Legacy Summit resumes in digital form

[THE annual Legacy Strategy Summit (#LSS21) will take place as a digital event on 17 June. The aim of the summit is to provide professionals in the legacy industry with insight into the latest trends in legacy giving and to explore the new landscape of legacy fundraising in the post-COVID era.

Those attending the virtual event will have access to everything they would expect at a live conference, with realtime presentations and peer interactions, panel discussions and audience polls – all accessible from a remote office.

According to organisers Wilmington: “This year we will be expanding our themes to delve into the bold new era of legacy fundraising in the post-pandemic era. The event will focus on resilience and building back after COVID-19, becoming experts at new technologies and creating positive legacy messages amidst changing attitudes to discussing legacy gifts and death.”

This year’s summit will look at legacy giving from a variety of viewpoints: • The bold new era of legacy fundraising as charities move out of the COVID era – how does the new era change our legacy fundraising strategy? The challenges of technology; appealing to a younger audience while keeping older ones engaged: how do charities adapt? Bolder campaigns, brave new messages, putting the life back into your campaign: hear from big hitters such as RNLI, RSPCA, Save The Children, The Stroke Association and many more on how they have adapted.

• Building back after COVID – resilience, using and becoming expert at new technology formats, benefitting from virtual events across your team, expanding donor pipelines and working with refreshed charity brands. Have legacy teams reviewed their methods and message over the past 12-18 months and emerged from the crisis stronger and leaner, or is there still much to be done? Leaders in the legacy field explain how they have built back after COVID-19 and what they think the year ahead holds for the legacy fundraising and income for their charity. • Positive legacy messages – use of energetic, powerful images in campaigns; becoming a virtual part of the team, the donor story and the human element; moving away from tired stereotypes and traditional campaign imagery; the new attitude to discussing legacy gifts and death. After 18 months of pandemic and 24/7 news of death and doom, delegates can look at the latest trend in legacy messages with a move towards positivity, energy and even irreverence. • Digital and virtual legacy fundraising – how technology and better use of data has revolutionised legacy events and donor research. In the past 18 months some charities have quickly progressed from cautious novices to confident experts in virtual legacy events. Delegates can hear from the head of a regional legacy team who has formed a team with her legacy colleagues across other regions to excel in the virtual format, and explore how other charities can follow this route when working across a large geographical area with limited team size and reduced marketing resources.

Places can be booked via the website at legacystrategysummit.com, where the full agenda and speakers list can be viewed. q

Help for those with failing sight

[FAILING EYESIGHT is nothing short of a personal catastrophe. Do you have a family member, friend or neighbour who is gradually losing their sight?

Reading, recognising friends and living skills are all affected as your sight is going – and it’s much harder if you live alone.

The National Federation of the Blind of the UK (NFBUK) keeps its members in touch with general information, help and updates on what’s going on.

The charity produces bi-monthly news magazines and circulars in audio, braille or electronically, which members can read independently. It also encourages blind and partially sighted people to play a fuller part in society. q • For further information contact NFBUK on 01924 291313, email admin@nfbuk.org or visit www.nfbuk.org.