Legacy giving: A simple plan to get started

You and your team no doubt understand that bequests and other legacy gifts can be transformational for your organization. In 2024, total charitable giving in the United States reached $592.5 billion, according to the Giving USA 2025 report. The total amount given through bequests alone was $45.8 billion, representing approximately 8 percent of all charitable donations for the year.

Indeed, it is essential to cultivate not only general giving—annual, major, and campaign gifts—but also legacy giving. A variety of philanthropy sources help build your organization's resilience and sustainable funding base.

Focusing on legacy and planned giving can feel daunting when your team is already juggling annual appeals, capital projects, events, and major donor cultivation work. If you break it down into manageable steps and integrate legacy giving themes into what you are already doing, however, implementing a legacy giving plan becomes much more achievable.

Consider these ideas:

A simple first step is to lightly embed legacy language into your materials. Take a little time to review your marketing and donor communications, including webpages, brochures, one-pagers, and appeal packets, and make sure each mentions the opportunity for donors to support your future through legacy gifts.

On your website, especially on your "Ways to Give" and "About" pages, be clear about your endowment or reserve fund, if you have one, or simply highlight a few of the options for structuring legacy gifts alongside general giving to support your organization in the future.

Each email newsletter or regular donor update should include a short reminder that donors can leave a lasting legacy through a bequest, IRA beneficiary designation, or other planned gift.

Even in annual or capital campaign letters that ask for current support, it is worth briefly mentioning that your organization is also open to conversations about legacy gifts. Over time, you can experiment with different ways of presenting the information, from a short "Did you know" line to a small boxed call-out, to see what resonates best with your audiences.

Integrate legacy topics into your conversations with donors at all levels of giving. Donor conversations are often focused on what impact can be achieved right now, but they can also include a brief discussion of what a donor's legacy gift to your organization might accomplish in the future.

If you are building an endowment, such as through a fund at the community foundation, describing endowment gifts as a way to ensure lasting support for programs helps donors understand the long-term value of their generosity. Many donors do not naturally think about the business side of nonprofit sustainability, so it can be eye-opening for them to learn how endowment and reserve funds help your organization weather economic ups and downs.

Stewardship is also key: donors who commit to legacy gifts should be recognized and thanked, whether through a legacy society, added to a list in your annual report, or being invited to special events.

Stories are powerful tools for sparking interest. Sharing examples—when permission is granted—of donors who have made legacy gifts and the difference those gifts have made for your organization can inspire others.

By incorporating legacy and planned giving themes into your regular communications, donor conversations, and storytelling, you can create a balanced fundraising strategy that builds both annual support and long-term stability. Asking for a legacy gift does not need to feel like a rare, high-pressure conversation; instead, legacy gifts can become a natural option for loyal donors who want to see your work thrive for generations. The team at the community foundation is happy to serve as a sounding board as you develop and strengthen both your annual giving and your legacy giving to ensure that your mission continues to deliver lasting, transformative impact—today and well into the future.

This content is provided for informational purposes only. It is not intended as legal, accounting, or financial planning advice.