FirstClass feature showcase #1: Reporting

If you’re a FirstClass user, then you’ll know that the platform has so many functions, all of which have been painstakingly designed to help make legacy management more efficient, more accountable and more advantageous when it comes to monitoring, handling and increasing bequest income.

 

But do you know everything that the platform has to offer? Possibly not, which is why we’ve decided to launch FirstClass feature showcase – an ongoing series that shines a light of different aspects of the system’s functionality and goes deeper into what it does and how it helps the user.

 

If you’re not already a FirstClass user, then this series will help you better understand why you should be. First up, then, is reporting.

 

Ask any user about the benefits of FirstClass, and reporting will likely be in the top three.

 

After all, it’s the reporting feature that helps charities understand their legacy pipeline, supports accurate forecasting and allows the legacy team to brief trustees on key organisational aspects such as the amount of money that has come in and, equally important, the amount of money that is expected in.

 

So, here are our top five FirstClass reporting features.


1. Balance of income due

 

Imagine knowing the balance of income due at any given moment. No just by one legator – but by ALL of them. Now, if you’re a small charity then maybe this isn’t too much of a stretch. But if you have thousands of legators, some of which are gifting over £1,000,0000, then knowing what’s in, what’s owed and when the case is likely to close is essential. Equally, if you want to limit the report to a pre-defined period – such as your organisation’s tax year, or by quarter – then this reporting feature allows you to do just that.

 

2. Legacy income received

 

A clear idea of what’s coming in is undoubtedly important. But knowing what’s actually come in is crucial in order to paint an accurate picture when it comes to cashflow. Using this legacy management reporting function, you can establish exactly how much – to the penny – has arrived between any given period. This line-by-line account of what monies have arrived can also be filtered by pecuniary gifts, and even pecuniary gifts by branch allocation type, too.

 

 

3. Expenditure by legacy type

 

Knowing how much each legacy has cost your charity – for example, the legal fees spent on securing a particular legacy – can be invaluable. Equally, if you want to understand how much of the legacy has been allocated to other areas of the organisation, then this report makes determining this level of information quick and easy. As with all FirstClass reports, you can search by pre-defined dates. Also, through the filtering option, you can search via legacy type and expenditure type.

 

4. Possible duplicate notifications

 

Imagine reporting to the board of trustees a recent gift of £500,000 – only to then realise that half of it was a duplication, and that the true gift size was £250,000. Or what if not spotting the duplication means the difference between £5,000,000 and £10,000,000? Through this reporting function, users can check for possible duplications by surname and postcode to ensure that all data reported to the organisation is accurate.

 

5. R185 tax claim

 

Okay, so this one’s at the more technical end of the reporting spectrum - but it’s important nevertheless. The R185 form provides a statement of income from a trust and helps HMRC ensure that the correct amount of tax is paid on income received. However, HMRC is sometimes paid too much tax. Using FirstClass’s R185 tax claim reporting function, users can quickly establish how much their charity is owed on unclaimed tax.

 

Would you like a FREE FirstClass report?

 

Are you already a FirstClass In-House or FirstClass Cloud customer? If so, then you are entitled to two FREE bespoke reports*. Simply approach the FirstClass team with your requirements, and we’ll do the rest.

 

*Only applies to simple report requests. For clarification speak with a FirstClass representative.

 

Thinking about maximising your organisation’s bequest management programme? Interested in speaking with the UK’s bequest management software specialists? Contact the FirstClass team on 01257 272730 or email info@firstclass-software.com.

Two people looking at a screen with interest

Legacy Budgets: Clarity for Future Spend

By Fiona Paton • April 21, 2026
When you’re managing legacies, it’s not just the income that matters - it’s the commitments, too. Future solicitor fees, surveyor costs, maintenance charges, promised funds to branches… they all add up, and they all need to be tracked somewhere sensible. That’s exactly where Legacy Budgets steps in. What Legacy Budgets Actually Do Legacy Budgets lets you record a budgeted amount for any planned or upcoming expenditure linked to a legacy. It could be professional fees, ongoing maintenance, or even funds earmarked for a specific centre or project. Many charities track this in their finance system, but having it visible within the legacy record itself gives you context you don’t get anywhere else. Why It’s Worth Using Think of it as a financial snapshot that sits right alongside the case details. It’s simple, but it’s powerful, and helps you: See what’s been committed before invoices arrive Keep teams aligned on expected spend Avoid surprises later in the process Maintain a clearer picture of each legacy’s net value The Legacy Budget Browser: Your Overview at a Glance If you want to see all budgets in one place, the Legacy Budget Browser is your new best friend. It shows: Current budgeted amounts Amounts already spent Remaining balance Related legator, legacy, and payee details It’s ideal when you’re not sure which legacy a budget belongs to, when you want to see everything linked to a particular payee, or when you need quick reporting using selections. To access it: From the Home window, click Browse or press Ctrl + B Double‑click Legacy Budget Browser Apply your filters using Selections and hit Apply Selections How to Switch It On Legacy Budgets isn’t enabled by default. To activate it, set the ShowLegacyBudgets system parameter to Yes in the Maintain System Parameters window, then restart the system. If you’d like budget information to appear in additional grids, we are only too happy to help configure that. Where You’ll Find It Once enabled, you’ll see a Budgets tab on both the Legator and Legacy windows - making it easy to view, add, and manage budgets right where you need them.

