The Legacy Strategy Audit: Why Now is the Time to Reflect, Refocus and Reignite Growth for 2026
The second half of the year is the moment to take stock
As we move into the final stretch of 2025, legacy fundraisers around the world are beginning to plan for 2026. Budgets are being drafted, targets are set, and teams are making decisions that will shape long-term results.
This is the perfect time to pause and reflect.
Legacy giving continues to grow globally, yet the pattern of that growth is uneven. Beneath the strong headline figures lie important shifts in donor behaviour, sector performance, and demographic change that every charity needs to understand.
The story behind the numbers
In the UK, the Legacy Giving Report 2025 found that legacy income reached a record £4.5 billion, up 9% year-on-year. Health, animal welfare, and emergency service charities continue to dominate income share, while children’s, arts, and international causes are under-indexing.
Why? Health charities often benefit from deep personal connections - people give back to causes that have touched their lives or those of their loved ones. For children’s charities, the psychological context is different: many potential donors prioritise family and dependants when making a Will, making charitable gifts feel less relevant. The challenge is not a lack of goodwill, but one of framing and timing.
In Canada, research by the Canadian Association of Gift Planners shows that only around 5% of Canadians include a charitable gift in their Will, despite widespread lifetime generosity. Yet the potential is enormous: more Canadians are engaging with estate planning through digital tools, and sectors such as animal welfare, hospitals, and community foundations are seeing significant legacy growth.
In the United States, data from CAF America and FreeWill reveal a similar picture: more than half of affluent Americans say they plan to include charity in their estate, but only a fraction have completed a Will or made that intention formal. Bequest giving remains a meaningful and resilient slice of U.S. philanthropy, but conversion from intention to action remains the critical challenge.
These insights all point to the same truth: the global legacy market is growing, but unevenly. The opportunity lies in understanding why and acting strategically.
Growing the pie, not fighting for slices
With more charities entering the legacy market every year - over 10,000 in the UK alone now receiving gifts - the risk is growing competition for the same donors.
The solution is not to compete harder, but to collaborate smarter. National campaigns such as Remember A Charity Week (UK), Include A Charity Week (Australia) and Will Power (Canada) have shown that collective action can grow the market by normalising the idea of including a charitable gift in a Will. When awareness rises, every cause benefits.
However, shared awareness must be matched with individual clarity. Each organisation still needs a compelling proposition, a focused audience strategy, and systems that turn consideration into action. That’s where a Legacy Strategy Audit becomes essential.
What a Legacy Strategy Audit reveals
A well-designed audit doesn’t just review materials: it highlights what drives results and where potential is being lost.
1. Audience focus
Are you engaging the right supporters in the right way?
Baby Boomers continue to hold most of the wealth and are the primary audience for immediate income growth. Yet younger pledgers, often reached through online Will platforms, represent a vital future pipeline.
Understanding both segments: their motivations, life stages, and preferred channels, is essential. A one-size-fits-all approach risks missing both.
2. Proposition clarity
Does your message inspire action, or does it blend into sector noise? For children’s charities, reframing “helping children today” as “protecting childhood for generations to come” can make legacy giving feel more relevant and enduring.
Your legacy proposition must connect personal values to long-term impact in a way that feels genuine, achievable, and emotionally resonant.
3. Advisor engagement
Solicitors, Will writers, and financial planners are essential allies. They help supporters understand complex estates, balance family priorities with philanthropy, and give the reassurance that makes action possible. Building strong professional relationships increases trust and conversion.
4. Stewardship and conversion
Awareness alone rarely leads to results. Many charities invest in marketing but lack the follow-up systems to nurture interest. An audit identifies where engagement drops off and what can fix it.
5. Measurement and forecasting
Legacy fundraising is long-term, but data and forecasting provide the confidence boards and leadership teams need to invest consistently. Tracking pledges, pipeline health and forecasted income is the foundation for sustainable growth.
Why this reflection matters now
Most charities are finalising their 2026 plans right now. A short, focused audit at this stage can give you:
A clear picture of how your legacy programme performs today
Evidence-based insight to guide budget and resource decisions
Practical recommendations to increase both income and impact next year
This isn’t about rewriting your strategy. It’s about refining it based on evidence and insight.
How a Legacy Strategy Audit works
I have worked with charities across the UK, Australia, Canada and the United States to strengthen their legacy programmes. Every organisation is different, but the goal is always the same: to create an insight-based, actionable plan that drives growth.
Each audit includes:
A review of your strategy, proposition and supporter communications
Analysis of data, KPIs and stewardship systems
An assessment of your advisor and solicitor engagement
Benchmarking against best practice and market trends in your cause area
Tailored recommendations to guide 2026 planning and beyond
It’s a collaborative, pragmatic process designed to give you clarity and confidence.
Final thought
Legacy giving is one of the most resilient and inspiring forms of philanthropy, but the market is changing fast. Health and animal welfare causes may lead today, but every organisation can grow its share if it understands its audience, sharpens its proposition, and invests where it matters most.
The goal is not to compete harder for the same donors, it is to grow the pie for everyone by inspiring our supporters so that gifts in wills are as normalised as running a 5k or donating in memory.
Now is the time to pause, review and refocus.
Now taking bookings for 2026 legacy audits
If you are planning your 2026 legacy fundraising strategy, this is the perfect moment to take stock.
👉 Book a Legacy Strategy Audit with me to understand how your programme compares, where the growth potential lies, and how to position your charity for success in 2026 and beyond - wherever you are in the world.
