5 Things Nonprofits Can Do to Prepare for National Estate Planning Awareness Week, October 21-27, 2024

Lifelegacy is a leading provider of online estate planning for everyone. We work closely with nonprofits nationwide to help them leverage and grow planned giving as part of their fundraising strategy. We suggest that nonprofits incorporate the following activities to drive awareness, activity and gifts prior to National Estate Planning Awareness Week:

1. Education Materials: Share resources on why estate planning is for everyone, not just the wealthy. Focus on the long term impact on your organization of gifts left to you in your donor’s estate and specific steps they can take to recognize your nonprofit in their will or beneficiary designations. Send these materials to donors via email or direct mail campaigns.
2. Host a Webinar: Offer a free webinar on the importance of having an up-to-date will and how donors can leverage existing or new wills to incorporate charitable giving into their estate plans. For donors with an active estate plan, focus on how easy it is to amend the will. For donors who need a will, offer a complimentary online will for them to complete. Promote the webinar to donors and non-donors via social media channels.
3. Leverage Social Media: Use AI fundraising marketing tools like LifeLegacy’s ImpactWriter to help create compelling posts highlighting the importance of estate planning in just a few keystrokes. 
4. Highlight Legacy Giving: Show how easy it is to leverage tools like wills and beneficiary designations to include your nonprofit in a donor’s legacy giving strategy.
5. Email Campaign: Send a series of emails to donors sharing the benefits of planned giving during National Estate Planning Awareness Week. ImpactWriter will instantly write compelling donor appeals if you’re on a time crunch.

These simple activities can leverage National Estate Planning Awareness Week to create more informed and engaged donors!