Legacy building in life'

I’ve visited a fair number of legators' homes (bear with me).

And everytime, without really meaning to, I’ve picked up a small but valuable insight 💭.

I worked for a charity that offered a service to care and rehome people’s pets should their pet outlive them 🐾

Sometimes, I'd have to meet the Executor, collect the bereaved dog with an expert dog handler and drive to one of our rehoming centres.

One afternoon, I met an Executor at a detached house in Gypsy Hill, South East London. As I stepped into the front living room, I saw something that took my breathe away 😮. It wasn’t the sight of a scared Pomeranian backing into the corner of the room but a wall.

It was beautifully covered with pictures of dogs, cut out from various charity newsletters and mailers.

I believed this was a way for the legator to remain connected to the animals, charities and something much bigger than herself. It was ‘legacy building in life'. It was a heartfelt desire to stay connected to what gave her life meaning.

That experience stays at the front of mind when I'm developing a pledger stewardship journey. 

Some pledgers are quite happy with the abstract nature of leaving a gift in their Will. But there are some that need to visualise what their gift will achieve through images, stories, site visits, events or even involvement in future projects. 

Don’t neglect these valuable pledgers. Give them the chance to go ‘backstage’ and see how their gift not only reflects their values but also helps shape the future.