Welcome to Legacy Fundraising Chat, where I talk about everything Legacy related to help you as a fundraiser, generate more interest amongst your supporters in Legacy giving.

I’m your host, Sanita Guddu, producer of this podcast, founder of Persuasion, a Legacy marketer, providing legacy consultancy, legacy training, coaching, and interim legacy support to charities of all sizes.

Legacy fundraising can sometimes feel like the fundraising discipline that gets pushed to the bottom of the to-do list. There are appeals to launch, events to organise and income targets to meet today, so it’s easy for gifts in Wills to become something you’ll ‘get round to next year’.

In this episode of Legacy Fundraising Chat, I sat down with Joey, Head of Fundraising and Membership at The Vegetarian Society, to talk honestly about what it really looks like to build a legacy programme from the ground up. What followed was a conversation about confidence, culture, supporter relationships and why legacy fundraising isn’t about having all the answers—it’s about taking the first step.

From Face-to-Face Fundraiser to Head of Fundraising

Joey never imagined a career in fundraising. After volunteering and taking a summer job as a face-to-face fundraiser, he discovered a passion for connecting with people and seeing the impact of charitable giving. Nearly fifteen years later, he now leads fundraising and membership at the Vegetarian Society, where shared values are at the heart of everything they do.

Why Legacy Fundraising?

Although responsible for individual giving, membership, lotteries, communications and legacies, Joey admitted legacy fundraising was the area where the team had the least experience. They recognised the long-term opportunity but lacked confidence about where to begin. Rather than guessing, they chose to invest in specialist support and build a programme that reflected their supporters and values.

The £1 Million Gift

One supporter left the Vegetarian Society a £1 million gift in their Will. The size of the legacy surprised everyone, but its impact went far beyond income. It gave the organisation confidence to invest in ambitious campaigning work that otherwise might never have happened and demonstrated to trustees just how transformational legacy gifts can be.

Building the Foundations

Rather than creating isolated projects, the work evolved naturally. A legacy proposition led to supporter journeys, which led to new printed materials, telephone fundraising, case studies and stronger stewardship. Every piece supported the next, gradually creating a coherent legacy programme rather than a collection of disconnected activities.

The Telephone Campaign

One of the biggest turning points came through a telephone campaign. The aim was modest, but the conversations revealed something much bigger. The Society uncovered 19 legacy pledgers—far beyond expectations—and almost 200 people requested further information. Just as importantly, the campaign demonstrated how willing supporters were to talk about their future plans when approached with warmth and respect.

Why Stories Matter

Those conversations uncovered something else: authentic supporter stories. Rather than relying on generic messaging, real supporters shared why they had chosen to remember the Vegetarian Society in their Will. Those stories became the foundation of new legacy materials because nothing is more powerful than hearing directly from someone who has already made that decision.

The ‘Not Yet’ Moment

One story from the interview perfectly illustrates how organisations grow. During discussions about the Society’s Member Day, I immediately saw it as an ideal opportunity to introduce legacy conversations. Joey’s response wasn’t ‘no’—it was ‘not yet’. Looking back a year later, he reflected that the opportunity hadn’t changed; the organisation had. Their confidence had grown, their thinking had evolved and they were finally ready. Sometimes the right idea simply needs the right timing.

Do come back in a fortnight’s time for Part 2.

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Could you do me a favour?  If you have gained something useful from this episode or any of my other content, could you please share my podcast with at least one other person.  I am on a mission to make legacy fundraising accessible for charities of all sizes and I need you to help me to do that.

P.s I’m delighted that the National Free Wills Network is sponsoring my podcast. You can find out more about their service at https://www.nationalfreewills.net

Do you need some support with your Legacy plans?  Here are some of the ways that I can help:

✍️ Write or review your current Legacy fundraising strategy 

📢 Set up your first Telephone Legacy campaign and manage it for you

📝Legacy Marketing Events Planning

📞Coaching sessions providing guidance for your Legacy activities

🚅In-house Legacy Training across your Charity (including staff toolkits and developed a bespoke E-learning module)

📈Interim in-house Legacy Marketing Support

📰Create your Legacy Marketing Materials

🧓Collect Legacy Case Studies and a planner on how to use them in your marketing

Anything not listed here, you need help with?  Email me I love hearing from my listeners

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To find out more about my legacy fundraising journey visit

P.s Could you do me a favour please?  If you are enjoying my podcast, I’d love it if you could either subscribe, share with one other person or leave a review as to why others should listen at Podchaser