Legacy Giving Isn’t About Forms—It’s About Follow-Through
Lately, you’ve probably seen the headlines:
“Half a million wills created.”
“Ten billion dollars committed.”
The dashboards are slick. The numbers are impressive. And yet—most of those figures live in a world of promises, not payments.
A donor can add your nonprofit to their will today, and yes, that feels like a victory. But here’s the hard truth: you might see that gift in 2045. Or you might never see it at all.
That’s not cynicism. That’s planned giving reality.
The Difference Between a Form and a Future
I respect what the new digital platforms have built. They’ve made will creation accessible, even elegant. That’s a good thing. But a form is only the beginning of a much longer journey.
Because what happens after the signature?
I once worked with a nonprofit that proudly announced a $5 million “commitment.” Fifteen years later, they discovered the donor’s estate went entirely elsewhere. No malice, just a rewritten will no one followed up on.
Legacy gifts aren’t transactions. They’re relationships. And relationships don’t end with a form—they begin there.
Why Venture Capital Metrics Don’t Match Yours
Many of today’s will-making platforms are backed by tens of millions in venture capital. Their investors want growth curves and subscription revenue. Their scorecards measure clicks, forms, and “lifetime users.”
But your mission doesn’t run on clicks. It runs on gifts received. On donors retained. On impact that lasts beyond the numbers in a dashboard.
And that’s the disconnect.
What the Numbers Don’t Show
You’ve seen the claims: “$10 billion in commitments.” But how much of that turns into real dollars for nonprofits? How much is lost when a widow remarries and rewrites her will? How much disappears when heirs contest the bequest?
These aren’t edge cases. They’re the job.
Planned giving is about living in the space between promise and payment—and making sure the payment actually arrives.
The Real Cost of “Free”
The free model is clever. Donors get no-cost will-making tools. Nonprofits pay for access. Venture capital covers the growth curve. Everyone applauds disruption.
But here’s what gets overlooked:
- The donor who assumes you already knew they included you.
- The estate lawyer who quietly removed your name.
- The family who fights the bequest in court.
That’s where most tools stop. It’s also where we begin.
Where Experience Makes the Difference
At PlannedGiving.com, we’ve spent over two decades living in that messy, crucial space between intention and outcome. We know how to keep a donor engaged three years after they first included you. We know how to handle the life changes, the second marriages, the estate disputes.
Because in legacy giving, the sale isn’t the signature—it’s the stewardship.
And that’s why the only number that matters is the check that clears.
The Choice Is Simple
You can partner with a platform that counts clicks and forms. Or you can partner with a team that measures results in real gifts received.
Because in planned giving, there’s a $10 billion difference between “committed” and “collected.”
And your mission deserves more than digital optimism.
Free Webinar: The Hidden Math of Digital Bequests
Download: From Promise to Payment—A Strategic Guide
PlannedGiving.com
We don’t just track intentions. We turn them into results.
👉 Do you want me to add more specific nonprofit case anecdotes (like the $5M story) throughout, so it feels even more grounded in real-world scars and lessons? Or keep it clean and universal, as it reads now?
