It was such a pleasure to host a webinar with Catherine Bosworth, Director of Income Generation and Grants at Hospice UK. A lot of information shared in a short time and we’ve had really positive feedback from those attending.
For me, there were three principle take-aways from the session.
- Together, the movement is stronger and has a more powerful voice
Hospice UK’s benchmarking is extremely useful – and helps every hospice to judge and evaluate their financial performance against the rest of the movement. This is vital information as it immediately shows where the problems – and the opportunities – really are.
In the same way, Pebblebeach’s donor-base benchmarking model allows hospices to immediately understand where the potential lies – and how much growth is possible. This understanding of the current situation is absolutely crucial for planning any fundraising strategy – because if you don’t know where you are, you can’t plan a path forward.
The really encouraging information was that almost three-quarters of hospices have now signed up to be part of Hospice UK’s legacy promotion campaign early next year. This is a clear demonstration of how the hospice movement can use the power of its combined weight and strength to deliver a national message that will inspire action at a local level. If I was FR Director at my local hospice, this would be the first line on my budget for the next year – because it delivers a reach the hospice couldn’t possibly hope to achieve on its own. It’s a great piece of lead generation.
But, I’d want to be sure I had a) the materials and b) the resource in house to maximise the benefit of the awareness the campaign would deliver. I recommend every hospice involved should follow up the national campaign with a direct campaign to their supporters saying, “Did you see that? Amazing, wasn’t it! Well, here’s how legacies play such a vital role for our hospice – and can we come and talk to you about that?”
- Hospices have to be strong, confident – and invest in the future
The frustration that many shared was of the reluctance to invest in fundraising. Far too often, fundraising is seen as a cost – and yet there is copious evidence showing that investment in communication and resource delivers the long-term, secure net income all hospice trustee boards crave! Both Hospice UK and Pebblebeach have data and examples to prove this point (benchmarking!) and both our organisations are happy to share.
Catherine pointed out that the hospice movement spends 3% of its fundraising budget on legacy marketing – half of what the rest of the charity sector invests. And yet legacy income is a huge percentage of income for almost every hospice! This has to change.
- Fundraising delivers the results – if it’s done well
The final point raised was that hospice fundraising is working, our communities are responding – if they are asked properly, in a clear and direct way. Pebblebeach’s hospice clients have seen significant success in 2024 from cash appeals, legacy promotions – and regular giving campaigns.
The audience is still there, they still want to help – but they’re not going to jump online or send in a cheque unprompted. They need to be given the facts, shown the challenge their local hospice is facing – and also the incredible benefits and experiences their gifts unlock.
The webinar recording is on our website (here) if you’d like to watch it – as well as many other webinars on a range of topics from the last couple of years.
If your hospice is interested in Pebblebeach’s donor-base benchmarking service, please reach out to hello@pebblebeachfundraising.com to learn more.
My final message? Take heart, have confidence, get out there and tell your community you need their help (and talk a lot more about legacies!). And, if you need help, Pebblebeach and Hospice UK are here to listen…
Ash Gilbert / Managing Director
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