ANNUAL LEGACY SUMMIT DRAWS NEAR IN-PERSON MASTERCLASS EXAMINES POTENTIAL IN LEGACIES

[THE CORAM CAMPUS near Russell Square tube station in London will see an in-person event from Legacy Futures on 22 June.

The Legacy Futures Masterclass will take a deep dive into how legacy professionals can go about increasing the value of the legacy gifts their organisations receive.

[ON 20 JUNE the Legacy Strategy Summit 2023 will bring together a talented and diverse community of experienced legacy fundraising professionals and their colleagues from UK and international charities, alongside industry experts.

With content specifically researched to provide learning, debate and insight for all delegates, regardless of charity size or legacy income total, the virtual summit day will provide those attending with valuable, first-hand insight into the latest trends in legacy giving and the latest news on legacy fundraising.

The keynote speech of the morning session will be delivered by legacy fundraising expert Richard Radcliffe. Caution: Not all causal areas are the same! will explain why legacy teams should be wary of copy-cat campaigns.

Other topics include:

• Harnessing new website engagement techniques and digital stewardship to

• improve results and increase interactions

• Effectively utilising the connection between donor identity and legacy giving

• and becoming more than just a campaign

• Is there a perfect time to invest in a bold new legacy campaign?

• Can AI technology produce effective and compassionate messaging?

One of the highlights will be a case study from a long-established and highprofile international charity which is restarting its legacy campaign after a five-year gap. The session will highlight how they have changed with their strategy, and how they are reconnecting with their donors.

According to organisers Smee & Ford: “With sessions for all levels of the team and all sizes of charity, from those new to legacy fundraising to experienced legacy team members looking for inspiration and insight, and senior leaders and board members wanting more insight into the income and donor engagement opportunities that can be created from legacy fundraising, the summit is designed to appeal to all charities across the legacy sector.”

The digital format will once again enable charities and speakers from charities outside the UK to view and participate in the summit – and their contribution to the day will be warmly welcomed.

Tickets are available via legacystrategysummit.com and include:

• Access to all the live content on the day

• Post-event recordings of all sessions

• Six bonus on-demand presentations for pre or post-event learning

Registration is now open. q

Announcing the event, the organisers said: “Many charities find that, ultimately, their legacy income is dependent on a small number of large gifts. While all gifts in wills are much appreciated, imagine the potential impact our organisations could have if we brought in just a few more of these large gifts or increased the average value of all gifts by a small percentage? Despite this potential, much of the focus of legacy fundraising in recent years has been on growing the volume of gifts, potentially at the expense of value: from bringing in new supporters via free will schemes to stressing the importance of small gifts.”

Hosted by Ashley Rowthorn, the masterclass will be led by Professor Russell James, Dr Claire Routley and Kath Horsley.

Russell James JD PhD CFP is a chaired professor in the Department of Personal Financial Planning at Texas Tech University, where he directs the on-campus and online graduate programme in Charitable Financial Planning.

Dr Claire Routley has worked in fundraising for over 15 years, specialising in legacy fundraising for the past decade. In 2011 she completed a PhD looking at why people choose to leave legacies to charity. She has worked for Bible Society, Age UK, WRVS and a local hospice, and teaches the Chartered Institute of Fundraising’s qualification courses.

She is now Head of Gifts in Wills Consultancy at Legacy Futures alongside a part-time position as a Post-Doctoral Research Associate at the University of Kent’s Centre for Philanthropy.

Kathryn Horsley is Director of Insight at Legacy Futures. She has been working in the legacy sector for over five years, prior to which she was a management consultant for brand strategy and design firm Lippincott, and previously Mercer Management Consulting.

Ashley Rowthorn is CEO of Legacy Futures. He has spent the past 15 years immersed in legacy giving. He started in a regional role, having legacy conversations in the community, and went on to manage legacy marketing campaigns at a leading national health charity. q

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