Introduction
Creating a Will has traditionally been a real-world activity that requires meeting with a barrister and solicitor. However, in the last ten years online Will-production platforms have been developed. In Australia there are three online Will platforms; Gathered Here, Willed and SafeWill, which currently lead the market.
An online Wills platform partnership is a fundamental part of any gifts in Wills plan. It is an important marketing tool for younger generations (Gen X, Millennials and Gen Z) and can be easily promoted via targeted social media. It can also be marketed to Baby Boomer supporters although their take up is dependent on their technical knowledge and ability of the internet.
Demographic Generation | Age Range in 2023 (Year born) |
Baby Boomer | 59 – 77 years old (born from 1946 – 1964) |
Gen X | 43 – 58 years old (born from 1965 – 1980) |
Millennials (Gen Y) | 27 – 42 years old (born from 1981 – 1996) |
Gen Z | 14 – 26 years old (born from 1997 – 2009) |
Gathered Here, Willed and SafeWill
Willed, Gathered Here and SafeWill have many similarities for their partnered not-for-profit organisations:
- All of the platforms have annual contracts with similar prices ranging from $3,500 to $4,000. Although Gathered Here do have a free entry level not-for-profit offering.
- They provide customised branded landing pages for their partners that they can use to direct their supporters to.
- They provide a customised dashboard and reporting pages for their partners to easily see activity and results.
- During the partnership they will run specialised marketing campaigns offering discounted or free Wills.
- All three platforms provide technical and legal support to their charity partners as required.
- They provide customised online Wills for any individual. During the will creation process, the platform automatically prompts the individual to consider leaving a charitable gift.
- Once a charitable organisation partners with one provider they may still receive gifts in Wills from the other two providers, as all three provide a full list of Australian not-for-profits to individuals who wish to leave a charitable gift in their online Will.
- When a gift in Will for a specific charitable organisation is created, the beneficiary charity is informed. However, they only receive contact details of the individual who has created the online Will when the individual gives permission to.
There are some differences between SafeWill, Willed and Gathered Here that differentiate each product. These differences are outlined below with the pros and cons of each product.
Gathered Here
Gathered Here was the first Australian online Will provider. As well as providing the facility to produce online Wills, they also provide a range of services connected to funerals and Will probates.
PROS
- Gathered Here have a variety of end-of-life services for supporters.
- Due to being the oldest provider, Gathered Here has the most data and information about online Wills.
- Gathered Here offer free Will making services for all online Wills. Due to this, they have created the most online Wills.
- They offer a free online Will platform for charities as an entry level package.
- Services are available for the Australian and New Zealand markets.
CONS
- The free online Wills offer means that Gathered Here has more incomplete Wills from when someone starts the process but doesn’t finish.
- Only complex Wills are reviewed by the legal department before they are signed and finalised.
- Gathered Here is probably the least well known of the three providers.
Willed
PROS
- Willed is the most well-known of the three providers because of a successful advertising campaign last year featuring of all things, a vampire.
- Willed has comprehensive online guides about Wills, Probate and other questions connected with end-of-life.
- Willed has the cheapest fees for an online Will, out of all the platforms that charge a fee. For short promotional periods, Willed offers free or discounted Wills.
CONS
- Willed’s end-of-life services is not as comprehensive as the end-of-life services that Gathered Here provides.
- Only complex Wills are reviewed by the legal department before they are signed and finalised.
- Willed only offers free Wills or discounted Wills for limited periods of time.
SafeWill
SafeWill focuses on the legal side of the end-of-life although they do offer cremation and funeral related services. There is also a comprehensive blog that covers all aspects of creating a Will, and probate of an estate.
PROS
- All online Wills produced via SafeWill are checked by the legal department before being signed and finalised.
- SafeWill recently had one of its online Wills upheld in the Australian court when it was legally challenged.
- All SafeWill clients receive assistance, and the Will creation process is managed by SafeWill staff.
- Services are available for the Australian and New Zealand markets.
CONS
- SafeWill only offers free Wills or discounted Wills for limited periods of time.
- SafeWill has the most expensive fees for an online Will.
Summary
Based on the above research the best all-round option for an online Will platform partner for a charitable organisation is SafeWill. The legal aspects of online Will making has been thoroughly tested via SafeWill, alternative to the other two providers which haven’t been tested legally yet.
However, this is based on successfully negotiating an agreement with SafeWill to include targeted offers that offer supporters no-fee or reduced-fee Will packages.
Kerin Welford
Director, Bluestone Fundraising
