigns on Facebook and Instagram – as well as target group-specific distribution to parents, educators, and design-savvy audiences.

Initial success

The first step of lead generation was extremely successful. The initial print run of 4,000 copies sold out within three days, generating 4,000 leads at a very low cost. Even when considering the total costs (including agency, print, and logistics), the results were significantly better than other lead campaigns.

Oxfam also reached a completely new and significantly younger target group, and achieved a very strong response from both new leads and existing supporters. In addition, we received numerous enquiries from daycare centres, schools, and parents interested in more copies for classrooms and libraries.

Conversion emailing to our newsletter subscribers was also very successful with a high conversion rate to regular givers.

Learning from mistakes

While the quality of email contacts was good, reaching people by phone was less successful. The new contacts were difficult to reach and had little time, leading us to conclude that this channel was not suitable for the target group.

Trying new things

So what next? Our children’s book had clearly struck a chord with a target group that we had previously found difficult to reach. However, in order to turn this into lasting success for us and gain new supporters in the long term, we had to make some adjustments.

Since the children’s book was obviously a very strong incentive, we converted the campaign into a direct acquisition campaign for regular givers. This was implemented with a landing page and an accompanying Meta campaign, and quickly showed an attractive CPO and a constant source of new regular donors. To keep interest high we developed a range of new paid social assets with different approaches, such as user-generated content (UGC).

We also tested the children’s book as an incentive in various other campaigns, as it can be easily combined with different topics, such as cuts in international aid programs. We sent out various conversion emailings to existing supporters, where we were able to achieve an extremely high conversion rate.

Finally, we were able to get a well-known German actress to record the text as an audiobook for us, which we used as part of our Christmas campaign.

In 2025, the campaign won first prize from the German Fundraising Association, and the book has now been adapted internationally by other Oxfam affiliates and published in countries including Turkey, Australia, and the Netherlands.

Lessons learned

• Be bold – trying new things can take a leap of faith but it pays off
• Get your basics right – set out a strict schedule and clear responsibilities
• Take your target group seriously – respond to what you know about them and what their actions tell you
• Don’t be discouraged – every mistake is a lesson you can learn from
• The devil’s in the details – it’s the many elements in a campaign that, together, make the difference

Valerie Senden

About Valerie Senden

Valerie Senden studied philosophy, German language and literature, and English language and literature in Berlin, Potsdam, and Turin, Italy. She has been working for Oxfam Germany in the field of digital communication and marketing since 2019, becoming head of digital communication in 2022 and currently serving as director of public fundraising and marketing (interim).

EFA now invites fundraisers, campaigners, activists, and nonprofit professionals to share their success stories in advancing civic space and democracy. As part of our upcoming online tour, we are looking for short, engaging presentations that showcase innovative, impactful campaigns.

What we’re looking for:

• Short case studies (7–10 minutes) of successful campaigns that address shrinking civic space,
• Fundraising strategies that empower citizen-led change or defend democratic freedoms,
• Community organizing tactics, advocacy campaigns, or donor engagement efforts with civic impact.

Call for presentations is open until 30 April. Submit your idea now through this form.

EFA European Fundraising4Democracy Tour is a fast-paced showcase of 7–10 minute campaigns designed to inspire and motivate.

With civic freedoms under pressure across Europe, this event brings together leading voices from the worlds of fundraising, crowdfunding, advocacy, and activism to present short, powerful stories of campaigns that made a difference. From grassroots mobilisation to innovative donor strategies, we’ll explore how fundraising, crowdfunding, and civic engagement can help defend democratic values.

Help us spotlight the power of fundraising to protect democracy and drive civic engagement across Europe.

PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR PROPOSAL BY 30 APRIL HERE

#Fundraising4Democracy

EFA now invites fundraisers, campaigners, activists, and nonprofit professionals to share their success stories in advancing civic space and democracy. As part of our upcoming online tour, we are looking for short, engaging presentations that showcase innovative, impactful campaigns.

