Tribute funds… public dedications… places of remembrance… it’s all going on with charities’ in-memory products. Some of these offers work well for supporters who aren’t yet ready to close the door on their giving or fundraising after they first connect.

But what’s out there for the plenty of us who would like to keep coming back, doing something small on a more deliberate, regular basis – perhaps to mark a special date?

“You want to keep those precious memories still present, no matter how long has passed”

After bereavement, many people draw comfort from keeping their loved one’s presence close. Through our work at Legacy Voice, in-memory supporters tell us how they regularly talk to the person they’ve lost, carry their ashes from room to room, revisit their favourite restaurant time and again, or listen to their playlist on loop. Bereavement theory even has a name for this – continuing bonds – and suggests that’s it’s a perfectly healthy (and helpful) part of the grieving process. Hurrah for an end to our starchy past, when a raised eyebrow and hushed tone often carried the unmistakable inference that it might be time to move on.

“We like to do something every year around the time of Mum’s anniversary. As long as we’re doing a bit every year to raise money, we’ll be happy”

When we ask in-memory supporters what things they most like to do to remember, without fail people talk about marking happy dates of significance that are loaded with joyful memories – most often a wedding anniversary or their loved one’s birthday. New memories continue to be created at these hugely resonant moments, making them important for charitable giving.

“I loved him so much, and I can’t move on from the loss. So, it’s lovely to know that every month, an animal benefits in his name. It’s just the best feeling”

Some supporters donate more regularly, enjoying that endorphin hit of positive energy that can come from doing good in a loved one’s name

“I’ve taken on the baton, I guess… I’ve just followed how Mum and Dad did it… with my direct debit…”

Then there’s the symbolism of passing on a loved one’s values – a massive driver of in-memory giving to loved in life charities. Taking over a friend’s volunteering commitment, or honoring a parent’s regular gift… these are two, deeply personal ways in which supporters are embodying this motivation with no foreseeable end point.

So, if in-memory supporters are such a great fit with regular giving, why aren’t more of them doing it?

Legacy Foresight’s most recent market survey for In-Memory Insight suggests that, in fact, they are: it shows that regular giving now accounts for a significant proportion of all in-memory donations to charity, by both volume and value – and a large proportion of these gifts are falling under the charity’s radar, unrecognised as such.

Regular giving has grown significantly since 2019 and is actually now one of the most popular channel for in-memory, behind funeral collections and ad-hoc gifts; with direct debits and standing orders one of in-memory supporters’ most preferred methods of giving.

Maybe the question should actually be, why aren’t we asking more in-memory supporters about a regular gift?

A quick scan of charities’ in-memory landing pages shows how many organisations offer the option of a nominal regular gift in memory. But this is often no more than a click through to the main donation page, followed by a basic RG journey for the supporter that makes no further mention of their motivation.

To the remaining question, why aren’t we making in-memory giving more appealing?

• An annual in-mem donation could be the cornerstone of a tribute fund (or a great alternative for a supporter who wants to mark a single date, but isn’t attracted by the idea of a fund).
• For people with busy lives, low energy or mobility, regular giving is a relatively easy alternative to in-memory fundraising, still with great emotional resonance if centred around a special date.
• A regular giving journey gives charities unlimited opportunities to build a closer relationship with a supporter over time, with clear links to enhanced lifetime value and legacy propensity – particularly important for loved in life charities, where the connection is often felt to be ‘owned’ by the person being remembered (at least in the beginning).
• Whereas tribute funds usually reach a point of natural burnout, a regular gift can run for years – providing that the supporter’s stewardship continues to honour the person behind their commitment.

Surprisingly then, very few charities are actively ‘productising’ in-memory or anniversary giving in a dynamic and celebratory way.

RNLI’ s Light The Way Home is the best example we can find of an in-memory regular giving product made to feel like something different and special. Supporters are invited to ‘set up a regular donation for our lifesavers to make sure the light never goes out’. The welcome pack includes a keyring – a nice, cause-related memory jog about the way the loved one’s connection is helping – and a foldout map to show the impact of where and how gifts are making a difference.

At a time when so much of the oxygen in our fundraising ecosystem is absorbed by the quest for regular gifts, how can we make regular giving the best, first thing we offer this audience? As we approach the most important season of the year for many people remembering loved ones, no other supporters have more heartfelt reasons to do this.

• All anonymised quotes from in-memory supporters derived from Legacy Voice qualitative supporter research.
• Source of market figures: Populus consumer survey for In-Memory Insight (March 2023).