It was only Tuesday morning and, combined, the Parachute team had already received 20+ emails about Include a Charity Week (there were more to come…).
The message was a worthy one (“leave a gift to charity in your Will”) but the execution? Let’s just say if I was playing “spot the difference”, I’d be s*%t out of luck.
Most of the emails looked like they were written straight from the same Safewill template.
👉 A reminder about the campaign
👉 A quick plug for free Will-writing
👉 A polite nudge about leaving a legacy
There’s nothing wrong with any of that, but nothing memorable either.
✨ Then two stood out ✨
Climate Council and Wayside Chapel
The Climate Council email came directly from Tim Flannery. Instead of opening with a call-to-action, it opened
https://www.climatecouncil.org.au/take-action/gifts-in-wills/
with a story. A tree kangaroo. A moment of awe. A reminder of why he does what he does and why supporters care in the first place.
It sounded like them. Not a template, not a box ticked, but a human voice sharing a human experience. Even the subject line stood out among a sea of sameness: What a rare tree kangaroo taught me about legacy. Curious, engaging and personal. Brilliant 👏
A nice throwback pic also drew me in…
Wayside Chapel also stood out because it leaned into its DNA – raw, compassionate and deeply personal. Rather than leading with Will-writing logistics, they led with Clare, a supporter who has chosen to leave a legacy.
Her words, not the organisation’s, carried the heart of the message. We heard about trust, integrity and connection – all the hallmarks of a good (and long) relationship.
https://www.waysidechapel.org.au/gift-in-will/
We even learned about a rooftop memorial sculpture where supporters’ legacies are literally engraved into the fabric of the community.
That’s memorable. That’s Wayside.
Now let’s compare that to the others…
All had worthy missions and strong reasons to give, but the copy too often slipped into generic territory:
👉 “September 1–7 is Include a Charity Week…”
👉 “Leaving a gift in your Will is a personal decision…”
👉 “It only takes 20 minutes to write your Will…”
Sound familiar? That’s the challenge. Donors don’t just support one cause. If they receive five or ten near-identical emails in the same week, what’s going to make them stop scrolling?
❌ It’s not the free Will-writing offer. Everyone’s got that.
❌ It’s not the campaign tagline. Everyone’s sharing that, too.
It’s the voice. The stories. The moments that feel true to your organisation and no one else.
That’s where creativity matters. You don’t have to be gimmicky, but you do have to be yourself. Tell a story only you can tell. Share a supporter’s words, not just your own. Anchor your ask in the bigger vision of who you are and what makes your work irreplaceable.
At Parachute, we love helping charities find that spark – the angle that makes donors lean in, not glaze over 🥱. We’ve done Gifts in Wills campaigns that lead with human stories, creative hooks and messaging that feels both on-brand and different. Because in a crowded inbox, relevance and originality are your best friends.
So, going forward, here’s the challenge: don’t just remind people they can write a Will/ donate/ volunteer/ become a regular donor. Show them why your work is unforgettable. Make them feel something first, then give them the call-to-action. Because anyone can offer a free Will. Only you can offer your story.