What we’re looking for:

• Short case studies (7–10 minutes) of successful campaigns that address shrinking civic space,
• Fundraising strategies that empower citizen-led change or defend democratic freedoms,
• Community organizing tactics, advocacy campaigns, or donor engagement efforts with civic impact.

Call for presentations is open until 15 July.
Submit your idea now through this form.

EFA European Fundraising4Democracy Tour is a fast-paced showcase of 7–10 minute campaigns designed to inspire and motivate.

With civic freedoms under pressure across Europe, this event brings together leading voices from the worlds of fundraising, crowdfunding, advocacy, and activism to present short, powerful stories of campaigns that made a difference. From grassroots mobilisation to innovative donor strategies, we’ll explore how fundraising, crowdfunding, and civic engagement can help defend democratic values.

Help us spotlight the power of fundraising to protect democracy and drive civic engagement across Europe.

PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR PROPOSAL BY 15 JULY HERE

#Fundraising4Democracy

What makes a fundraising campaign stand out to experts in the field? To showcase some of the best campaigns around Europe, we asked fundraising specialists from seven countries to share a campaign that they deem worthy of notice and to explain why.

Providing insights into successful fundraising campaigns from around Europe are: Austria, Finland. Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, and the UK.

What stands out among these campaigns is their authenticity, and the ability to communicate often difficult messages through excellent storytelling that resonates. Some are praised for their innovative approaches and creativity, others for their targeting, but all of them do the fundraising basics well.

Here’s what our experts chose.

Austria: A legacy campaign that radiates authenticity

Chosen by: Benjamin Zessner-Spitzenberg, legacy fundraiser, Doctors Without Borders / Médecins Sans Frontières Austria

Benjamin Zessner-Spitzenberg

One of the most noteworthy legacy fundraising campaigns from Austria in the past year comes from the NGO Jugend Eine Welt. It is the first time that an Austrian organisation has launched a legacy campaign with dedicated billboard advertising – an innovative and courageous step in a field where public visibility is still rare.

The campaign used a multichannel approach: large-scale posters in public space, a print campaign, a YouTube Clip, etc. At its centre is the well-known Austrian actress and long-time supporter of charitable causes Chris Lohner, whose presence lends authenticity and trust.

The message is simple and memorable – “Das letzte Hemd hat keine Taschen” (“You can’t take it with you”). Legacy giving is becoming more accepted in Austrian society, but it remains a sensitive topic. That’s why it’s so remarkable that Jugend Eine Welt invested both budget and courage to bring it into the public eye in such a direct and visible way.

What I personally admire is the warmth and authenticity it radiates. Chris Lohner, who has been a familiar face in Austrian media for decades, lends not just her face, but her personal story: “I’ve been very lucky in life – and I want to give something back.” This human connection, combined with clear messaging and multi-channel rollout, makes the campaign a benchmark for legacy fundraising in Austria.

The campaign also won the Austrian Fundraising Award 2024 in the category “Fundraising-Spot of the year”.

More information (in German) here.

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Finland: Successful handling of a difficult topic

Chosen by: Tessa Robertsson, communication & advocacy coordinator, Finnish Fundraising Association

‘The HERitage campaign, launched by the International Solidarity Foundation in collaboration with United Imaginations, tackles an extremely sensitive and difficult issue: female genital mutilation (FGM). The task was to create a marketing strategy that made this distressing issue approachable without being overwhelming, while also avoiding the pitfalls of exploitation or victimhood.

A key innovation of the campaign was the rebranding of donations under the concept of “Liity väkeen” (Join the Cause). This reframing meant that donors were not just giving money, but joining a collective, proud movement working to end violence. This subtle yet powerful reframing helped balance the need for sensitivity with a call to action that felt both impactful and inviting. The campaign also managed to take a highly sensitive and international topic and make it relatable, demonstrating that tackling global issues requires thoughtful, empathetic communication.

The success of The HERitage campaign lies not just in its execution but in its results. It was awarded Finland’s Fundraising Act of the Year for its brilliant handling of a difficult subject. The campaign’s judges praised its nuanced approach, balancing the sensitivity of the issue with a clear and direct message. Despite the international scope of the issue and its emotional weight, the campaign reached its audience in a way that resonated deeply, proving that when done correctly, difficult conversations can not only be had but can also lead to powerful, meaningful action.

