How to focus on in-memory fundraising

Charities are seeing a boom in in-memory and tribute fundraising as donors increasingly want to raise money for good causes in the name of a loved one.

 

Sometimes such fundraising tributes are in memory of a friend of family member who has passed away. They can also be to support a loved one who is undergoing treatment for a particular medical condition or simply to celebrate someone’s birthday.

 

Latest research has shown that online fundraising paying tribute in this way has grown markedly over the last year. Advice to charities, wanting to improve their tribute fundraising marketing, includes ensuring they are creating eye catching storytelling to support donors who are considering this form of giving.

 

Here we look at the findings from this latest research and how charities can best adapt to this emerging trend in giving.

 

 

Key findings

 

A study by online fundraising platform goDonate found that online tribute or in-memory fundraising grew by almost a half (46%) between 2020 and 2021.

 

This includes a rise in the average number of donations made for each tribute or in-memory fundraising campaign by a donor. This average increased from 20 to 23.

 

During 2021 one in eight donors said that making a gift to a charity in memory or in tribute to someone was their main reason for giving. The previous year this proportion was one in ten.

 

Sometimes online in-memory or tribute giving pages are set up but fail to attract attention. The proportion of pages failing to attract funds has also reduced, according to goDonate’s findings. It found that 83% of pages set up went on to raise funds in 2021, up from 74% in 2020.

 

The average sum raised for each tribute fund set up was £943 in 2021. The average donation value is £44.69, which includes donations where someone is making a collection from a funeral.

 

In a third of cases money is donated via PayPal.

 

While an increase in the death rate due to COVID-19 has been a factor in the rise of in-memory giving, goDonate’s figures suggest that this form of giving has retained its popularity even as the death rate falls post pandemic.

 

 

Invest in in-memory fundraising programmes

 

According to goDonate Managing Director Vicky Reeves: “The stats show that now is the time for charities to invest in online tribute funds and in-memory programmes.

 

“Many organisations are already doing so and bringing in valuable income from this channel. It’s important to remember, though, that successful tribute funds and in memory initiatives comprise many different components.

 

“From data collection and management, to using eye-catching creative to engage donors, it’s vital to get those things right.”

 

 

How, when, who to target

 

Among other findings from the research is advice on when to run promotion of tribute and in-memory giving and the best charity supporters to target.

 

Tribute funding is usually consistently staged by charity supporters throughout the year. But in 2021 there was a slight increase in the number of funds being set up during winter. This includes the first few months of the year and Christmas, “a time often connected to reflection”, according to goDonate’s report.

 

Weekdays, especially Mondays and Wednesdays, are key days for setting up funds to pay tribute to a loved one. The launch of these pages drops off markedly over the weekend.

 

Female charity supporters are a key group to target. Two thirds of all in-memory fundraisers are women. This is common with other forms of fundraising, says goDonate.

 

Donors interested in tribute and in-memory giving want to receive wider and ongoing communications from charities. Six in ten say they are happy to receive such material via email. This is higher than with more general online charity donating, where the proportion is less than half.

 

Those giving in tribute to someone are also more likely to add Gift Aid to their donation. While the average Gift Aid conversion for online donations in 2021 was 69%, this rises to 72% among tribute and in-memory donors.

 

 

Tribute fundraising in action

 

Among advice given by goDonate around in-memory giving is to ensure fundraising campaigns are personalised to make them “as relevant as possible to their supporters”.

 

Animal welfare charity Battersea is a good example of personal campaigning in this way, says goDonate, through its Pet Tribute Fund. This offers supporters the chance to raise funds in memory of a much-loved family pet that has passed away.

 

Promotion includes the staging of the charity’s annual Pet Remembrance Day event. Battersea includes emotive case studies deploying user generation content techniques on its website from its supporters, where they share memories of their pet and why they wanted to mark their passing with a gift to Battersea.

 

“When we lost Bean earlier this year we were devastated, Bean was such an important member of our family and the house seemed so empty and quiet without him,” said one supporter about their dog.

 

“We wanted to reach out and help other dogs and animals that may not have had the love and security that our little boy enjoyed. It seemed right to honour Bean with a Pet Tribute Fund.”