Gayle Union, Estate Administration & Gift Planning Manager for the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation (MCHF), has been working to preserve the legacy of the Marine Corps for over 15 years.
The organization shares the history and impact of the Corps through the National Museum of the Marine Corps near Washington, D.C.
Gayle chose to partner with Planned Giving Marketing (PGM) more than 10 years ago because she knew PGM’s omnichannel approach was the right strategy.
“Repetition is so important in marketing, and especially in planned giving,” Gayle said. “People need to see messages multiple times across multiple channels.”
The MCHF collaborates with PGM’s creative team to produce compelling emails and direct mail pieces that drive engagement with their PGMicrosite and landing pages. Donor testimonials from Marines who are 1775 Society members are featured throughout the materials, adding a personal element.
“Crafting donor testimonials is an opportunity for a very personal connection with our 1775 Society members,” Gayle said. “They love seeing their stories in print—it’s a great recognition and stewardship tool for the donors, a very effective way to show others how they can make an impact, and it has the added benefit of being a successful strategy to solicit major gifts.”
After a donor profile piece goes out, Gayle encourages the featured donor to expand the reach of their story however possible. Many featured donors are proud to share copies of their postcards with friends (especially to their friends who are Marines), and Gayle encourages them to also post it to their social media sites, and/or forward the email version of the postcard to fellow Marines they know and members of a Marine organization they may belong to.
“I can’t recall a single donor who hasn’t wanted to help the MCHF broaden the reach of their story and its message,” said Gayle.
As savvy fundraisers and marketers, the MCHF further leverages the content PGM creates by replicating the messages across their social media channels and repurposing the stories in e-newsletters and other communications that reach a broader audience—always encouraging engagement with their PGMicrosite.
Jeff Stein, President of PGM, said the MCHF’s planned giving marketing strategy is successful because of its simplicity. “Gayle and our team work together on a plan to communicate with their best prospects frequently and consistently,” Jeff said. “And while the latest ways-to-give content is important, it’s their donors and stories that drive engagement and generate leads for Gayle.”
As the Marine Corps prepares for its 250th anniversary next year, Gayle looks forward to continuing to work with PGM to share the contributions Marines have made to America and the world.
Make the Most of Your Marketing
- Communicate with your audience about planned giving frequently and consistently
- Use an omnichannel approach to reach your audience across multiple platforms
- Leverage emotional donor profiles to inspire others to leave a legacy
- Equip donors with the tools to share their stories with their own networks
- Repurpose existing content across all of your communication channels
- Partner with a vendor like Planned Giving Marketing to help you build a plan for communicating with your best prospects to drive engagement and generate leads