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Norway: A campaign that has created one of fundraising’s strongest brands

Chosen by Per Mejlænder Brynning, head of communications, Norwegian Fundraising Association

The Pink Ribbon Campaign from the Cancer Society and the Breast Cancer Society was the winner of Fundraising Norge’s 2025 Campaign of the Year, and unusually, holds this title for the second year in a row.

In choosing it once again as the country’s top campaign, the jury said:

“It is inspiring and impressive to see how this year’s winner has developed into one of fundraising’s strongest brands – with which private individuals, business and contributors want to associate themselves. This in a way that contributes to creating strong fundraising results and, not least, attention to an important cause.

“This campaign has become an institution that the vast majority of Norwegians are familiar with and want to support. The campaign has a clear message that touches and creates broad engagement through various ways of activating the audience.

“It is also capable of renewing itself, and has for many years grown and become a role model for us who work with campaigns, both with regard to the campaign’s vital message and enormous fundraising effect. But also because the scope of the campaign has made it almost unnatural for the business world not to join the campaign. Every year in October we see pink washing up liquid, pink drink bottles, pink shopping bags, pink groceries and not least pink bows.”

Read more: Head of the Pink Ribbon Campaign, Marit Sophie Egge shares her insights into what makes this long-running campaign continually successful year after year in her article for Fundraising Europe here.

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Poland: An exemplary model of effective crisis fundraising

Chosen by: Agata Wiencis, vice president of the Polish Fundraising Association and fundraiser at Compassion in World Farming

Agata Wiencis

The NaRatunekPowódź (FloodRescue) fundraising campaign, initiated by the Polish Red Cross (Polski Czerwony Krzyż), is an exemplary model of effective crisis fundraising. Thanks to a well-prepared crisis communication strategy, the organisation was able to launch the campaign immediately after the catastrophic floods that hit Poland in the autumn of 2024. Their readiness to act before the scale of the disaster was clear, enabled them to quickly mobilise their resources and engage donors, raising over PLN 3.7 million for the affected communities.

One of the key strengths of the NaRatunekPowódź campaign was its consistent communication with both donors and the media. The Polish Red Cross provided regular updates (twice a day at the beginning of the campaign) on the ongoing relief efforts, ensuring transparency and building trust with their supporters. By sharing verified, real-time reports from the affected areas, they ensured credibility and encouraged continued engagement with their audience.

I was impressed not only with the Polish Red Cross’ ability to launch the campaign as soon as the first floods hit and provide real-time updates, but also with the way they kept donors informed about the ongoing needs of flood victims in the months following the disaster. They emphasised that recovery is a long process that requires sustained support and reported transparently on how funds were being used, for example, to provide financial support to families and to equip damaged facilities. This meticulous approach ensured the campaign’s continued relevance beyond the initial spike in donations and made it a long-term success.

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Spain: Significant impact in a challenging fundraising context

Chosen by the Spanish Fundraising Association, and submitted by Alicia Lobo Casero, head of communication & content

The campaign we propose is “Punto y Final“, developed by Fundación Unoentrecienmil, an organization dedicated to promoting research projects for the full cure of childhood leukaemia. This initiative was awarded the Gold Award for Best NGO Campaign at the Eficacia Awards 2024.

The objective of the “Punto y Final” campaign was to mobilize society to foster research and achieve the complete cure of childhood leukaemia. The audiovisual piece, starring Blanca Suárez and Luis Tosar, directed by Santiago Zannou, presents a scene set in 2035, imagining the eradication of the disease. The project was produced by Lobo Kane and featured music by rappers Ambkor and Chojin.

At the end of the sequence, the credits included the names of people who collaborated with the foundation, expanding continuously as more people joined.

The campaign had a significant impact and was amplified through its presence on El Hormiguero, outdoor advertising platforms, media support, and social media.

