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| Path: Main Street : Resources & Library : Research Articles : Feature Article |
Tabloid insert promotes planned givingJune 5, 1996; Canadian FundRaiser
Regina's community newspaper prefers planned giving tips to stories of Elvis sightings and alien abductions in its tabloid inserts. Last June, the Hospitals of Regina Foundation published a planned giving supplement in conjunction with numerous other non-profits, allied professionals and the Canadian Association of Gift Planners. The tabloid insert, published in the Leader-Post , explained the basics of planned giving to readers and focused particularly on bequests and gifts of life insurance.
The hospitals foundation had launched its planned giving program the summer before and, according to Judy Davis, development coordinator, the publication was designed to generate both interest in and awareness of planned giving options. She explains that with a circulation of approximately 175,000, the insert was an efficient and cost-effective means of getting the information out to a broad base of people. "In a community like ours, there is often a hesitation about these products, mostly because people don't know enough about them," says Davis.
The four-page insert was paid for by 13 advertisers including nine charitable groups and four allied professionals. This cooperative project not only helped establish the credibility of planned giving in general, but also each organization got its message out to a large audience at a comparatively low price. "The message was somewhat more credible and didn't have quite the air of self-promotion that it might have if we had sent it out on our own," explains Davis, "Working cooperatively, we supplied the information in a very accessible and appropriate way."
Davis explains that the hospitals foundation took out a half page ad costing $650 and realized a significant and almost immediate return from a donor who had only given small amounts previously. After seeing the tabloid insert, the woman expressed an interest in planned giving and soon established a charitable remainder trust of $50,000.
While Davis is quick to point out that this type of prompt and lucrative response may not be the norm, she is enthusiastic about the potential that it generated as people become more well-informed about their options. As she explains, "It's often difficult to measure success with these types of activity … as an awareness-raising exercise it has been great."
Other organizations were also enthusiastic about the opportunity to promote their planned giving vehicles to the public in this co-operative and relatively inexpensive way. With the success of last summer's tabloid, Davis is encouraging the Leader-Post to publish a second insert this June. The new supplement will be larger and will highlight some of the options available under the recent federal tax changes to charitable giving.
For more information on the Regina tabloid project, contact Judy Davis, Hospitals of Regina Foundation, (306) 766-7500, Fax: (306) 766-7504.
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