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  • 1.  Feedback on FreeWill as a partner/vendor to facilitate Planned/Stock gifts etc

    Posted 02-15-2023 04:37 PM

    Hi community!

    Our org is presently considering engaging the services of FreeWill.com to help us funnel donors into being planned giving donors. The sales pitch looks great to us, for our org size and needs (of course, as sales pitches do). At this point we're seriously considering the service, but I'd love to hear some very candid (positive or negative) feedback from anyone who has used the service or knows anything about it. Thanks for your help here!

    Specific Questions:

    1. What does the process of obtaining the legal Will document look like after someone has filled out a form online?

    2. Who notified you when someone passed/will went into effect?

    3. On a scale of 1-10, what was the ease of use and effectiveness of this product and why?

    Thanks again for any feedback you can provide.



    ------------------------------
    Melissa Rufener
    Advancement Services Manager
    Life Pacific University
    mrufener@lifepacific.edu
    http://www.lifepacific.edu
    ------------------------------


  • 2.  RE: Feedback on FreeWill as a partner/vendor to facilitate Planned/Stock gifts etc

    Posted 02-16-2023 08:14 AM

    Hi Melissa,

    We have used the FreeWill bequest tool for about 18 months now.  I'd be happy to have an offline conversation with you about it, but overall here are my thoughts:

    • Their customer service is great.  We've been very pleased with the company so far.
    • The bequest tool is a link for a donor to be guided through the process of making a simple will, during which they can optionally choose to include a bequest to your organization.  But it is not required. The donor will still need to have the final will witnessed or otherwise validated according to the laws of your state for it to be legal.
    • There is a dashboard that will show you how many people started the will process, and how many included a bequest.  This does not mean that the donor took the final steps to legalize the will document, that part is on them and is not tracked
    • As for notification, we haven't had that happen yet, but FreeWill would not notify the organization that a donor has passed.  (The company would not have any continued interaction with the donor after the will is completed.)
    • We have noticed in our area several other organizations using this tool, and because FreeWill uses a standard "campaign" schedule, we are all sending messages about it around the same time.  Just something to be aware of.
    • Ease of use on a scale from 1-10: if 10 is the highest, I'd give it a 10.  Super easy tool to use, I did my own will that way.


    ------------------------------
    Melanie Majikas
    Executive Director, Development Services
    Cuyahoga Community College Foundation
    melanie.majikas@tri-c.edu
    ------------------------------



  • 3.  RE: Feedback on FreeWill as a partner/vendor to facilitate Planned/Stock gifts etc

    Posted 02-22-2023 12:40 PM

    Thank you, Melanie!



    ------------------------------
    Melissa Rufener
    Advancement Services Manager
    Life Pacific University
    mrufener@lifepacific.edu
    http://www.lifepacific.edu
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: Feedback on FreeWill as a partner/vendor to facilitate Planned/Stock gifts etc

    Posted 02-17-2023 08:27 AM
    Edited by Leah Richards 02-17-2023 08:26 AM

    Hi Melissa,

    We are launching FreeWill next week in fact. Happy to share more in the coming weeks and also put you in touch with our Planned Giving director who has been primarily leading this effort.

    Best,

    Leah

    ------------------------------
    Leah Richards
    Director of Advancement Services
    St. John Fisher University
    lrichards@sjfc.edu
    ------------------------------



  • 5.  RE: Feedback on FreeWill as a partner/vendor to facilitate Planned/Stock gifts etc

    Posted 02-22-2023 12:41 PM

    Thank you, Leah!



    ------------------------------
    Melissa Rufener
    Advancement Services Manager
    Life Pacific University
    mrufener@lifepacific.edu
    http://www.lifepacific.edu
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


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