iof north west conference 5 th november 2015. what does this mean to your charity? how do you...

IoF North West Conference5th November 2015

In-Memory Giving, Tribute Funds and Working with Bereaved

Supporters

What does this mean to your charity?

How do you recognise your in-memory donors?

In-Memory Giving

What is a Tribute Fund?Tribute Giving in various forms is an age-old phenomenonA Tribute or In Memory Gift = primary motivation is the

memory of a loved oneA Tribute Fund = a collection of tribute gifts under the same

‘wrapper’ or ‘umbrella’ A one-off in-memory event A funeral collection An in-memory donation, however large A Tribute website

Key attributes are personal relationships, commitment and recognition

How could we illustrate a Tribute Fund?

Society not ready for online memorials Technology not ready to provide them Charities not ready to engage with them

• Society – Post war ‘stiff upper lip’, Post-Funeral Taboo• Technology – No Digital Cameras, Slow up/download speeds,

Expensive Computers• Charities – All giving is offline (Cash/cheques), motivation data

collection is poor

Way back in time…

Changes in society, technology and charities make online Tribute Schemes practical

Death no longer a taboo? – Death of Princess Diana; death much more visible and acknowledged

Environmentalism – funeral donations in lieu of flowersAffordable technology & constant access Advances in multi-media technology – images,

videos, musicEasy online giving emerges – JustGiving, Virgin Money Giving etc.Fundraising events gather pace – Marathons, Walks, Cycle Rides

etc.

2000 - 2010

By 2010 Tribute Sites and Tribute Giving are becoming much more widespread

Momentum – It is now normal, even expected‘Permission’ to remember publiclyFacebook and Social NetworksIpads and SmartphonesImproved website functionality & controls including design &

privacy

2010 and beyond!

Why have a Tribute Fund?

Research Results – Tribute Fund Objectives: Average Scores

What can a Tribute Fund do?

• Share practical information• Communicate with family & friends• Give & receive support & condolences• Share memories – grief invites us to remember, not to forget• Be a springboard for positive action – something good out of

something bad• Give people something to do – when nothing can be done• Help people feel less isolated• Tell the story

What do you need to create a great TF?

The ‘Motherboard’ Tribute Fund

1) Add memory chips– Keep the memories of the person at the core

2) Add a Processor– to make the Fund active with Events

3) Add a Battery– Keep the Fund going long-term

4) Add software– So can collect offline, online donations from any source

Software

5) Add a Display Screen– to make the Fund visible through a Tribute Site

Software

6) Add a Power Cable– The person at the charity responsible for running the Scheme

Software

What Works?

Results – Key Tribute Fund Factors

You should not judge a Tribute Fund scheme’s success by money alone – there are other key objectives and benefits

MuchLoved partners have a similar viewpoint on the key factors that help create a successful scheme, but many do not rate themselves highly in implementing these key factors

The gulf in fundraising performance between charities is partly down to big differences in the implementation of the key factors

But remember…

Allocate a timescale – you’ll probably need 6 months to plan and launchDo your research about TF providers – talk to other charitiesSet clear objectives for your TF – is it for

(Just) Increasing donationsRaising awareness of your charity in the (local) CommunityBereavement Support / Creating a Supportive CommunityGiving something back to supporters (not just a money ask)Facilitating Corporate support / Event FundraisingLong Term Donor Stewardship..... Major Donors & Legacies

Get the support of senior colleagues and buy-in from stakeholdersAgree branding and identityAppoint administratorAgree a communication & launch plan

How would you go about starting a TF?

3 Trends for the future that you can use to develop your Tribute

Fund Scheme

TREND 1:Understanding Continues to Improve

TREND 1 : General Understanding and Acceptance of what a Tribute Fund is will improve

• They’re still a really, really new idea…• If people don’t accept or understand them, how can

they sign-up?• If charity staff don’t understand or fear them, how

can they properly promote?

TREND 1 : General Understanding and Acceptance of what a Tribute Fund is will improve

Examples of change:

• Facebook has changed people’s views about sharing online. In 2007, Over 80% of MuchLoved Tributes were ‘Private’ access, in 2013 nearly 90% were ‘Public’ access.

• A hospice Tribute Fund Administrator told me recently that she was starting to get Funds prompted by the clinical team talking to families…when the clinical team used to be a big barrier.

