As Boomers prepare to pass down billions in generational wealth over the coming decades, charities have a rare chance to shape the future of fundraising.
Legacy giving – once a decision made discreetly while getting one’s affairs in order – is now becoming a vital part of long-term fundraising strategies. But to truly harness its potential, we need to reimagine how we inspire and maintain these relationships.
Traditionally, legacy fundraising has focused on wealthy older donors. In 2025 and beyond, the donor landscape is shifting. People want to see impact in their lifetimes, not just after they’ve gone. Younger generations are values-driven and digitally adept, yet they’re rarely engaged in legacy conversations.
Add to that rising economic uncertainty and competing demands for people’s attention and it’s clear that relying on old models of legacy giving isn’t going to cut it. So, what’s next?
Firstly, our storytelling must evolve. Legacies aren’t just about tax efficiency or estate planning – they’re about identity and impact. Donors want to know that their values will live on. Charities that share human stories of legacy impact build deeper emotional resonance. Hospice UK’s recent ‘This is Hospice Care’ national legacy campaign is a great example of how this can look, with impressive early results to match.
Secondly, we need to start the conversation earlier. Legacy shouldn’t wait. Organisations that embed legacy options into supporter journeys build trust over time. This is about shifting from transactional asks to long-term relationships. “It takes three to seven times seeing a legacy message to act and 10-15 years for a gift to realise… We need to drip-feed the message across all communications,” says Lauren Poole, Associate Head of Legacy and Tribute at the NSPCC, talking at RAW London’s recent Relay event.
And thirdly, we must diversify the communities we reach. Legacy fundraising has historically leaned on a narrow demographic. But as society becomes more diverse, so must our engagement strategies. That means, for example, tailored messaging, targeted advertising and the creation of multilingual resources.
Inspiring legacy giving is no longer just about securing a future gift – it’s about building a movement of people who see themselves as part of something lasting.
Now’s the time to reframe legacies as an active, empowering choice. Let’s engage hearts as well as minds, and use stories as well as spreadsheets. The future of legacy giving lies not in biding our time – but in starting the conversation today.
Missed our Relay event about the future of legacies? Catch up now: Future of Legacy Fundraising: Inspiring Long-Term Giving.
Emily Devlin
Emily is an award-winning writer, editor and podcast producer. She’s new to RAW London, but has spent more than eight years in the charity sector, creating hard-working purpose-led written, video and audio content, including On the Marie Curie Couch, Marie Curie’s British Podcast Award-nominated flagship audio series. Previously she was a magazine journalist working across national print and online titles. She’s also a trained astrologer, in case you needed another reason to back her predictions.
Want to say hi? Email emily@raw.london
