Legacy Giving: A Powerful Path to Sustainable Nonprofit Fundraising
Learn how to talk about legacy giving with your donors
Nonprofit professionals face a big challenge: keeping donors engaged today while also planning for the future. With limited time, money, and resources, it’s easy to feel stretched thin.
Legacy giving is a powerful yet often overlooked nonprofit fundraising strategy. Stewarding your donors in this direction deepens donor relationships, enhances donor retention, and provides a significant source of funding for the future. More importantly, it allows donors to leave a lasting impact aligned with their values.
In this post, we’ll explore how nonprofit leadership can develop successful legacy giving programs, address common challenges, and create a roadmap to integrate legacy giving into donor engagement and nonprofit growth strategies, inspired by our conversation with Tess Conrad on the Just Be Cause Podcast.
Connecting the Dots: Interconnectedness Of Issues Matters in Nonprofit Fundraising
Nonprofit fundraising isn’t just about financial transactions—it’s about building trust, shared values, and meaningful relationships. However, many nonprofit leaders face the challenge of showing how their work fits into the broader picture of social change, making their audience unsure about how impactful their gift actually is.
Take environmental issues, for example. They’re deeply connected to food security, human rights, and economic justice. Communities most impacted by climate change often face multiple other systemic challenges. This makes supporting environmental causes crucial to tackle social issues. But this connection isn’t always obvious to potential donors.
By framing your cause within a broader justice-focused narrative, you have the opportunity to educate your audience about how impactful your work really is. This will open up the opportunity to spark interest, deepen donor engagement, and build the trust needed to inspire legacy giving and sustainable nonprofit funding.
Legacy Giving: A Deeper Way to Support Your Mission
Legacy giving is more than a simple financial contribution. It’s an invitation for donors to join your mission in a way that honors them beyond their lifetime.
For many supporters, legacy giving is a deeply personal decision. It’s a chance to reflect on what matters most to them and how they can leave the world a better place for future generations. Nonprofits with forward-looking missions, such as preserving ecosystems or fostering community development, often find legacy giving aligns naturally with their goals and those of their audience.
Why Legacy Giving Stands Out:
Emotional connection: Legacy gifts reflect deeply held values and personal stories. Donors often share heartfelt reflections on life experiences that tie them to your cause.
Future-focused impact: Legacy giving resonates with donors who want to protect future generations and trust your organization to honor their gift with integrity.
Common Hurdles in Legacy Fundraising (and How to Overcome Them)
Talking about legacy giving can feel intimidating for both nonprofits and donors. Discussions about themes like death might feel uncomfortable, and donors may hesitate to commit at first because legacy giving requires a high level of trust. These feelings are normal, and with time and practice, these conversations can become more natural.
Tips to Talk About Legacy Giving With Your Audience:
Tell authentic stories: Share examples of donors who left legacy gifts. Highlight their motivations and the real-world impact of their generosity. Stories help make the concept relatable and inspiring.
Frame it around the future: Present legacy giving as a way to ensure the longevity of your mission and make a lasting difference for future generations. Focus on what their gift can accomplish rather than the act of giving itself.
Celebrate life, not loss: Shift the focus from the end of life to honoring a donor’s legacy and the positive impact of their life’s values. This reframing makes the conversation uplifting and empowering.
Use clear, simple language: Avoid technical jargon like “planned giving.” Instead, say “Leave a gift in your will,” making it easier for donors to understand and connect with the idea.
By addressing these challenges with empathy and clarity, nonprofits can build trust and create a more open dialogue around legacy giving.
Go further: - Just BeCause Podcast Episode 02: Tess Conrad: Embracing Intergenerational Giving: Legacy Gifts for a Sustainable Future
Building Your Legacy Giving Program: Where to Start
Launching a legacy giving program doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Taking small, intentional steps can have a big impact on your nonprofit’s campaign planning and donor engagement.
Key Steps to Begin:
Craft a compelling message: Why should donors consider leaving a legacy gift? Focus on your mission’s long-term goals and the enduring difference their gift can make.
Incorporate it into regular communications: Mention legacy giving in newsletters, donor updates, and annual reports. You don’t need to launch a full campaign right away—just weave it into existing content.
Gauge donor interest: Add a simple checkbox to your donation forms or newsletters asking if donors want to learn more about legacy giving. This small addition can open doors to meaningful conversations.
Follow up personally: If a donor expresses interest, respond with a personalized message, a phone call, or a brochure explaining the process. Tailored communication can make all the difference.
Why Legacy Giving Should Matter to Nonprofit Leadership
Legacy giving isn’t just another fundraising tool—it’s an opportunity to strengthen relationships, honor donor values, and secure your nonprofit’s future. By starting small, staying consistent, and focusing on authentic engagement, your nonprofit can build trust and inspire donors to make a lasting commitment to your mission.
This article is inspired by the chat I had with Tess Conrad in Episode 02 of the Just Be Cause Podcast: Tess Conrad: Embracing Intergenerational Giving: Legacy Gifts for a Sustainable Future. We utilized generative AI tools to assist in drafting this article, drawing from the episode transcript. But here’s the thing: AI might help with the heavy lifting, but it takes real human hearts and minds (hey, that’s us—Katherine and Sam!) to craft thoughtful, engaging content. Rest assured, every word gets the care and attention it deserves to make it truly goooood.