TREND 2:Integration with Events is improving

TREND 2 : Integration with Events is improving

Tribute Funds are perfectly suited to many types of Events:

•Team Events

•Challenge Events

•Remembrance Events

•Celebration Events

•Give-Back Events

TREND 3:Funeral donations are starting to move online

TREND 3 : Funeral Donations are starting to move online

• Funeral Donations estimated at £100million per annum, predominantly cash & cheques (lost £25mill Gift Aid)

• They are beginning to move online – e.g. National Funeral Exhibition 2013 / MuchLoved partnerships

• This will lead to better & quicker supply of family & donor information, hence opportunities for in-memory conversations and Tribute Fund conversions [‘Funerals+’]

• There will be more ‘multiple charity’ funeral collections…maybe another opening for non-medical charities?

About MuchLoved

The pioneering internet tribute fund site:

• Founded by Jonathan Davies in 1998 after the death of his brother & mother and a registered charity since 2007

• Mission to promote & transform online memorialisation in the UK

• Software investment already over £1 million with a continuous enhancement programme in place

• Now hosting over 35,000 tribute websites for nearly 150,000 registered users with a combined Fund total of over £17million

• The Tribute Fund provider for 110 UK charities including British Lung Foundation, Prostate Cancer UK, The Brain Tumour Charity, Sue Ryder, MND Association, Epilepsy Action, Meningitis Now, Bliss, Cruse Bereavement Care & many hospices

MuchLoved - Benefits

“I have found MuchLoved to be a wonderful, inspirational website and have personally gained comfort from being able to put together a tribute for my beautiful son Adam in this way”Christina Ford, Tribute Fund Guardian

“I would recommend MuchLoved to all charities looking to increase their in memory income while offering supporters the perfect way to remember their loved ones.”Anna Wall Legacy & In-memoriam Giving Manager

Who in the group has direct contact with bereaved supporters?

Who has had any training – in bereavement, communications, supporting people etc.?

What is difficult about talking to a bereaved person?What support can you access?Other observations?

How do we work with bereaved supporters?

“Grief is the price we pay for love”

Dr. Colin Murray Parkes

Send a bereaved supporter a letter of condolence from the charity after the death?

Invite people to set up an ‘in-memory’ page?Ask if they would like to set up a tribute fund?Send a list of in memory fundraising events taking place?Light a candle in memory on their tribute site?Ask them if they want a collection tube for cash at the funeral?

Is it OK to…?

“Death ends a life,

not a

relationship”

Mitch Albom

DO’SDO show that you know what has happened and say how sorry you areDO let the person talk about their loss and express grief, as much or as often as they

want. Going over and over what happened is a normal part of bereavementDO however accept that they may not want to discuss their loss or griefDO be patient and understanding, and encourage them to be patient and

understanding with themselvesDO encourage them to take care of themselvesDO as the days/weeks go by... ask how they are feeling, or how they are copingDO remember that grieving may include feelings of shock, guilt or angerDO try to be yourself, nobody expects you to be an expert on griefDo recognise your own feelings about grief and loss and how this may affect your

responses to bereaved people

Do’s and don'ts of working with bereaved supporters

DON'TS:

DON’T avoid the bereaved person. Don’t put your head down, walk away or busy yourself doing something else

DON'T change the subject when bereaved people talk about their lossDON’T take their anger and distress personallyDON'T say "I know how you feel" even if you have experienced a similar loss. Others

will not feel exactly as you may have feltDON'T try to soothe away the pain by saying "Time is a great healer“ or other

common sayings. However well meant, such remarks seldom help when grief is at its most intense. Everyone grieves in their own way and there is no timescale for grief

DON'T give advice unless it is asked for. When giving information, keep it clear and simple. Recently bereaved people may not be able to retain complex information

DON'T make offers of help you cannot keepDON'T make assumptions about someone's religious or cultural beliefsDON'T assume that bereaved people should have ‘got over’ the loss by a certain

time. Grieving nearly always takes longer than we think.

People will forget what you

said;

people will forget what you

did;

but people will never forget

how you made them FEEL

Maya Angelou

DON’T BE AFRAID

Catherine Betley - DirectorProfessional Help Limited

Catherine@professionalhelp.org.uk01524 78291007766 074009@ProfHelpUK

Tribute & In-Memoriam Consultant - MuchLovedCatherine.Betley@muchloved.com

@ MuchLovedUK