# Wootton George Consulting investigates barriers to legacy fundraising

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2010/07/27/wootton-george-consulting-investigates-barriers-legacy-fundraising/
- Published: 2010-07-27T13:36:25+01:00
- Author: Howard Lake

![](https://www.fundraising.co.uk/files/images/news/atheist-bus-legacy-slogan.jpg)

Strategy and fundraising consultancy Wootton George Consulting is trying to find
out what prevents more charities from raising funds from legacies. It is inviting
charities to complete an online survey.

With average gift levels of £3,500 for cash legacies and £35,000 for shares of estates,
legacy fundraising is of course one of the most productive methods of fundraising.
It can achieve a ratio of return of around £50:£1.

Despite this, many charities still have no legacy strategy in place at all, or carry
out legacy fundraising in a rather ad hoc way, according to Wootton George. Simon
George, Director of the agency, suggests it is most often the small and medium size
charities that miss out on this method of fundraising.

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“It does not make sense”, he said, “that charities will invest large sums in other
areas of fundraising, yet effective legacy work is often regarded as the poor relation
and starved of investment, when even a modest campaign can bring big rewards.

“We are seeking to identify what the barriers are and to empower fundraisers to 
overcome them. Whether it is trustee ignorance, risk aversion, simple inertia or
just down to a short term focus, we hope to gain a better understanding of what 
is stopping more charities winning their share of the legacy cake. We hope this 
will enable them to recognise why they are missing out and what steps they should
take.”

Charities can take part in the survey at:

www.surveymonkey.com/s/8T6WJSX

 * **[International legacy survey opens](https://fundraising.co.uk/2010/10/15/international-legacy-survey-opens/)**(
   15 October 2010)
 * **[Wootton George survey reveals barriers to legacy fundraising](https://fundraising.co.uk/2010/10/18/wootton-george-survey-reveals-barriers-legacy-fundraising/)**(
   18 October 2010)
 * **[Legacy was left to charity that did not exist](https://fundraising.co.uk/2010/11/04/legacy-was-left-charity-did-not-exist/)**(
   4 November 2010)