The document discusses using donor stories to market a planned giving program. It covers the science of storytelling, including how stories engage emotions more than logic. The presenters describe their legacy mailing series that profiled donors through their stories. They saw an increase in planned giving inquiries and confirmed expectancies from the mailings. They emphasize selecting compelling donor stories and crafting follow-up materials for leads to create buy-in for a planned giving program.

1. Bev Cooper
& Holly Wagg
Using Donor Stories to Market Your
Planned Giving Program

2. Holly Wagg, MA, CFRE
Philanthropic
Counsel &
Chief Digital
Architect
holly@goodworksco.ca
www.goodworksco.ca
blog.goodworksco.ca
University of Saskatchewan | bev.cooper@usask.ca | Good Works | holly@goodworksco.ca | @hollywagg | #CGAP15

3. Bev Cooper, BA
Associate Director of
Development
(Planned Giving)
bev.cooper@usask.ca
www.usask.ca
University of Saskatchewan | bev.cooper@usask.ca | Good Works | holly@goodworksco.ca | @hollywagg | #CGAP15

4. University of Saskatchewan | bev.cooper@usask.ca | Good Works | holly@goodworksco.ca | @hollywagg | #CGAP15
Session Overview
1) Science of Storytelling
2) Overview of Planned Giving at U of S
3) Legacy Mailing Series
4) Creating Buy‐In

5. University of Saskatchewan | bev.cooper@usask.ca | Good Works | holly@goodworksco.ca | @hollywagg | #CGAP15
Science of storytelling

6. University of Saskatchewan | bev.cooper@usask.ca | Good Works | holly@goodworksco.ca | @hollywagg | #CGAP15
Emotion vs Logic
Artwork courtesy of Mark Phillips www.bluefroglondon.com

7. University of Saskatchewan | bev.cooper@usask.ca | Good Works | holly@goodworksco.ca | @hollywagg | #CGAP15
What Makes a Story?
“I woke up. I ate breakfast.
I left for work.”

8. University of Saskatchewan | bev.cooper@usask.ca | Good Works | holly@goodworksco.ca | @hollywagg | #CGAP15
The Breath Before

9. University of Saskatchewan | bev.cooper@usask.ca | Good Works | holly@goodworksco.ca | @hollywagg | #CGAP15
Essential Ingredients

10. University of Saskatchewan | bev.cooper@usask.ca | Good Works | holly@goodworksco.ca | @hollywagg | #CGAP15
The 50+ Brain
You
want
to be
here…
in the
right‐
hand
brain

11. University of Saskatchewan | bev.cooper@usask.ca | Good Works | holly@goodworksco.ca | @hollywagg | #CGAP15
“Bequest marketing is
like visualizing the
final chapter in one’s
own biography”
- Dr. Russell James

12. University of Saskatchewan | bev.cooper@usask.ca | Good Works | holly@goodworksco.ca | @hollywagg | #CGAP15
Immediate VS Bequest Gift
Donation Today Gift in Will
Core emotional motivators Autobiographical
Repayer, Casual giver, High
impact, Faith‐based
See the difference, Personal tie
Personal legacy
The story is the trigger for the
donation
A story that moves people
around a death‐related
decision to future action

13. University of Saskatchewan | bev.cooper@usask.ca | Good Works | holly@goodworksco.ca | @hollywagg | #CGAP15
Common legacy objections
1) I have family to take care of
2) I’m not rich and this is something
rich people do

14. University of Saskatchewan | bev.cooper@usask.ca | Good Works | holly@goodworksco.ca | @hollywagg | #CGAP15
Bequest stories that work
1) Living bequest donor
2) Visionary/leader
3) Founder
4) Beneficiary of planned gift
5) Family of the deceased
6) Deceased bequest donor

15. University of Saskatchewan | bev.cooper@usask.ca | Good Works | holly@goodworksco.ca | @hollywagg | #CGAP15
Program Overview

16. University of Saskatchewan | bev.cooper@usask.ca | Good Works | holly@goodworksco.ca | @hollywagg | #CGAP15
Adding Proactive Programming
• Green&White ads
(alumni magazine)
• Leave a LegacyTM
• Annual giving reply coupon
• College specific mailings
• Estate planning seminars
• Planned giving matrix

