Equality Utah - Will Power! A Legacy of Equality

Founded in 1991, Equality Utah  has grown to be Utah's statewide LGBTQ civil rights organization. Equality Utah builds independent civic power with their base of LGBTQ Utahns and allies across the state, working to secure equal rights and protections through advocacy, education, and community engagement. At a pivotal moment when a large section of the LGBTQ major donor base is aging and beginning to think about wealth transfer, Equality Utah launched their first-ever planned giving campaign to secure the organization's future.

Overview

With strategic assistance from Progressive Multiplier Fund, Equality Utah launched a planned giving campaign using FreeWill to introduce tax-efficient giving options and create new pathways for legacy support.

By implementing FreeWill and launching an email-based outreach campaign, Equality Utah aimed to bring in 15 new legacy donors while emphasizing the impact of bequests and planned gifts in securing the organization's future. The project demonstrated both the potential and the challenges of launching new revenue initiatives during periods of organizational transition, creating valuable insights for future development efforts.

Key Strategies & Tactics

Equality Utah's planned giving initiative consisted of several integrated components designed to establish a foundation for long-term financial sustainability:

• FreeWill Platform Implementation: Deploying FreeWill to facilitate legacy gifts, stock donations, and donor-advised fund (DAF) contributions
• Email Campaign Strategy: Launching targeted email campaigns to the emeritus donor group and broader supporter base highlighting tax-efficient giving options
• Educational Messaging: Testing different messaging themes—one political (C4) and one educational (C3)—to determine which approach resonated most with donors
• Event Integration: Hosting an emeritus event to promote legacy gift efforts and deepen relationships with long-time supporters
• Bequest Emphasis: Focusing communications on the impact of including Equality Utah in supporters' wills and estate plans

Lessons Learned

• Planned Giving Resonates Across Age Groups

Contrary to initial assumptions, donors outside the emeritus group engaged with the planned giving tools, with notable participation from younger donors under age 50.

• Tax Benefits Drive C3 Giving

Gifts were generally directed toward the C3, as donors were motivated by tax write-offs, highlighting the importance of emphasizing tax-efficiency in planned giving communications.

• Staff Capacity Is Critical

Revenue generation requires dedicated staff time and cannot be effectively managed during periods of significant staffing disruption or as a side project.

• Data Infrastructure Matters

The initiative revealed the need for better data flows within the organization to effectively track where commitments were coming from and what messaging generated them.

• Resilience in Adversity

Even with significant staffing challenges, the campaign demonstrated that planned giving outreach resonates with Equality Utah's aging LGBTQ donor base and can generate results.

• Platform Utilization Requires Capacity

Without adequate staff resources, organizations may be unable to fully leverage sophisticated tools like FreeWill, limiting return on investment.

Impact

Through this experiment, Equality Utah successfully launched their first-ever planned giving program at a critical moment when their LGBTQ donor base is beginning to think about legacy and wealth transfer. Despite facing significant organizational challenges—including the departure of several development and communications staff members at the start of the project—the campaign secured 7 planned gift commitments and generated over $5,000 in additional donations through email outreach alone.

The project revealed important insights about donor behavior, particularly the unexpected finding that younger donors (under 50) engaged with planned giving tools alongside the targeted emeritus group. This broader appeal suggests significant untapped potential for future planned giving efforts when the organization has adequate capacity to pursue them.

While limited staff capacity prevented the team from fully utilizing FreeWill's features and led to the decision not to renew the platform after the contract ends, the initiative highlighted critical infrastructure needs that will enhance fundraising efforts across all areas in the future. The organization has begun addressing data flow challenges and improving systems to better track donor engagement and gift attribution—improvements that will pay dividends well beyond this specific campaign.

Most importantly, the campaign demonstrated that even during periods of significant organizational transition, Equality Utah's supporters are ready and willing to make long-term commitments to securing equal rights for future generations of LGBTQ Utahns. When a new Development Director joined and the organization decided to shift their development strategy, they did so with valuable lessons learned and a foundation of planned giving commitments that will support their mission for years to come. The funds raised through these legacy commitments will help finance programs crucial for sustaining equality work into the future, ensuring that Equality Utah can continue building on the success and strength of their past to support the next generation.