“When I go my family will see my life in programmes”: Legacy giving and identity at the Royal Opera House

With £5.5 trillion due to be transferred between generations over forthcoming decades in the UK alone, non-profits stand to increase their income from legacy giving significantly, if they can make lasting and meaningful connections with donors. Extant research suggests that autobiographical memory may play a key role in this process. In this article, we go beyond considering autobiographical memory in general to examining how connection with a particular non-profit, and the memories that are generated can shape individual identity. We report the results of twenty life-history interviews with people who plan to leave a legacy to the Royal Opera House, and discuss how identity is created through a connection with opera and/or ballet in general and the Royal Opera House in particular. We then go on to explore how the strength of that connection and development of a shared identity can create a sense of symbolic immortality and influence the legacy giving decision, drawing on peak memorable experiences and nostalgia as a social emotion that connects people to what they love. We conclude by reflecting on how other non-profits might create or stimulate such identities.     

Barriers and Enablers of Long-term Land Leasing: a Case Study of Northern Ireland

Long-term land leasing offers a viable alternative to land ownership in relation to increasing efficiency of agricultural production, economies of scale, and delivering environmental improvements in terms of land management. However, with no significant tenanted sector in Northern Ireland, access to land via long-term land leasing is limited. This study analysed the barriers and enablers of long-term land leasing. To achieve our objective, we employed a mixed methods approach. The results show that the main barriers to long-term land leasing were environmental concern (around how the land will be managed), inheritance tax implications and the potential effect of long-term land leasing on future succession plans of the farm business. We also found that as much as 70 per cent of the farmers surveyed believe the inclusion of a ‘break clause’ and the introduction of income tax incentives will encourage the adoption of long-term land leasing, while 61 per cent of the farmers stated that the environmental management of the land will encourage long-term land leasing. The study concluded that any model designed to encourage long-term land leasing in Northern Ireland should include clauses which cover the environmental management of the land and break clauses. Income tax incentives for landowners could also be considered.