Asking for a Legacy Gift — Practical Guidance

Asking for a Legacy Gift — Practical Guidance

By Laurence A. Pagnoni, MPA

Asking for a legacy gift is one of the most intimate conversations in fundraising. It touches memory, meaning, and the mark a person hopes to leave behind. You can’t rush it. You can’t script it. But you can prepare yourself to approach it with steadiness and respect.

Over the years, I’ve learned that legacy giving begins long before the conversation itself. It starts with knowing who you’re talking to, what they care about, and how your mission has woven itself into their life.

Finding the Donors Who Are Ready

The strongest candidates for a legacy gift are rarely strangers. They are the people who have stayed with you — the ones who show up, year after year, because something in your work speaks to something in them. They may be board members, volunteers, longtime donors, or staff who have carried the mission in their bones.

You can learn a great deal from simple observation: who lingers after events, who asks the deeper questions, who talks about the future of the organization as if they’re already part of it. More formal research can help, too — past giving to other nonprofits, donor‑advised funds, family foundations — but the heart of the matter is always the same. A legacy gift comes from someone who believes your work will outlive them and wants to help make that true.

Certain patterns appear again and again. People who have supported you for years. People who feel a personal tie to your mission. People who have reached a point in life where they’re thinking about what endures. People who have the means to give and the desire to shape the future. People who have already shown generosity elsewhere. And people whose lives have been touched by your work in ways that stay with them.

These traits don’t guarantee a legacy gift, but they open the door.

Cultivating the Relationship

Before you ever mention legacy giving, you build trust. You stay in touch. You thank them in ways that feel personal. You let them see the impact of their support. You invite them into the life of the organization, not as spectators but as people whose presence matters.

Legacy giving grows out of that soil. It’s not a pitch. It’s a continuation of a relationship already rooted in respect.

Knowing the Tools Without Turning Into a Technician

You don’t need to be an estate attorney to talk about legacy gifts. But you should understand the basic forms they take — bequests, beneficiary designations, charitable trusts, life insurance, retirement accounts. You should know enough to answer simple questions and know when to bring in a professional.

There are strong networks that can help you deepen your knowledge. In New York, the Planned Giving Group of Greater New York has long been a gathering place for fundraisers, attorneys, and advisors who work in this field. Groups like this exist across the country. They are worth your time.

Building a Legacy Program That Feels Alive

A legacy program is more than a brochure. It’s a promise. It tells donors that their gift will be honored, stewarded, and remembered. It shows them how their values can continue through your work. It gives them confidence that their story will not be lost.

A clear message helps. So does a simple, well‑designed case for support. A short video can do wonders. Before you share any of it widely, test it with a handful of trusted colleagues. They will tell you what rings true and what falls flat.

Some organizations form a small legacy committee — people who understand the mission and can help think through strategy, stewardship, and outreach. It doesn’t need to be large. It needs to be thoughtful.

Sitting Down With the Donor

When the time comes to talk, meet in person if you can. Ask about their hopes, their values, the parts of your mission that speak to them. Listen more than you speak. Let the conversation unfold at their pace.

Many donors have never considered a legacy gift before. You’re not pushing them toward a decision. You’re helping them explore what they want their generosity to mean.

If their goals align with your mission, show them how a legacy gift can carry their values forward. If they need time, give it. If they have questions, answer them plainly. If they need professional advice, encourage it.

Legacy giving is not about closing a gift. It’s about opening a door.

Following Up With Care

After the conversation, send a note that thanks them for their time and reflects something they said. Keep them close. Share updates that matter. Let them see the work continue.

If they decide to include your organization in their plans, provide sample language for their will or beneficiary designation. Make the process easy. Make it clear. Make it dignified.

And remember: a legacy gift is an act of trust. Treat it that way.

What Experience Has Taught Me

Legacy giving is not about wealth. It’s about meaning. People give this way because they want their life to echo in the future. They want to leave something steady behind. When you approach the conversation with humility and clarity, you help them shape that echo.

The work is slow. The rewards are deep. And the gifts — when they come — carry a kind of grace that stays with you.