While cash donations fund immediate needs, planned giving (also called legacy giving) is the foundation of your organization’s future. We are currently in the midst of the “Great Wealth Transfer,” a historic economic shift in which trillions of dollars are being passed from one generation to the next. For your nonprofit, this presents a massive opportunity to stabilize long-term funding and ensure your mission endures for decades to come.

However, promoting legacy giving requires a different approach than a standard fundraising campaign. It’s all about inspiring donors to make a permanent mark on the causes they care about. The key is shifting the conversation from “end-of-life planning” to “creating a lasting impact.” Let’s explore how you can position planned giving as the ultimate way to create a legacy, deepen relationships with your supporters, and secure your organization’s future.

Create a Dedicated Digital Home for Legacy Resources

Burying a planned giving PDF brochure on a “Ways to Give” page suggests that legacy giving is an afterthought. Instead, build a dedicated microsite or devote a page on your main website to promote your planned giving program. This signals that legacy giving is a permanent, central priority for your organization, while offering an environment where donors can learn about bequests and other legacy gifts at their own pace.

We suggest including these elements on your program’s page or microsite:

• Planned giving options: Clearly define each giving vehicle, such as bequests, grants from donor-advised funds (DAFs), and charitable gift annuities. Explain the donation process using simple language that anyone can understand.
• Contact information for your planned giving officer: Legacy giving can be confusing for newcomers. Make sure donors know who to reach out to with questions about their options and the process for making a planned gift.
• Details about your legacy society: A legacy society is essentially a community for your planned donors, which we’ll dive into further later. On your site, highlight the perks of being a member and how to join.
• Clear calls to action: Use buttons that link to interest forms or free will-writing tools. Use specific, action-oriented language like “Create your legacy” or “Start your will” rather than generic phrases like “Submit.”

To see these elements in action, check out this example from The American Red Cross:

They developed dedicated landing pages for each planned gift option, detailing benefits, instructions, and secure tools to help donors find the right fit.

Once you’ve published your microsite or landing page, add it to the navigation menu on your main website and link to it on your “Ways to Give” page. Then, promote your microsite across all your regular communication channels so your donors know where to go to learn more about legacy giving.

Showcase the Longevity of Impact Through Storytelling

Planned giving often suffers from a branding problem. Donors typically associate it with death, which can be an uncomfortable topic. To counter this, focus your marketing on the “living legacy” your supporters are building right now. In other words, promote your planned giving program by sharing stories from current donors who have committed to a legacy gift.

Highlight their motivations, their history with your organization, and the joy they feel in knowing their values will live on. Include direct quotes and the donor’s photo if they’re okay with it. This creates social proof and shows prospective donors that people “just like them” are making these commitments. Make it a point to feature donors of different levels, not just major donors, to demonstrate that legacy giving is accessible to everyone.

Feature these stories on your social media pages, blog, microsite, or a section of your newsletter to promote your legacy giving program.

Launch a Legacy Society to Build a Sense of Community

A legacy society serves as a form of donor recognition and connects legacy donors to the future of your organization. Think of a legacy society as an exclusive group for people who have committed to a planned gift to your organization. When donors join a legacy society, they join a cohort of supporters dedicated to the long-term sustainability of your mission.

You don’t need a massive budget to start your legacy society. Simple, exclusive touchpoints can make members feel like insiders and reinforce their decision to make a lasting commitment. Consider offering benefits such as:

• Welcome materials: Send a branded lapel pin or certificate that symbolizes the donor’s status as a champion of your mission.
• Permanent recognition: With permission, thank donors by name in annual reports or with a physical donor wall to publicly honor their lasting pledge.
• Insider access: Offer routine webinars or meetings with your CEO or board members to discuss your nonprofit’s 10-year vision, connecting donors to the long-term strategy they are helping to fund.
• Community connection: Host an annual appreciation luncheon and other routine meetups where legacy donors can meet others who share their values and commitment to your mission’s future.

To make the group feel even more special, give it a creative name that resonates with your specific mission rather than a generic title. For some real-world examples, the Breast Cancer Research Foundation named its society after its founder, “Evelyn H. Lauder Legacy Society.” Meanwhile, the National Park Foundation chose the name “The 1916 Society” in reference to its founding year.

Then, give your legacy society a prominent spot in your newsletter and planned giving marketing materials. Consistently inviting supporters to join this group reinforces that their contribution is a valued part of your organization’s long-term identity, not just a one-time transaction.

Time Your Outreach Effectively

While you should market planned giving year-round, aligning your outreach with specific cultural moments can significantly increase visibility. Donors are more likely to engage with legacy giving when it feels timely and relevant to their current priorities. By anchoring your message to key dates, you transform a general “someday” request into an actionable opportunity.

For example, August is National Make-A-Will Month, making it the ideal time to launch a dedicated campaign. During this period, the broader conversation around estate planning is naturally elevated, lowering the barrier for you to introduce the topic. Use this month to emphasize that creating a will is a way to protect people, their families, and the causes they love for the long term.

You can also leverage the momentum of the year-end giving season, as there’s heightened generosity in the final few weeks of the year. In fact, Jitasa’s year-end giving guide highlights that 30% of annual giving occurs in December, and 97% of donors claim that the impact of their year-end gift is a primary reason for contributing.

While Giving Tuesday is often associated with immediate cash donations, it’s also an excellent opportunity to highlight planned gifts. Reminding donors of these tax-smart options before Dec. 31 helps them maximize their impact today while opening the door to conversations about their long-term legacy.

Final Thoughts

Ultimately, promoting planned giving is about empowering your donors to extend their impact beyond their lifetime. It shifts the donor relationship from a series of transactions to a partnership in your organization’s long-term influence.

You don’t need to implement every strategy all at once. Start small by treating legacy giving with the prominence it deserves — whether that’s by creating a dedicated space on your website, investing in new planned giving technology, or having a conversation with a loyal major supporter. By validating donors’ desire to make a difference, you empower them to build a legacy that impacts generations to come.