How to Start or Revitalize Your Nonprofit’s Legacy Society

A Guide by LifeLegacy

What is a Legacy Society – A group that recognizes and honors donors who have made a commitment to leave a planned gift, such as a bequest in their will, a beneficiary designation, or another form of deferred giving. It serves as a way to steward, engage, and celebrate these donors during their lifetime, strengthening their connection to the organization.

A Legacy Society is a powerful way to recognize and steward donors who include your nonprofit in their estate plans. Whether you’re launching a new society or breathing life into an existing one, follow these steps to build a thriving program that secures your mission’s future.

1. Define Your Purpose & Structure

• Clearly articulate why your Legacy Society exists and how planned gifts support your mission’s long-term sustainability.
• Decide on membership criteria—typically, anyone who commits a legacy gift (will, trust, beneficiary designation, IRA etc.).
• Choose a meaningful name that reflects your mission (This is a great way to either honor an early legacy donor or a naming opportunity)

2. Identify & Engage Prospective Members

• Start with board members and major donors who have already made a legacy gift to invite others to join.
• Engage your most loyal donors—longtime annual donors, volunteers, and past board members are great prospects.
• Incorporate legacy giving discussions into one-on-one donor conversations, newsletters, and events.

3. Steward & Cultivate Members Over Time

• Provide exclusive stewardship opportunities, such as special gatherings, behind-the-scenes updates, or personal thank-you notes from leadership.
• Offer public recognition (if desired) through newsletters, annual reports, or a donor wall.
• Keep members engaged with periodic updates on your organization’s long-term vision and impact.
• Continue to thank and celebrate their commitment with personal outreach and small gestures.
• Encourage members to share their stories to inspire others to join.
• Have a standard approach, for example, you find out about a legacy gift that is pledged to your organization. What do you do next? (Set up a call with the donor to thank them and learn more about their intentions, send a gift intention form, send welcome to legacy society packet or email, etc.)

4. Document Your Planned Gifts

• Ask for gift commitment or gift intention forms to be completed (we have examples in our marketing handbook). Having a formal document about the donor’s intentions will help both the donor and your nonprofit have relevant expectations of the gift.
• Keep records of inquiries, commitments, and outreach efforts. Evaluate what’s working, this will allow you to refine your approach to grow your program over time.
• Document legacy conversations and gifts in your CRM platform, many CRM’s such as Virtuous, Bloomerang, and Blackbaud have ways to track and account for planned gifts.
• Proactively reach out to online will planning platforms to find out if there are any bequests left for your organization, there may be valuable data out there!

5. Promote Your Legacy Society Consistently

• Promote Legacy Society membership in your donor communications, website, and email signatures.
• Share stories from members on why they chose to leave a legacy.
• Train staff and board members to comfortably discuss planned giving as part of fundraising conversations.

Ready to Launch or Refresh Your Legacy Society?

Start small, focus on relationships, and build momentum. Your nonprofit’s future depends on the seeds you plant today!

LifeLegacy Can Help!

At LifeLegacy, we empower nonprofits with simple, effective planned giving tools. Our platform makes it easy for donors to leave a legacy, and we help organizations like yours grow sustainable funding for the future.

🚀 Want expert guidance on launching your Legacy Society? Contact our team of experts today to get started today!