A picture of a young white girl pointing to the headline "National Estate Planning Week."

National Estate Planning Awareness Week

A Natural Moment to Inspire Legacy Giving

Observed each year during the third full week of October, National Estate Planning Week is the perfect time to help supporters protect what matters most — their loved ones, their finances, and the causes they care about.

Smart nonprofits use this moment to spark simple, trust-building conversations about wills and legacy gifts. A message as short as “Have you reviewed your will lately?” can open the door to lasting impact.

Encourage your donors to create or update their estate plans, and remind them that including a gift in their will costs nothing today but shapes your mission’s future.

Free for Everyone. Download an introduction to Estate Planning Awareness Week.

Announcement For Donors

Client Portal: Giving Tuesday materials, Estate Planning Awareness, tools, social media posts, banner content, brochure templates. Over 40 downloads.

Special Client Portal

Go beyond October! Promote estate planning all year with 25 videos.

25 Free Videos

Over 68 percent of American adults lack an estate plan.* National Estate Planning Week was adopted in 2008 to raise public awareness about the importance of estate planning and creating a will.

*LegalZoom, Gallup Poll
Announcement For Donors

National Estate Planning Week Marketing Resources

National Estate Planning Week is one of the most important marketing opportunities in planned giving.

Why? It’s when donors are thinking about wills and estate planning. When they decide what to do with their assets, you want to be top of mind.

Free Marketing Materials

This isn’t boilerplate content—it’s premium material to help build your planned giving program.

Campaign Strategy

National Estate Planning Week works best as a coordinated campaign with multiple touchpoints.

Pro tip: Combine these materials with a targeted postcard campaign. Contact us to get started.

Your Action Plan

  1. Choose Your Content
    Visit our Outreach Section. Pick 2-3 touchpoints minimum (emails, social posts, or both).
  2. Schedule It
    October 20-26
  3. Need Customization?
    We can help with graphics, brochures, or strategy.
  4. Consider Print
    All content can be adapted. We can create custom postcards for even better results.
  5. Share Tools
    Give supporters our planning guides and will planner to convert interest into action.

Ready to start? Visit the Outreach Section for your free materials.

Special Client Downloads
Key Facts Critical to Development

Fast Facts Critical to Development

Click Here for More Facts, Stats, Ruminations

  • No Will

    2 out of 3 Americans believe they should have a will by 55 (or sooner). However, over 72% of U.S. adults lack a will.

  • Running Behind

    Of those with a will, 70% don't have an up-to-date will. This inhibits charitable giving, costing nonprofits billions per year.

  • Great Wealth Transfer

    Over the next 20 years, more than $68 trillion will change hands as part of the Great Wealth Transfer. Nonprofits have a major opportunity to capture a big piece of this wealth if they effectively integrate estate planning tools with their planned giving strategy.

  • Aging

    By 2030, all Baby Boomers will be 65 or older.

  • Millenials

    84% of Millennials donate to charity, but only an estimated 5% have left a planned gift to a charitable organization. This marks a major opportunity to get young supporters in early and steward them for years to come.

LegacyPlanner™ Logo

Making Estate Planning Accessible, Simple, Personal, Secure and FREE!

Bequests are up, cash is down. Empower your donors to plan their will and invest their legacy in the cause they support the most.