Built for the supporters most legacy programmes fail to serve.

Online will-writing tools have made it easier than ever for charities to offer supporters a pathway to making a gift. For a significant proportion of supporters, that pathway works well enough. But for the supporters most likely to leave the largest gifts, those with property, complex family situations, blended estates, or business interests, an online tool is rarely the right answer. They need a solicitor. And until recently, most charities had no structured way to help them find one.

That gap is what the Planned Giving Platform was built to close.

What it is

The Planned Giving Platform is a solicitor-led bequest referral service operating in Australia. It connects charity supporters with a curated network of specialist solicitors, providing access to independent professional legal advice at a reduced cost to the supporter, with the charity contributing a fixed amount towards the initial consultation.

The model is consent-led throughout. Supporters choose whether to proceed, choose the firm they work with, and receive fully independent advice. Charities are notified with explicit supporter consent, which supports ongoing stewardship without creating liability or pressure. De-identified, aggregated reporting feeds back into bequest strategy over time.

The platform launched in February 2026 with five founding charity partners, initially piloting in New South Wales and Victoria, with Queensland expansion underway.

Why it matters

The platform reflects the same thinking that runs through all of Sam Devlin Consulting's work. The supporters most committed to a cause, the ones most likely to leave a meaningful gift, are often the ones least well served by the infrastructure charities have built around them. Meeting those supporters where they actually are, with the professional support they actually need, is not just good ethics. It is where the most significant legacy income comes from.

Building the platform has also deepened the practical understanding of the will-writing ecosystem that informs the consultancy work and the Gifts in Wills Decision Map. The solicitor relationship, the legal mechanics of complex estates, the points at which supporters need guidance and the points at which they need space: these are not theoretical concerns. They are the daily reality of running a live service.

The Planned Giving Platform operates as a separate venture to Sam Devlin Consulting. For charities interested in joining the platform or finding out more about how it works, visit www.plannedgivingplatform.com.au