Guest blog from Campbell Lake, Senior Associate Director at Orr Group
Campbell drives Orr Group’s marketing and communications efforts as a member of the Growth Team. She plays a key role in expanding the company’s brand presence by creating content, managing social media accounts, preparing marketing materials, planning events, and more. Campbell joined Orr Group as an intern in January of 2021, where she gained client-facing exposure through her involvement on client teams, including Girl Effect and Guide Dogs for the Blind. Campbell’s nonprofit experience includes an internship with the Thousand Islands Land Trust in the upstate New York St. Lawrence River region in the summer of 2019. She served as the organization’s Education and Outreach Intern and assisted with marketing, outreach, and events efforts during their peak season of operation.
Legacy giving, also referred to as planned giving or estate planning, is the process of donating cash, property, or other valuable assets to a charity through a financial or estate plan at a later date. This form of giving can transform your nonprofit’s fundraising efforts; Giving USA reports that in 2025, U.S. charitable bequests rose by 19.7%, totaling an estimated $62.19 billion. In other words, if you aren’t appealing for legacy gifts, you’re missing out on valuable fundraising opportunities.
Despite this clear value, development professionals often struggle to initiate conversations about legacy gifts due to their highly personal nature. In this guide, we’ll explore actionable ways to reframe conversations about planned giving to emphasize their role in building a legacy of positive impact.
1. Build an internal foundation for legacy giving
A passive approach to legacy giving can result in bequest opportunities falling through before they’re even discussed. Before approaching supporters about potential legacy giving, charities must develop an internal strategy to resolve operational bottlenecks and support long-term fundraising processes. Proper preparation builds trust in your fundraising processes and reassures legacy benefactors that their funds will be used well.
When preparing a legacy gift-friendly fundraising structure, incorporate these main elements:
- An informed and positive internal culture: Ensure that leadership, operations, and frontline fundraising teams all understand the ROI of long-term legacy giving and actively support it. While legacy giving may not provide an immediate return on investment, your team should understand that it yields incredible long-term value and is worth the effort to secure.
- Upgrade your technology: Ensure your technology can identify and process long-term fundraising prospects. Leverage data-driven CRM systems and clean analytics to track engagement effectively and identify the most promising candidates based on affinity and capacity.
- Develop a planned giving strategy: Legacy gifts require more intentional tactics than regular fundraising asks. Orr Group’s fundraising strategy guide recommends building a strong case for support before approaching donors, so your team should create one specific to legacy giving. That way, you’ll foster long-term relationships built on trust.
Survey your current board and executive team to pinpoint any lingering hesitation or confusion about actively soliciting planned gifts. Through this process, you can identify gaps (whether it’s a lack of knowledge or a lack of experience) and structure your training to address them.
2. Identify the right prospective donors
Not every casual supporter is a candidate for legacy giving. To secure these transformational gifts, your team must identify individuals with proven loyalty to your charity’s mission. Strategically identify the correct audience for your planned giving outreach to maximise the efficacy of your requests.
Three indicators that a supporter might consider a legacy gift are consistent giving, capacity, and demonstrated affinity for your charity. Taken together, your development team can easily identify individuals with whom to initiate planned giving conversations.
- A consistent giving history identifies individuals who demonstrate sustained support over many years rather than people who make large one-time donations. A consistent pattern of giving across multiple years indicates a supporter’s deep-rooted commitment to your work.
- Giving capacity refers to an individual’s ability to make a bequest. Individuals who actively participate in capital campaigns or consistently contribute major gifts to your charity may also have the capacity to include your charity in their estate plan.
- Individuals who demonstrate a strong affinity for your charity, through long-term engagement, volunteering, and repeated gifts, are likely to leave a legacy gift. People want to help causes that they care about. Demonstrated investment in your cause, both through time and monetary contribution, is a clear indication of a person’s investment in your charity.
DonorSearch recommends that charities use automated prospect screening to identify patterns of engagement and giving that indicate potential legacy benefactors. Then, your team can establish a planned gift pipeline to secure their contribution and steward their ongoing support.
3. Strategically structure the conversation
Conversations about planned giving can be intimidating. Initiating these discussions requires transparency, confidence in the prospect’s long-term impact, and a willingness to ask hard questions about a supporter’s final philanthropic vision. Navigating these sensitive dialogues successfully protects the dignity of the donor while directly advancing your mission.
When approaching donors about planned giving, guide the dialogue using these targeted strategies:
- Listen first, then act: Don’t impose your own desires or viewpoint. Work to understand why the individual might want to leave your charity a gift in their will, and let their answers inform their personalised legacy strategy.
- Blend empathy with professionalism: Acknowledge the prospect’s personal reflections and concerns with care while providing your expertise on how their assets can benefit your charity.
- Introduce the mechanics clearly: Outline the process of donating cash, property, or assets through an estate plan with infographics and other reference materials to ensure your prospects understand the steps to give.
- Focus on legacy and impact: Shift your conversation away from mortality and towards the long-term social impact of their contribution on your charity and its community.
- Provide tailored solutions: Avoid cookie-cutter recommendations for how to allocate their gifts. Instead, create a giving plan that reflects your prospect’s financial reality and desired impact.
- Acknowledge the natural hesitation: Recognise the discomfort that comes with discussing end-of-life arrangements and the legacy an individual will leave behind. Listen empathetically and validate their feelings to build trust and move the conversation towards positive outcomes.
After meeting with a legacy gift prospect, send a personalised follow-up message outlining the takeaways discussed during the meeting. A written summary of your conversation affirms the benefactor’s decisions and provides a tangible record of agreement to review with their financial adviser.
4. Nurture the relationship after the commitment
Securing a legacy gift pledge is only the beginning of ongoing support. Prioritise building engaging partnerships with legacy donors to affirm their investment in your charity and ensure a successful gift.
Keep your legacy pledgers actively involved in your charity’s growth through these ongoing efforts:
- Maintain transparent reporting: Regularly share impact metrics and data regarding the charity’s operational performance and progress towards strategic goals. This keeps legacy benefactors invested in your organisation’s success, and shows what their planned gift will support.
- Ensure continuous stewardship: Regularly reach out to legacy donors to keep them informed of programmes and initiatives at your charity. While data metrics assure legacy donors of the security of their investment, encouragement to remain involved keeps them a vital part of your community.
- Invite them to a legacy giving society: An exclusive legacy society recognises supporters who have indicated their intent to leave a gift. A formal legacy community creates a sense of belonging and encourages other highly engaged donors to solidify their commitments.
Create a communications calendar exclusively for legacy donors that triggers personalised outreach throughout the year. Regular check-ins prevent donor drift and solidify your legacy benefactor’s confidence in your organisation’s longevity.
Final Thoughts
Prioritise legacy giving in your fundraising strategy to build your charity’s capacity sustainably. Get started by identifying your top ten most likely legacy prospects, and draft a personalised outreach plan for each. By taking a proactive approach, you can turn a lifelong dedication to your charity into a long-term positive impact.
This post was written by a guest contributor. The views expressed are the author’s own and don’t necessarily reflect the positions of Fundraising Everywhere. Content from guest authors may reflect different approaches, experiences, or perspectives to those covered in other events and training.