Creating a legacy-giving culture within your organization can be a rewarding and beneficial endeavor. While it may seem challenging to build a successful program at first, with the right approach and strategy, you can establish a long-term, sustainable source of funding for your organization. Legacy giving refers to donations made through wills or estate plans and is a great way to secure reliable long-term financial support for charitable causes.

There are six key steps for creating and cultivating a successful legacy-giving program in your organization. We’ll cover topics such as developing explicit goals, creating an engaging narrative, and establishing an effective outreach strategy. With these steps, you can create and maintain a legacy-giving culture that can help your organization thrive.

1. Communicate the importance of legacy giving: The first step in creating a legacy-giving culture is to educate your donors, volunteers, and staff about the importance of legacy giving and how it can benefit your organization. Use your website, social media, and other communication channels to share information about legacy giving and how it can make a difference in your mission. Consider using the NonprofitOS to help you do this.
2. Make it easy for donors to include your organization in their will or estate plan: Creating a legacy giving culture also means making it easy for donors to include your organization in their will or estate plan. Provide information on your website about the different ways to make a legacy gift, such as through a bequest, charitable trust, or gift annuity. Also, make sure that your organization’s legal name, address, and tax identification number are easily accessible.
3. Recognize and thank legacy donors: Recognition and appreciation are essential in creating a legacy giving culture. Once a donor has included your organization in their will or estate plan, make sure to thank them and keep them informed about the impact of their gift. Consider creating a legacy society or other recognition program for legacy donors.
4. Create a legacy-giving committee: Creating a legacy-giving committee within your organization can be an effective way to drive legacy-giving efforts. The committee should be made up of staff, volunteers, and board members who are passionate about legacy giving and can work together to develop and implement a legacy-giving strategy.
5. Collaborate with other organizations: Collaborating with other nonprofit organizations in your community can help create a culture of legacy giving. Share best practices, co-host events, and create cross-promotional opportunities to help raise awareness about legacy giving.
6. Leverage storytelling: Legacy giving is often driven by emotion and storytelling can be a powerful tool to connect donors with your mission and inspire them to leave a legacy gift. Share stories of how legacy gifts have made a difference in your organization and the lives of the people you serve.

Creating a legacy-giving culture within your organization takes time and effort, but with a clear strategy and the right approach, it can be an effective way to secure long-term funding for your mission. Remember to communicate the importance of legacy giving, make it easy for donors to include your organization in their will or estate plan, recognize and thank legacy donors, create a legacy giving committee, collaborate with other organizations, and leverage storytelling to inspire donors to leave a legacy gift.