In the first 48 hours, nearly 29,000 people signed the campaign, with 38% of them joining the credits.

“Punto y Final” is a clear example of how a well-planned strategy and a powerful narrative can generate an impact on society and fundraising.

1. Innovation in storytelling: Setting the story in the future, visualizing the eradication of childhood leukaemia, creates a strong emotional connection with the audience. Including the names of supporters in the credits fosters a sense of community and commitment.
2. Successful multichannel strategy: Despite the decline of multichannel campaigns in the NGO sector in Spain, this initiative achieved remarkable visibility across TV, outdoor advertising, and digital media, maximizing its reach.
3. Support from influential figures: The participation of renowned actors and highly influential musicians amplified the campaign’s media impact.
4. Long-term conversion: Beyond initial visibility and engagement, the campaign successfully transformed interest into ongoing support, significantly increasing the foundation’s donor base.

In recent years, the number of multichannel NGO campaigns in our country has declined, making this campaign stand out for achieving a significant impact in a context where gaining visibility is increasingly difficult. Its appearance on a top-rated Spanish TV show like El Hormiguero allowed it to reach a mass audience and amplify its message.

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Sweden: Simple & emotionally resonant tactics that mobilized unprecedented support

Chosen by Paul Ferris, head of campaigns, Reform Society

Paul Ferris

Sometimes, the simplest ideas are the most powerful. Ahead of the three-year anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine, Sweden for UNHCR wanted to reconnect with the donors who had shown strong support when the war first began in 2022.

Together we created the Stand with Ukraine campaign, which centred on a heartfelt act of solidarity – signing a digital card addressed to the people of Ukraine. This small but meaningful gesture served as the entry point to deeper engagement.

After signing, supporters were invited to answer a few short questions about the importance of UNHCR’s work for refugees – followed by a call to donate. By first asking for a simple action, and then inviting a more substantial contribution, a remarkable number of signers converted into donors.

Originally designed as an email and SMS campaign targeting Sweden for UNHCR’s existing supporter base, the campaign went on to outperform more traditional direct-to-donate ads in paid digital channels as well.

Following the campaign launch, world events and new political realities drew renewed attention to Ukraine around the world – and in Sweden. Interest in the campaign surged over the course of just a few hours. We quickly scaled up digital advertising – and over just a few days, thousands of new donors joined at an impressively low cost per acquisition.

Now, Sweden for UNHCR is working to deliver the card and over 100,000 messages of hope and solidarity to UNHCR’s help centers across Ukraine – as well as integrate all of these new supporters into their donor community. The success of this campaign shows how simple and emotionally resonant tactics can mobilize unprecedented support – when an organization is ready and able to move quickly.

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UK: A legacy campaign that achieves cut-through in an increasingly competitive marketplace

Chosen by Hannah Wallis, fundraising strategy director, WPNC

Hannah Wallis

The ‘Great Wealth Transfer’, a massive intergenerational shift of wealth in the UK, is projected to reach £5.5tn by 2050. It’s a huge opportunity for legacy marketers to persuade Baby Boomers to donate to charity while they decide how to pass money on, with one eye on inheritance tax efficiency. At present 7% of UK Wills are charitable but as more and more charities realise the value of legacy marketing, the challenge becomes how to cut through in an increasingly competitive marketplace.

Oxfam’s “Stay in the Fight” campaign does this well. In the ad, protestor Edith tells her grandchildren about her past exploits and a desire to continue to support causes that are close to her heart, via her Will. With this work the charity demonstrates it really understands its audience and their motivations. Oxfam has focused on what’s unique about them and taken the risk of only speaking to that insight, rather than targeting the more generic 55+ legacy audience. The charity is backing a specific niche with an activist attitude, with the thought behind this strategy being better targeting means more effective marketing.

Anecdotally, the campaign (also running across out of home, press and radio ads) seems to be performing well even though it breaks some traditional fundraising rules. A targeted and disruptive approach – a refusal to play things safe – is creating a powerful connection with a legacy audience. And that’s a must because this growing area will only become more competitive.