We were recently asked to comment on an article by Legacy Foresight, the UK’s foremost analysts of the legacy and in-memory sectors, about how charities have responded to the impact coronavirus has had on funerals. Covid-19 has had a devastating impact on bereaved families this year, with memorial deprivation affecting thousands of families unable to give their loved ones the send-off they would have wanted.
In turn this has also had a knock-on effect for UK charities; in-memory giving is worth £2.2bn a year to the third sector*, with funeral collections accounting for a third of all gifts made in-memory.
Legacy Foresight reviewed the information on 40 of the UK's leading charities and hospices; to assess how Covid-19 had changed the information they provided to their supporters. The found the following:
- Only 1/3 of charities made any acknowledgement of the pandemic to their bereaved supporters and the restrictions they are facing.
- Only one charity offered to support donors with a future memorial event at a later date.
- Less than 2/3 of charities offer supporters an online collection page as an alternative to a physical collection at a funeral. Instead, they still focussed on methods that are for now at least redundant, such as collection envelopes.
- Only one in ten charities signposted their supporters to the latest government guidelines on planning and attending a funeral.
Our Chief Executive, Jonathan Davies commented: “Commemorative postings on MuchLoved tribute pages have more than doubled since COVID-19 started as bereaved families suffering severe funeral restrictions look for ways to grieve and share memories. With cash or cheque collections often not possible, online donations on the pages have also doubled, showing the continuing desire to support charities in response to a death. With the ongoing impact of COVID-19, we believe there is a particular need and opportunity for charities at this time to reach out to their supporters to provide information and assistance with bereavement, both at the time of the funeral and in supporting them afterwards”.
Kate Jenkinson, of Legacy Foresight, added: “Charities have an unprecedented opportunity to support families who are planning memorials for their loved ones, but they urgently need to make their information about funerals more agile and responsive to the times.
“Offering dynamic and reliable information around funeral giving – including relevant donation options – is one of the best ways charities can help those who come forward in memory of a loved one. It should be a core part of their overall strategy of support in these times.”
*Source: Legacy Foresight
