Loyalty to Legacy: Turning Donor Affinity into Long-Term Impact  

Background:

Good Shepherd is a regionally focused social services charity providing housing, food security, and support programs for vulnerable individuals and families in the community. This community focus has created a very loyal donor base that revealed untapped potential for legacy giving.  

Since introducing the BENCH (our proprietary benchmarking tool) in 2020, it became clear that a dedicated legacy program could deepen long-term connections to the mission. We began by strengthening digital fundraising and building a robust monthly giving program.

Once those pillars were in place, the time was right to shift focus to planned giving, supported by clear positioning and awareness efforts.  

What we did:

To build a strong foundation for Good Shepherd’s legacy program, we took a phased, insight-driven approach: 

1. Legacy Affinity Survey
We began by launching a detailed survey to better understand how Good Shepherd’s supporters felt about legacy giving. 

This gave us the insights needed to:

* Identify key legacy audiences and what motivates them—including their connection to Good * Shepherd and the causes they care about 
* Develop a compelling legacy proposition and creative platform 
* Design a tailored donor journey for both legacy prospects and confirmed legacy donors 
* Provide KPI recommendations to measure donor experience and campaign success 
* Spot additional opportunities for monthly, legacy, and high-value giving 
* Collect valuable demographic data to refine targeting across digital and acquisition 

2. BENCH and Program Audit 

We then conducted a full review of Good Shepherd’s donor base and marketing efforts, uncovering that: 

• Key segments within the existing donor base were well-positioned for legacy outreach 
• An integrated marketing approach was needed (and therefore recommended) to effectively engage and convert these priority groups 
• Enhancements to digital presence and user experience are opportunities to support engagement and long-term program growth 

Next, we defined strategic themes, built onboarding experiences, and mapped out a complete donor journey for legacy supporters, taking them from awareness to commitment.  

The campaign launched in May 2025, and included: direct mail, email, digital ads, telemarketing, and video, as well as a refreshed landing page and updated legacy page on the website. 

Good Shepherd offers exceptional personal support to donors who make a connection, combining digital with personalized engagement. By fostering personal connections, Good Shepherd builds trust and strengthens relationships over time, ensuring donors feel valued beyond a single gift. The organization actively plans for long-term engagement through ongoing stewardship, tailored communications, and meaningful touchpoints at every stage of the donor journey. These efforts create a lasting and positive experience for donors, and reinforce their connection to Good Shepherd’s mission.