FirstClass gets shortlisted as a finalist for the Smee & Ford Legacy Giving Awards 2024!

The FirstClass team is delighted to announce we have been shortlisted for ‘Outstanding Partner to the Legacy Sector’ at the Smee & Ford Legacy Giving Awards 2024, recognising and celebrating our outstanding achievement and skill in the legacy sector.


Being shortlisted for a Smee & Ford Legacy Giving Award provides FirstClass with an independent validation of our hard work and commitment to legacy giving and helps to benchmark achievements with peers across the UK. This much deserved recognition has helped boost confidence and demonstrates how we’re helping reward the skill and dedication of the people involved in this vital sector.


The award entries were reviewed and assessed by a judging panel that includes some of the biggest names from across the charitable legacies’ community. To be shortlisted as a finalist for these awards, despite tough competition from a pool of brilliant applications, is a mark of real achievement for FirstClass. The team have been selected based on matching the criteria for Ambition, Excellence, Outcome and attributing scores against a transparent system aimed at recognising and rewarding inspirational legacy teams and individuals.


FirstClass has become an industry ‘gold standard’. In many cases, its use across the UK’s diverse range of charities is regarded – perhaps unofficially – as a qualification, with those with experience of using it seen as having an additional and highly coveted skillset.

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However, FirstClass is not just used by charities and academic institutions. It’s also used by high-profile benchmarking organisations and industry authorities such as Legacy Foresight and Legacy Link. As a result, FirstClass has a reach and positive impact that goes far beyond a typical industry product or traditional supplier/customer relationship.


Yet, despite all this – and apart from those who use the system day in, day out - there is perhaps a large segment of our sector that doesn’t fully understand that the platform is, as Cancer Research UK states, ‘the beating heart of the legacy team’.


As a result, the team would like to use this award as a platform to make this highly-regarded industry tool front of mind with key stakeholders and shine a light on the good work that FirstClass has been doing since its inception in the mid-nineties.


Polly Avgherinos, Managing Director, Smee & Ford: “We extend our congratulations to FirstClass for their nomination in the at the upcoming Smee & Ford Legacy Giving Awards. We eagerly anticipate their presence at the April ceremony, where we will come together to acknowledge and celebrate the remarkable talent, dedication, and enthusiasm of individuals contributing to the field of legacies. Their impactful work on behalf of legators, charities, and beneficiaries deserves recognition and appreciation."


The winners will be selected following a rigorous judging stage ahead of the Smee & Ford Legacy Giving Awards ceremony. The full list of nominees for the 2024 Smee & Ford Legacy Giving Awards can be found at legacygivingawards.co.uk/finalists-2024.


The selected winners will be announced during a private ceremony at Hilton Bankside, London, on 18th April 2024.

Stay Informed: Microsoft SQL Server 2016 Retirement approaching

By Fiona Paton • October 30, 2025
With the upcoming retirement of Microsoft SQL Server 2016 on 14th July 2026 , we want to ensure you're aware of how this may impact your use of FirstClass. If you're using FirstClass 4 Web, Essentials, or Cloud , there's no action needed - your database is fully managed by us. If you're using FirstClass 4 In-house , then this update is important. Please review your setup or speak with us and/or your IT team to ensure you're prepared. To check your database type, open FirstClass , go to the System page from the main window, and look for whether you're using Microsoft SQL Server or Azure SQL Database . How to check your SQL Setup in FirstClass Open FirstClass and go to the System page (see below) from the main window, and look for whether you're using Microsoft SQL Server or Azure SQL Database . Locate the SQL Server Edition field: If it shows SQL Azure, you're using the cloud-based Azure SQL Database version. No action is needed - Microsoft handles updates automatically. If it shows something else like Standard or Enterprise Edition , you're using the traditional on-premise version. This requires manual updates and will eventually go out of support. Next, check the SQL Server Version field: This will show a numeric value (e.g., 13, 14, 15, 16). If your version is 13 or lower , you should begin planning with your IT department and our support team to upgrade your database server before support ends. Why it matters Security : Unsupported versions no longer receive security updates, leaving your systems vulnerable. Compliance : Many regulatory frameworks require supported software. Performance : Newer versions offer better performance, scalability, and features. If you're unsure about any of the above? Log a support ticket and we’ll be happy to assist.

New Outlook for Windows - Here's What You Need to Know

By Fiona Paton • October 27, 2025
Microsoft’s New Outlook for Windows Whilst it became generally available in August 2024, it is currently not supported by FirstClass d ue to integration limitations. The New Outlook cannot facilitate outbound sending or importing of emails from other applications, and it does not yet provide the full functionality available in Classic Outlook. What this means for you: Computers running FirstClass must continue using Classic Outlook to maintain full functionality. Microsoft encourages users to try the New Outlook, so be aware of this prompt if you rely on FirstClass for email integration. Guidance for users: Look for the New Outlook icon in the top-right corner of Outlook, see below Revert to Classic Outlook by clicking the slider to “off”, see below, and restart Outlook to switch back to Classic Outlook. For any issues with email integration, please contact our support team FirstClass remains fully compatible with Classic Outlook. Users are advised to retain Classic Outlook until full support for the New Outlook is confirmed, which is supported by Microsoft until at least 2029. Further details on extended support for classic Outlook can be found here.
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What’s New, What’s Next: Introducing FirstClass 5 Essentials

By Fiona Paton • October 27, 2025
We're excited to announce that we're set to unveil FirstClass 5 Essentials, the first phase of the latest generation of our award-winning platform, in a move that is expected to cement our position as the charity’s choice of legacy management technology. Development on FirstClass 5 began in 2024 following significant investment from our parent company ClearCourse, and close collaboration with Paul Browne, Head of Legacy Administration at Legacy Link. Now, as part of the first phase of the rollout, FirstClass 5 Essentials will replace FirstClass 4 Web as the company’s most accessible product, which is geared towards smaller charities looking to transition from manual legacy management to modern-day, automated processes. Whilst the launch date of FirstClass 5 is yet to be confirmed, the unveiling of FirstClass 5 Essentials, which is scheduled for release before Christmas, will include new features not currently available in FirstClass 4 Web. These include a multi-charity view, for users who manage legacies for different charities within a group structure, and the ability to manage multiple legacies per legator, such as where pecuniary and residuary gifts stem from the same legator. A new issues function, which allows users to address legal and contentious issues, is also included. Hosted within the cloud to provide users with added security, FirstClass 5 Essentials is expected to radically modernise legacy case management via a much more accessible user interface, improved connectivity and integration capabilities with other systems such as Smee & Ford, and enhanced workflows that make the platform quicker to navigate and easier to use. Rich Mullens, Product Director at FirstClass, comments: