In recent years, we have seen great developments in the field of legacy fundraising in the Netherlands and Europe. Many organizations have started to communicate with their supporters about legacy giving and new initiatives around legacy giving have arisen at charities, in the cultural sector or within regional associations. For many organizations, legacies are now an important source of income.
The knowledge about what legacy fundraising really means and how we can communicate better about legacy giving is constantly evolving. In the meantime, legacy fundraising has developed into a fully-fledged profession and is no longer seen as a side issue. In addition, organizations build and maintain relationships with people who are interested in this unique form of support with more attention and, also with the perspective of a partnership based on shared values. Developments that we, Elly and Lena, enthusiastically applaud.
And yet legacy fundraising does not always have the standing like other forms of fundraising. There are still wrong assumptions or clichés about this form of support. Fundraisers responsible for legacy programs sometimes miss the opportunity to exchange ideas internally or gain inspiration. We know from our own experience that it sometimes feels like you’re alone on an island. Often you first have to create internal support before you can take any steps to develop a legacy program.
We were missing a place where fundraisers could get the latest trends in legacy fundraising and keep up to date with developments. Trends from within the Netherlands, but also from beyond our borders in markets that resemble ours. A place where we share ideas and thoughts on best practices or how to deal with specific challenges within our profession. That’s why we decided to set up legacygiving.eu – for inspiring content, interesting blogs and interviews with experts.
Ultimately, we think it would be great if more organizations in the EU embraced legacy giving and found their unique voice to communicate with donors, visitors or members about legacy giving. We hope that with this website we can contribute to furthering the development of our profession.
For us, legacy fundraising is the most beautiful and the most impactful form of fundraising. We would like to share our passion for the profession with you and ensure that we inspire each other.
Elly Lont & Lena Vizy
Photo credit: Karin van de Wiel