17. University of Saskatchewan | bev.cooper@usask.ca | Good Works | holly@goodworksco.ca | @hollywagg | #CGAP15
PG Matrix

18. University of Saskatchewan | bev.cooper@usask.ca | Good Works | holly@goodworksco.ca | @hollywagg | #CGAP15
Our earliest stories
to

19. University of Saskatchewan | bev.cooper@usask.ca | Good Works | holly@goodworksco.ca | @hollywagg | #CGAP15
More storytelling

20. University of Saskatchewan | bev.cooper@usask.ca | Good Works | holly@goodworksco.ca | @hollywagg | #CGAP15
Legacy Mailing Series

21. University of Saskatchewan | bev.cooper@usask.ca | Good Works | holly@goodworksco.ca | @hollywagg | #CGAP15
Our goal
I don’t
want to
think
about it
YES!
I’ll do it
I’ll do it
Now
I’ve got it
Done
I’ll do it
Later

22. University of Saskatchewan | bev.cooper@usask.ca | Good Works | holly@goodworksco.ca | @hollywagg | #CGAP15
Mail package

23. University of Saskatchewan | bev.cooper@usask.ca | Good Works | holly@goodworksco.ca | @hollywagg | #CGAP15
Donor selection
All had to be 65+ years of age
1) Legacy prospects (PG1/PG2 ‐ matrix)
2) Loyalty + Affinity
3) Miss

24. University of Saskatchewan | bev.cooper@usask.ca | Good Works | holly@goodworksco.ca | @hollywagg | #CGAP15
Our Storytellers

25. University of Saskatchewan | bev.cooper@usask.ca | Good Works | holly@goodworksco.ca | @hollywagg | #CGAP15
#1 Vera Pezer
Leadership + Living Donor

26. University of Saskatchewan | bev.cooper@usask.ca | Good Works | holly@goodworksco.ca | @hollywagg | #CGAP15
# 2 Diana Duncan
Living Donor

27. University of Saskatchewan | bev.cooper@usask.ca | Good Works | holly@goodworksco.ca | @hollywagg | #CGAP15
# 3 Andrea De Roo
Student + Legacy Beneficiary

28. University of Saskatchewan | bev.cooper@usask.ca | Good Works | holly@goodworksco.ca | @hollywagg | #CGAP15
Results
Planned Gift Responses
Mailed
#
Responded % Inquiry % Expectancy %
Legacy Mail #1 3152 44 1.40% 8 0.25% 21 0.67%
Legacy Mail #2 2317 57 1.99% 11 0.47% 14 0.60%
Legacy Mail #3 2338 52 2.22% 8 0.34% 10 0.43%
With 3 of the 5 mailings complete, we’ve confirmed 45 expectancies with an
estimated future value of 4.99M

29. University of Saskatchewan | bev.cooper@usask.ca | Good Works | holly@goodworksco.ca | @hollywagg | #CGAP15
Inquiry Lead Follow up
Brochure

30. University of Saskatchewan | bev.cooper@usask.ca | Good Works | holly@goodworksco.ca | @hollywagg | #CGAP15
Expectancy Lead Follow up

31. University of Saskatchewan | bev.cooper@usask.ca | Good Works | holly@goodworksco.ca | @hollywagg | #CGAP15
5 tips for Creating Buy-In

32. University of Saskatchewan | bev.cooper@usask.ca | Good Works | holly@goodworksco.ca | @hollywagg | #CGAP15
Data

33. University of Saskatchewan | bev.cooper@usask.ca | Good Works | holly@goodworksco.ca | @hollywagg | #CGAP15
Know your Audience

34. University of Saskatchewan | bev.cooper@usask.ca | Good Works | holly@goodworksco.ca | @hollywagg | #CGAP15
Go out on a limb

35. University of Saskatchewan | bev.cooper@usask.ca | Good Works | holly@goodworksco.ca | @hollywagg | #CGAP15
Challenge Leadership

36. University of Saskatchewan | bev.cooper@usask.ca | Good Works | holly@goodworksco.ca | @hollywagg | #CGAP15
Good Fit

37. University of Saskatchewan | bev.cooper@usask.ca | Good Works | holly@goodworksco.ca | @hollywagg | #CGAP15
That’s A Wrap!