Promotion: Internal Audience

Internal promotion to all charity staff is crucial - you never know who could be promoting the scheme if only they knew about it.

In-memory giving affects every team within a charity. A supporter can be motivated by losing someone, but their interactions with the charity can vary hugely. They could be requesting information, taking on a skydive, making a regular gift, anything.

All teams should be able to ask a supporter 'is this in memory of someone special' and, if so, 'how can we help you to remember them?' - and provide relevant information in response.

A supporter views your charity as one entity, instead of individual teams within the charity. You therefore need to promote tribute funds to all the teams within your charity. Consider ways to soft credit different teams for donations received, so that all staff are motivated to promote tribute funds, and all engagement with a supporter is recognised.

Who is your internal audience?

Internal promotion is the key to a successful campaign, so you need to identify your internal audiences and have clear messaging in place. Along with the in-memory giving team you may have:

• Supporter Care team
• Reception team - this is often a key point of contact for in-memory supporters and a good opportunity to direct them towards tribute funds
• Other fundraising teams: legacies, community fundraising, events, trusts, corporate, major donors, direct marketing etc.
• Shop staff
• Senior management and trustees
• Care team and service providers
• Bereavement support providers
• Volunteer networks.

Clear messaging: The WWW method

• What is a tribute fund: an online place to record memories and raise funds in memory of a loved one
• Where to create a fund: add a link to your website and emphasise it only takes a few minutes to set up
• Who is the contact for more information: the name of the person responsible for tribute funds.

How to embed tribute funds within your charity

• Hold lunchtime presentations
• Present at other teams’ meetings
• Include tribute funds on internal emails, communications and newsletters
• Mention tribute funds on printed literature
• Induction training programmes for new staff
• Equip your colleagues - provide them with literature and clear signposting to contact you
• Tribute fund champions - engage a number of people within your charity to actively champion and promote tribute funds
• Get buy-in from senior management; CEO, Director of Fundraising etc.
• Mention newly created funds and promote funds which have achieved their fundraising goals and are well used, and demonstrate their impact on achieving the charity's goals.

Strategy

• Include tribute funds in the overall fundraising team objectives
• Set clear objectives:
  • To increase the number of tribute fund holders
  • To increase income
  • To have increased marketing content and engagement
  • Converting funeral donations - engaging supporters to keep their pages open and continue fundraising after the funeral
  • Offering good bereavement support.