Richard’s Story: Five Talents

Five Talents works with the Anglican Church in rural areas of eastern Africa to enable those who have little to no access to financial services to begin Savings Groups where they receive training and support to set-up and grow small businesses. Hear one member’s story, Richard, below.

The brief

Five Talents commissioned a legacy fundraising film to encourage supporters to consider including the charity in their wills. The film needed to highlight the organisation’s unique investment-based model while authentically showcasing why supporters choose to leave legacy gifts.

The challenge lay in communicating legacy giving in a way that resonated with Five Talents’ audience: professional, financially savvy, and often church-connected donors. The film needed to reflect the language and mindset of these supporters — emphasising investment, sustainability, and measurable impact — while maintaining a warm, personal tone through Richard’s story.

The process

We collaborated closely with Richard, a long-term Five Talents supporter who has already included the charity in his will. Richard’s story became the vehicle for the film, exploring his journey of discovering the organisation, conducting “due diligence,” and deciding to leave a legacy gift.

The approach combined an intimate interview with Richard at his home and church with respectful use of existing field footage showing thriving businesses, confident women, and sustainable communities. Care was taken to preserve authenticity: Richard spoke in his own words, using the investment language natural to Five Talents supporters, and field footage highlighted dignity and empowerment rather than need.

The main challenges we navigated included:

-Representing the charity’s business-minded approach without slipping into traditional “charity-speak.” -Balancing personal storytelling with evidence-based impact and sustainability data. -Ensuring field footage was used respectfully, focusing on empowerment and long-term results.

Throughout the process, Richard was fully involved, from interview planning to reviewing cuts, ensuring his story and perspective were authentically represented.

The Results

The legacy film will launch as part of Five Talents’ October 2025 Wills Month campaign, supported by Telegraph advertising, email, and social media promotion.

"We are all so thrilled with it. It’s a great testament to why getting external resource in is vital for us, and it’s really helped me! We are so pleased with the outcome and excited to see how it hits in October”