Guiding supporters as they shape their legacy

A national charity’s Gifts in Wills team identified three key user groups — Thinking, Deciding, and Done.

As a Digital Coordinator, I guided the team in creating a website experience that encourages and supports users throughout their legacy‑giving journey, aligning seamlessly with their offline efforts.

‍Gifts in Wills spoke to 3 groups of users:

Thinking - “I might leave a gift to a charity. (I have a connection with stroke.)”
Deciding - “I have a connection with stroke or this charity, and I'm considering leaving a gift.”
Done - "I've committed to leave a gift to this chairty. (I've written my Will)"

In order to ideate and prototype a feasible solution, we considered:

What users at each phase are thinking and asking;
What the GIW team wants them to learn, think or do;
How the webpage could help do that; and
What content could help achieve it;

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Section homepage

In order to build support from the Thinking and Deciding groups, the homepage was designed to address their key questions:

Why should I leave a Gift to this charity?
What could I leave as a gift?
How can I leave a gift in my Will?

Supporter experiences and impact stories were highlighted to reassure and inspire the audience.

The 'Why'

The main focus of this page was to address the needs of the Thinking audience.

The page was designed to show how leaving a gift could create a transformative impact on people’s lives, and how such a contribution could leave a meaningful, lasting legacy.

This message was reinforced with real stories from individuals whose lives had been profoundly changed by the generosity of supporters.

Finally, the page was structured to guide users toward the next stages of engagement through clear introductions to the “What” and the “How.”

The 'What'

The primary target audience for this page comprised the Thinking and Deciding groups.

The content was designed to inform users about the various types of gifts they could contribute, while also dispelling the misconception that meaningful giving is only possible for those with significant wealth.

Relatable stories of everyday Australians who had created an extraordinary legacy through their support reinforced this message.

As with the previous page, the structure then directed users toward the next step in the engagement process, focusing on the “How.”

The 'How'

The primary audience for this page was the Deciding group.

Here the audience is informed about:

the steps to take to decide on their gifts
toolkits (booklet downloads) to help decide their legacy/story
where to write their Will
wordings for their Will

Free Will‑writing services from partner organisations were also introduced to make completing a Will feel easier.

At the F&P Big4 Conference 2024, the GIW website was recognised as best practice during a session on websites - for effectively tailoring content to meet the needs of our target audiences to achieve positive results.