ILM 2026: What we’re most excited about this year

By Fiona Paton • March 25, 2026
We’re officially counting down to the ILM Annual Conference on 8 May at 133 Houndsditch, London. It’s always one of the best days in the legacy calendar - a chance to reconnect in person with friends and colleagues across the sector, soak up engaging speaker sessions, spark new ideas, and celebrate the incredible work happening in legacies at the ILM Awards. What's New The FirstClass team will be on hand to share the latest on how FirstClass is evolving, with the launch of the first iteration of FirstClass 5 Essentials coming very soon. We’ll also be unveiling a couple of new services we’re delighted to introduce, including Data Cleansing and RCS Business Messaging - the natural successor to SMS. Data Cleansing For charities and non‑profits, supporter data is the backbone of effective legacy giving. Yet while nearly half of organisations want to use insights to improve services, more than half are held back by CRM challenges. Poor‑quality data can have serious consequences - from losing touch with potential legacy supporters to missing opportunities for deeper engagement, and even risking compliance issues. That’s where our Data Cleansing service comes in. We help charities restore confidence in their supporter information by improving the quality of addresses, emails, and phone numbers. The result is cleaner, compliant, and more reliable data that strengthens legacy communications and ensures every supporter feels valued and connected. RCS Business Messaging Charities are experiencing a major shift. Supporters now expect digital‑first, mobile‑first communication - they want interactions that feel personal, transparent, and effortless. Social media is great for sharing impact stories, but when it comes to deeper, more meaningful conversations, like inspiring someone to leave a gift in their Will, charities need something more powerful and more trusted. RCS delivers on‑brand, secure, and interactive messages straight to the place that matters most - your supporters’ phones. Unlike SMS, RCS allows content‑rich, multimedia, and interactive messaging, helping charities build stronger, more personal connections with legacy supporters. And the results speak for themselves: up to three times higher engagement than SMS, read rates of 60–80%, and adoption by hundreds of leading brands. RCS is redefining how charities nurture relationships and inspire legacy giving. ILM Awards As always, a big highlight of the conference is celebrating excellence across the legacy sector, and we’re looking forward to cheering on all the ILM members who’ve been nominated. Good luck to all the nominees - we’re excited to celebrate your achievements and hear about the great work happening across the sector. Make sure to drop by on the day to hear how FirstClass is now delivering even more for its clients, and in the meantime, you can view the complete list of speakers and topics for the day at the ILM Annual Conference website .
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Open Conversations. Shared Solutions.

By Fiona Paton • March 25, 2026
At FirstClass, we’ve always believed our product should grow with the charities and non-profits who use it. Your input has shaped the way we build, and now we want to take that collaboration one step further. Monthly Check-in Calls We’re introducing monthly check‑in calls - an open forum where you can drop in, chat with the team and other customers, and explore anything to do with the product. No agenda, no pressure. Just space for conversation, questions, and shared ideas. These sessions give you the chance to: Share your priorities and help shape how we address different aspects of the system Stay informed on technical updates, including external systems like SQL or Outlook What’s new across our Team, billing, and the wider company See functionality demonstrated live - if you’re unsure how something works, we’ll show you Updates on features and fixes in the latest releases Ask questions on any part of the system Whether you join for five minutes or stay for the full hour, this is your space to connect with us. It’s a chance to explore challenges together, share experiences, and help shape a product that truly works for charities. We’ll host these sessions monthly on Microsoft Teams, giving you regular opportunities to drop in and join the conversation. Join our team for open, honest discussions that help us learn, improve, and grow alongside you. The next session is on Thursday, 21 st May at 10:45, you can sign up using the Save the Date button below.