The Institute of Legacy Management has delayed a vote on a merger with the Institute of Fundraising after some of its members raised concerns about the proposal.

The merger plans were announced in a joint statement by the two bodies in April and the ILM’s 500 members were due to vote on the proposal at an Extraordinary General Meeting in early June.

But Simon West, chief executive of the ILM, told Civil Society News, the plans were being put on hold to allow for further consultation and debate because some members felt the timetable for the merger was being rushed.

The announcement comes after an informal poll of members ahead of the ILM’s annual conference on Friday showed 50.5 per cent were against the proposal, 33.3 per cent in favour and 16.2 per cent undecided.

West said the survey of 198 members was a snapshot of opinion. “It is very useful but it is not indicative of our membership’s overall opinion. There are certain members who feel, quite rightly, that they have some questions and some who felt the timetable had been rushed,” he said.

“We recognise that our members want more time to engage in an open and transparent debate and we want to take some time to answer the questions they’ve raised. So we’ve hit the pause button to allow more time for consultation.”

The merger has the support of the ILM’s directors and the backing of the IoF’s trustees, but cannot go ahead unless approved by ILM members.

West said while some members felt they did not have enough information about the proposals, others were against the concept of a merger with the Institute.

“Some people are concerned that legacy management is not necessarily best suited to a fundraising discipline. There are arguments for and against it but some of our members believe that legacy management and legacy marketing are two sides of the same coin.

“There are some who have questions about how the merger will work in practice. We’re in talks with the IoF, not all the detail has been decided.”

The vote on the merger could now go ahead at the ILM’s AGM in September/October time.

If the merger went ahead, the ILM’s name and branding would stay the same along with its annual conference and specialised training courses. ILM members would also have full access to IoF members’ benefits, including training, development and networking opportunities, and a subscription to Fundraising Magazine.