How to build a strong legacy culture across your organisation
A strong legacy culture requires leadership commitment, organisation-wide engagement and clear, consistent messaging to ensure legacy giving becomes a natural part of charitable support.
Legacy fundraising is not just the responsibility of one team.
It thrives when embedded into the whole organisation, with leadership, fundraisers, volunteers and donor-facing teams all playing a role in fostering a supportive culture.
To build a sustainable legacy programme, charities must integrate legacy giving into their everyday operations, conversations and strategic priorities.
Below are seven nuggets of advice that past guests of the Legacy Roundtable have shared on the topic:
1. Leadership commitment is fundamental
For legacy fundraising to be successful, senior leadership must be visibly committed. When the executive team champions legacies, the entire organisation follows suit.
Helen Smith, who was at Cancer Research UK at the time, said:
"I've been very lucky to have a lot of leadership support, but I think getting teams together is a top-down process. You really do need leadership buy-in, but beyond that, you need the champions in all teams.
"It's been amazing to have had what I call the three Bs - the buy-in, the budget, and the belief of the senior leadership team."
Having leaders who actively support and communicate the importance of legacies helps normalise legacy conversations within the charity, ensuring it is seen as a vital income stream rather than an afterthought.
2. Be consistent and clear in your messaging
Legacy messaging should be positive, engaging and focused on impact. A fragmented approach can dilute the message, so it is essential to maintain consistency across all channels.
Hannah Saunders from Kite Factory shared insights on effective messaging:
"We have seen that if charities keep their standard emotional messaging, showing practical impact, case stories and highlighting the difference legacies make, they communicate authenticity.
Adjust slightly to focus clearly on the long term nature of the impact that legacies deliver, but do not shy away from consistent messaging."
A clear, compelling narrative around the transformational impact of legacy gifts helps supporters see the long term difference they can make.
3. Normalise legacy conversations
The more frequently and naturally legacy giving is mentioned, the easier it becomes for staff and supporters to engage with the topic. Normalisation removes the perceived awkwardness around discussing Wills and gifts in estates.
By integrating legacy messaging into everyday interactions, whether through fundraising materials, events or digital communications, charities can ensure that legacies become a routine and expected part of giving.
4. Equip internal ambassadors
Staff, trustees, volunteers and donor-facing teams need to feel confident discussing legacies. Providing training, key messages and practical tools can help them become strong advocates for legacy giving.
Helen Smith explains:
"The feedback we receive is that when colleagues are equipped with key messages and simple materials, brochures, tools, guides, they find talking about legacies much less daunting.
It empowers them to consider legacy as part of their toolkit for supporter conversations, just as naturally as any other form of giving."
By fostering internal champions, charities can create a ripple effect, ensuring legacy conversations happen at every level of the organisation.
5. Embed legacies across the organisation
Legacy fundraising should not sit in isolation within the fundraising department. All teams, from finance and marketing to service delivery and volunteer management, should understand its importance and how it contributes to the charity’s future sustainability.
Aneesh Savjani of British Heart Foundation emphasises the importance of internal alignment:
"With half our total income coming from legacies, it is crucial not only fundraisers but donor-facing staff, support service teams, communications teams all see themselves reflected in our legacy conversations. That internal buy in makes maturity and sustainability possible."
By ensuring all departments are engaged in legacy messaging, charities can create a more joined-up and effective legacy strategy.
6. Personalise supporter engagement
Legacy giving is deeply personal. Charities that personalise their stewardship efforts create stronger, more meaningful relationships with potential legacy donors. Thoughtful follow ups, tailored communications and genuine engagement help build trust and deepen commitment.
Emily Doyle from Canal and River Trust shares their approach:
"We take time to capture feedback. We note details, not just about their gift, but their relationship and experiences with us, their likes, dislikes, any personal points they may have shared. Personal follow ups, tailored thank you letters, these gestures make such lasting impressions."
This level of personalisation ensures that legacy donors feel valued and connected to the charity’s mission.
7. Remember that it’s a long term commitment
Building a legacy culture is not a quick win. It requires consistent effort, ongoing advocacy and a long term vision. Charities that commit to embedding legacies into their organisational culture will see not just increased legacy income, but also greater supporter loyalty and deeper engagement across all fundraising streams.
Legacy giving is not just about financial security. It is about values, vision and sustainability. By fostering a culture where legacies are a natural and celebrated part of giving, charities can ensure they remain resilient and impactful for generations to come.