Back

The Legacy Giving Rethink, Part 2

April 3, 2026

The Legacy Giving Rethink, Part 2: The Art of the Long Game

In Part 1 of this series we covered the structural groundwork that most legacy programmes skip: governance, gift acceptance policies, and internal alignment. Get those right and your organisation is legally and operationally ready to receive gifts.

But operational readiness is only half the challenge. Legacy giving is, at its core, a relationship function. Most organisations struggle in two specific areas:

  1. how they communicate the ask
  2. how they manage the relationship after a supporter says yes.

Legacy giving needs its own voice

The communications gap in legacy giving is stark. Some 44% of adults aged 26 to 56 are already considering leaving a legacy gift, yet only 30% recall ever seeing any legacy giving communications from an organisation. That is not a lack of interest. It is a communication and language problem, and it is one that organisations can fix.

The issue is that most legacy fundraising mimics the tone of annual giving. Standard fundraising is urgent and transactional: give now, see the impact, renew next year. That register works for annual giving because it matches the donor's mindset in that moment.

Legacy giving requires something different. When someone is deciding whether to include an organisation in their Will, they are not responding to a campaign. They are thinking about their own philosophy and what they want to leave behind. It is one of the more significant decisions in life and it happens on their own terms. They are expressing their life’s ethos.

Effective legacy messaging needs to answer three questions:

  1. What specific future will this gift help build,
  2. Why is your organisation a trustworthy steward of a final gift,
  3. What lasting difference can a single bequest make over decades?

Back those answers with a short brochure, and a simple FAQ that removes the practical barriers for a first-time legacy donor.

What happens after someone says 'YES' is where most programmes collapse

When a supporter tells you they have included your organisation in their Will, the most common response is a letter of thanks followed by silence. That is not stewardship. It is administrative gratitude, and it is the fastest way to lose a commitment that took years toearn.

A notified legacy donor is a living supporter first. Their intentions can and do change, and they may update their Will multiple times. That is not a risk to manage but an opportunity to seize. When supporters update their wills, they are four times more likely to add an organisation than remove one, 43% versus 11%.

The relationship you build between the moment they notify you and the moment their gift is eventually realised is the difference between a commitment that grows and one that quietly disappears in a future Will.

Real stewardship means personal contact at the most senior level of your organisation, not just from the development team. It means invitations to events, regular updates on the long-term vision they are now part of, and the genuine sense that their commitment is known and valued. Treat notified donors as stakeholders in the future they are helping to fund, not as entries in a database.

Legacy giving works through consistent, long-term relationship-building. The organisations that resource it accordingly are the ones that will look back in twenty years and wonder why they did not start sooner.

Next in our series

In Part 3, the final instalment of this series, we challenge the demographic assumption sitting at the heart of almost every legacy programme in existence, and make the case for why the most valuable legacy donors of the next thirty years are probably not who you think they are.

‍

Contributed by Jonathan Ng

As Head of Partnerships at adeus, Jonathan works with schools and other institutions to build and grow legacy giving programmes through a modern, digital-first approach. He leads partner relationships from early conversations through to campaign launch, helping organisations shape the right strategy, messaging, and supporter journey. Outside of work, he is a dad, which gives him a personal appreciation for legacy, family, and planning for the future.

___

Legacy giving for schools, charities and foundations

adeus helps independent schools, charities and foundations turn supporter relationships into lasting gifts in wills. We fund online will writing on the organisation's behalf, leaving supporters free to choose whether to give. Each gift becomes legacy income for bursaries, capital projects and beyond. Very few providers offer this. To find out more, email talktome@adeus.life.

‍

‍

Start Your Will Journey Today

Take the first step in securing your legacy with a digital will from adeus, and protect what matters most.

Create your digital Will

Set up your digital vault

How can we help you today?

Pick an option below and answer a few quick questions:

Write My Will

Create My Digital Vault

Do you have a partner

For legal purposes, and for inheritance Tax allowances, a legal partner is your spouse (by marriage) or a civil partner recognised under the Civil Partnership Act.

YesNo

Do you have any children?

For legal purposes, a child includes your biological children, adopted children, and step-children of your legal partner. Do not include biological children if adopted by someone else.

YesNo

Do you live in England or Wales?

Let’s confirm your location so we can choose the right options for you.

We ask this so we can tailor our packages to suit your specific needs and situation.

YesNo

Which country do you live in?

adeus Wills are currently only available for England and Wales, however, you can still create a Digital Vault to track your important accounts, info and files.

Save

Would you like to create a Digital Vault?

Our Digital Vault lets you securely track assets, documents and online accounts anywhere in the world—so you’re organised no matter where life takes you.

YesNo

Keep Me in the Loop

Enter your email and we’ll let you know as soon as electronic Wills go live in your country.

Email Saved
SaveFinish

Is everything you own in England or Wales?

Let’s see where your assets are so we tailor your Will correctly. Rules differ overseas, so we’ll ensure your wishes are honoured wherever they lie.

YesNo

Is everything you own in England or Wales?

You can still create an adeus Will—but please exclude any immovable property (houses, apartments, land, etc.) outside England & Wales (overseas).

Continue

Have you made a Will before?

Knowing if you already have a Will helps us guide you to either update your existing document or start fresh. We’ll make the process quick and clear—whether it’s your first time or your tenth.

YesNo

Want to protect your accounts and social media?

Your digital life matters—and planning for it can save your loved ones a lot of hassle. Let us know if you’d like to include instructions, profiles and other online assets in your legacy plan.

YesNo

Good news! The adeus Digital Will is perfect for your needs.

Sign up to get started. We’ll guide you through your Will and Digital Vault setup to store wishes, accounts, and key info.

Signup
YesNo

1/6