Reducing donor acquisition costs & raising $31M: CARE’s National Featureship success

The Opportunity

Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere Inc. (CARE) is a leading global humanitarian organization known for its impactful efforts in combating poverty and responding to emergencies worldwide. Despite their significant reach and strong reputation, CARE struggled with expanding their donor base beyond traditional donors to include younger, tech-savvy philanthropists. Executive Director of Planned Giving, Marc Vigliotti, reflected on their challenge noting, "Donor acquisition is very expensive—it costs CARE $1.25 for every dollar we raise fom new donors."

CARE had partnered with another planned giving vendor in the past that yielded just three new bequest commitments during the entirety of the partnership. The team knew they had potential for greater impact, so they sought a new partner to help them scale their planned giving efforts.

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The solution

CARE partnered with FreeWill with two key goals: energize their planned giving strategy and broaden their donor funnel. Vigliotti commented on the shift, "For us, it's been a wild success. Last year we had over 150 new planned gift commitments, most of them from individuals new to CARE."

FreeWill facilitated this by placing CARE as a featured nonprofit beneficiary during the will-making process, bringing CARE to the attention of FreeWill users precisely at the moment will-makers are considering their legacy. The impact was immediate, leading to a considerable return on investment and significantly lowering acquisition costs compared to traditional methods and diversifying their supporter demographics.

CARE’s innovative use of FreeWill’s National Featureship not only revitalized their donor acquisition strategy but also secured $31 million in new legacy commitments to sustain CARE’s mission.

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Results

• $31M+ secured in legacy commitments
• 151 new primary bequest commitments