What Nonprofits Should Know About Planned Giving in 2026

For fundraising professionals, 2026 will be a pivotal year to rethink and reinvigorate planned giving programs. Why? On average, approximately $46 billion is allocated to nonprofits from bequests each year. To earn more of these donations, you need personalized, proactive, and digitally savvy supporter engagement strategies that transform donor loyalty into a legacy. 

Let’s review four key planned giving trends to watch this year, along with actionable tips to prepare your organization for what’s next.

1. The Great Wealth Transfer is entering a new phase.

What’s happening

The Great Wealth Transfer is the ongoing process of funneling wealth and assets from older generations, typically including the Silent Generation and Baby Boomers, to younger ones, such as Gen X and Millennials, as well as charities. 

This phenomenon is well underway in the United States, and it is unlikely to slow down anytime soon. In fact, a Cerulli report projects that wealth transferred through 2048 will total $124 trillion—$105 trillion to heirs and $18 trillion to charity.

This trend is even starting to move beyond the Silent Generation and Baby Boomers. Gen X is now squarely in the 50- to 65-year-old age range, a prime period for estate planning. They are inheriting wealth, building their own, and thinking critically about the legacy they want to leave.

What you should do about it

• Create segmented marketing streams for donors aged 55 and above. While your nonprofit may already have an engagement strategy for donors aged 75 and above, broadening your reach can help you reach Gen Xers who are gaining new wealth and considering estate planning. 
• Refine your donor personas. Leverage data from your donor database as well as donor meetings and interviews to generate detailed planned giving personas. The more detail you add to your personas, the more accurately you can target prospective donors with your planned giving appeals. 
• Frame the conversation around donors’ long-term vision for impact. This messaging tends to be more appealing to supporters than dry, impersonal conversations about estate planning. For example, you could discuss how a donor’s planned gift can help one student secure the scholarship they need to attend medical school and ultimately become a doctor who conducts life-saving research, benefiting generations to come. 
• Don’t overlook mid-level donors. Even though donors in this segment may not rise to the major giving level in their lifetime, they’re often motivated to contribute larger gifts in the form of bequests. According to a report from Sea Change Strategies, 31% of mid-level donors have made a bequest to the participating organization, and an additional 23% indicated that they plan to do so in the future.

2. Digital solutions are lowering the barrier to entry.

What’s happening

The process of creating a will or estate plan used to be complex and intimidating, often requiring expensive legal consultations. Today, online will-making platforms (like LifeLegacy) have democratized access to the will-making process. For example, LifeLegacy offers last will and testament functionality that enables donors to draft their wills in 20 minutes or less. 

What you should do about it

• Ensure your website has a clear, compelling, and easy-to-navigate planned giving section. Offer detailed information about how to engage in legacy giving through your nonprofit and explain how planned gifts make an incredible impact on your mission. 
• Consider partnering with an online estate planning service to offer to your donors. This provides them with a valuable resource and, more importantly, puts your organization front and center when they are actively planning their will and deciding on legacy gifts.

3. Non-cash assets represent a significant, yet untapped, opportunity.

What’s happening

Non-cash giving opportunities include gifts of stock, real estate, and tangible personal property. In times of economic volatility (like we’ve seen in the last couple of years), donors often prefer this form of giving over cash because of the tax benefits. 

According to BWF’s recap of Giving USA 2025: 

“Cultivation conversations should also emphasize non-cash major gifts. Last year, 63% of DAF contributions came from stocks, real estate, and other appreciated assets rather than cash, offering donors significant tax advantages that cash gifts can’t match.” 

What you should do about it

• Develop clear internal policies for accepting and liquidating non-cash assets. Your policy should clearly delineate the types of non-cash gifts you accept (such as stocks, real estate, etc.). Create a due diligence policy to describe the types of gifts your nonprofit will not accept due to potential liabilities or legal restrictions. Additionally, create a process for selling non-cash assets as quickly as possible to minimize risks.
• Proactively market these giving options. Describe your non-cash gift opportunities on your website, in newsletters, and in conversations with donors. Highlight the tax benefits of these giving options. 
• Train your fundraising team to ask the right questions. Equip fundraisers with strategic talking points to engage with potential legacy donors. For example, a fundraiser may ask, “Have you ever considered making a gift from your assets rather than your checkbook?”

4. Storytelling is more crucial than ever. 

What’s happening

Donors want to know that their gift will make a tangible difference. This is especially true for a legacy gift, which is among the most personal and significant contributions a person will ever make. 

Generic messaging about joining your “Legacy Giving Society” is not enough. You must connect donors’ potential gifts to real-world outcomes. Research indicates that the most effective way to achieve this is through storytelling. 

The most successful legacy giving programs tell stories that illustrate how past gifts have transformed lives and sustained the mission.

What you should do about it

• Create a portfolio of powerful stories that showcase the impact of legacy giving. For example, you could include the story of how a planned gift funded life-saving research at your healthcare organization, ensuring a young patient received the care they needed. Share these testimonials in your newsletters, annual reports, and on a dedicated section of your planned giving website. 
• Consider offering named giving opportunities. These allow a donor to tie their legacy to a specific program, fund, or physical space that holds meaning for them. Their loved ones and the general public can see the evidence of their passion for your mission. As a result, you can build a story around the donor’s journey, helping them see how their contributions will have a lasting impact on your organization. 

Wrapping up 

To ensure your organization thrives in 2026 and beyond, create a planned giving strategy that is adaptable, proactive, and highly tailored to donors’ needs. Add the tips in this guide to your planned giving toolkit and stay alert for emerging trends and shifts in donor preferences.