Donations in Memory
by Vicki Barlow
• Published 01/02/2023
In January, the total amount donated to charity in memory of loved ones broke all previous records. The generosity of people, in the midst of a cost of living crisis, blows us away. Almost 50% of notices published included a donation facility. The average amount a person donated has also increased to £38. That's such positive news for families and the charities who benefit.
It would be really good to see those numbers increase as the year progresses, so we've put together a few tips to help you help families raise even more for charity in their loved one's name.
We know Funeral Directors have a thousand and one things to discuss with the family. Discussing the methods available to collect in-memory donations may not be top of the agenda. It's great if you try to get into the habit of briefly explaining that you can provide both online and cash collections.
Offering both options will increase the chances of a successful legacy collection.
Request online donations
Once you're in the habit of discussing an online charitable collection you'll find more people decide to include this in their funeral notice. If the family are asking for donations to specific charities or causes, it makes sense to optimise the potential fundraising total by presumptively adding in a collection to the notice.
The more ways people are able to contribute, the easier it is to raise a desired amount.
A recent report by Mintel: UK Charitable Giving Market Report 2022, found that younger adults favour digital methods of donating. Providing families with online donations removes barriers that may prevent people from adding to an in-memory collection.
Where a family may not be having a traditional funeral notice, offer them an online notice. We see regular examples of an online notice being used with the sole intention of collecting charitable donations so we know they work.
A lovely bonus for the family being that the notice serves as an everlasting tribute to their loved one too, where they can receive messages of condolence and add tributes, memories, photographs and light virtual candles.
Be it an online or print notice, be sure to mention how people can contribute to the charitable collection. Simply adding in the words 'Donations may be made online at funeral-notices.co.uk' increases the chance people will make a donation.
Donating online is such an easy process, it only takes a few minutes. Once you've made a contribution you are invited to add a tribute to the notice, choosing whether to remain anonymous or publish your name and message of condolence. Family then have the option to reply to the message, thanking individuals for their donation.
Donate online
This is a simple solution that is often overlooked. Sometimes the Order of Service is the first time a person is aware of the charity that will benefit from the collection. If they're not carrying cash, which is increasingly likely nowadays, letting them know they can donate online later will increase the opportunities for people to get involved.
Adding clear and simple instructions to the order of service can be as easy as including the line 'Donations may be made online at funeral-notices.co.uk'.
It might just help increase the collection total.
The more people who see the notice, the more likely people will add to the charitable collection.
Charitable collections are an important part of a person's legacy and provide vital funds for the charities. We are committed to helping families and charities achieve the best possible results and hope to see more milestone collections in 2023.
If you have any questions on this, or would like to know more about donations and online notices, please complete the short form below:
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