Updated: January 13, 2026
As more uncertainty rattles the markets and the economic downturn deepens, donations will dry up. Even your most consistent donors will reevaluate their charitable giving as the threat of a recession looms. And the Wall Street roller-coaster will affect stocks as well as cash.
Here’s what that means for you: the nonprofits still banking on annual fund appeals and year-end giving campaigns are about to get a harsh lesson in fundraising math. When household budgets tighten, discretionary giving is the first thing to go.
But planned giving? That’s a different conversation entirely.
Legacy gifts don’t compete with grocery bills or mortgage payments. They come from assets—retirement accounts, real estate, life insurance policies—not checking accounts. And right now, as The Chronicle of Philanthropy reports, Planned Giving is Having a Moment.
The donors who feel too stretched to write a check today? They’re often the same people who are open to naming your organization in their will. The pitch practically writes itself: “Make a meaningful gift with no impact on your day-to-day cash flow.” In uncertain times, that message lands differently. It lands better.
Get On Board—Or Get Left Behind
This isn’t just about weathering a downturn. There are structural forces at play that make planned giving the smartest long-term bet in fundraising right now.
The Great Wealth Transfer is underway. Over the next two decades, baby boomers will pass down an estimated $84 trillion to their heirs—and to the causes they care about. Nonprofits that aren’t actively cultivating bequest commitments today are going to watch that money flow to organizations that are.
Retirement accounts are bursting at the seams. Americans are sitting on record-high 401(k) and IRA balances. Many donors don’t realize they can name a charity as a beneficiary—or that doing so offers significant tax advantages. Are you telling them?
America is aging. Every day, 10,000 people turn 65. Estate planning isn’t something abstract for “someday”—it’s on their to-do list right now. The question is whether your nonprofit is part of that conversation.
Donors want to make an impact without feeling the pinch. A bequest commitment costs nothing today. It’s the easiest “yes” in fundraising, but only if you ask.
Start Simple. Start Now.
You don’t need a seven-figure budget or a dedicated planned giving officer to get in the game. Start with the low-hanging fruit: bequests and beneficiary designations. These are the easiest gifts for donors to make—and the easiest for you to market.
Make estate planning a visible, consistent part of your outreach. Not buried in a footer. Not once a year. In your newsletters, on your website, in your donor communications. Normalize the conversation.
Need a place to start? Our free online will and legacy planner gives your donors a simple, guided way to document their intentions—and gives you a tool to point them toward. We also offer an estate-planning library packed with resources to help you build out your marketing.
If you don’t have a strategy in place yet, a 12-month marketing plan can give you a roadmap. Or if you’re truly starting from scratch, here’s how to launch a planned giving program without overcomplicating it.
The Bottom Line
Nonprofits that put all their eggs in the annual giving basket are going to find those eggs cracked and scrambled when the next downturn hits. A solid planned giving program is your insurance policy—not just against recession, but against the slow erosion of donor dollars that happens when you’re only asking for one kind of gift.
The money is there. The donors are willing. The only question is whether you’re making the ask.
P.S. Launching a planned giving program doesn’t just bring in deferred revenue—it positions your organization as trustworthy and forward-thinking. And for fundraisers looking to grow their careers, planned giving expertise is one of the most valuable (and undersupplied) skill sets in the sector.
