Legacies Made Simple: From Will to Impact

Legacy giving is one of the most meaningful ways supporters can leave a lasting mark on the causes they care about. For charities, though, it’s not just about receiving these gifts — it’s equally about managing them with care, honouring supporters’ wishes, and protecting legacies for the future.


That’s why we built FirstClass.  Once a will is written and a gift is pledged, charities need the right tools to manage the legacy when it’s received - from handling complex estates to recording details and valuing gifts with clarity and care. And if you’d like to explore why a dedicated legacy management system makes such a difference, take a look at our article The Hidden Power of Legacy Income. 


Why Legacy Giving Matters


Each year, legacy gifts bring billions of pounds to UK charities, providing stability and funding vital work across communities. For many supporters, these gifts are often the largest single contribution a supporter makes, providing long‑term stability for the causes they care about.


That’s why legacy giving matters: because it safeguards supporter intentions and ensures charities can plan for the future.


And yet, despite their power, many gifts never reach charities. Wills can be complex, estates take time to settle, and without careful stewardship, legacies can be delayed, disputed, or even lost. When that happens, it’s not only funding that disappears - it’s the supporter’s story, their intention, and their impact.



The Will Gap


The reality is that millions of estates are distributed without reflecting personal wishes - simply because there’s no valid will in place. Research shows that only around 41% of UK adults have written one. That leaves families vulnerable to conflict and charities missing out on legacies that could have made a lasting difference.


It’s a big gap between intention and action, and closing it matters - for loved ones and for the causes people care about.


Free Online Will Services


The good news? Writing a will has never been easier. Many charities now offer free online will‑writing services, designed to remove the barriers that stop people from getting started. Supporters can create a legally valid will from the comfort of home, with clear guidance at each step.


These services also make it simpler to include a gift to charity, ensuring that personal values and commitments are reflected in a lasting legacy. By lowering the hurdles and encouraging thoughtful planning, charities are helping more people take control of their future and make a meaningful impact.


Why Correct Completion Matters


Of course, ease of access doesn’t mean the rules disappear. Online wills must still meet the same legal requirements as traditional paper wills, and mistakes can lead to significant problems. Common pitfalls include:


  • Invalid witnessing - witnesses must be present together, and beneficiaries cannot act as witnesses.
  • Missing formalities - errors with signatures, dates, or execution can invalidate the document.
  • Contestation risks - unclear wording, undue influence, or questions about mental capacity can lead to disputes.
  • Outdated documents - life changes (marriage, divorce, new children, asset changes) can make a will contested or irrelevant.


Getting it right


Creating a will isn’t just paperwork - it’s an act of care for the people and causes you love. Done properly, it ensures your wishes are honoured, your family is spared unnecessary conflict, and your legacy continues as you intended.


Here are some practical ways to make sure your will stands strong:


  • Seek expert guidance: a solicitor or professional ensures clarity and validity.
  • Be unmistakably specific: avoid vague wording that invites disputes.
  • Choose impartial witnesses: never beneficiaries.
  • Sign, date, and witness flawlessly: even small errors can cast doubt.
  • Review and update regularly: life changes should be reflected.
  • Store securely: keep the original safe and accessible.
  • Open the conversation: share intentions with family or executors to prevent surprises.


The Bigger Picture


At the end of the day, creating a will is more than a legal step - it’s a way of caring for the people and causes you love. Done right, it protects your family from conflict and ensures your legacy makes the difference you intended.


For charities, this isn’t just about income. It’s about helping supporters protect their legacy with care and clarity. And once that will is in place, the next step is to ensure that every gift is managed properly. That’s where FirstClass comes in - giving teams the tools to handle complex estates with ease, record specific details, and work out valuations so they know what to expect and when.


From will to impact, we help charities honour every legacy with confidence.  Want to know how FirstClass can support your organisation?  Contact our team to find out more

The Future of Legacy Fundraising Is...

By Fiona Paton • May 25, 2026
Beyond AI - two priorities the legacy sector can't afford to ignore. Read any thought leadership article right now - across any sector, not just legacy fundraising - and somewhere between a quarter and half of it will be about AI. We know, because we used AI to check. In the context of legacy fundraising, AI is consistently touted as the tool that will unlock the sector's next chapter: better engagement, wider outreach, sharper strategy, stronger revenue. And to be clear, we think there's real substance to that. AI has a meaningful role to play. But we also think two other areas are being quietly overlooked among the noise. Areas that deserve equal attention right now - and that legacy teams would do well to get ahead of. Those two areas are Rich Communication Services (RCS) and clean data. AI is important. But it isn't the whole story RCS and Legacy Fundraising RCS - the more advanced successor to SMS - is already making its presence felt in the charity sector, and its potential for legacy fundraising teams is considerable. Where SMS is limited to text, RCS enables charities to send messages that incorporate video, imagery, and interactive buttons - all within the native messaging experience on a supporter's phone. The result is communication that's richer, more personal, and demonstrably more engaging. Combine that multimedia capability with RCS's ability to tailor content for individual supporters, and you have a channel that is meaningful, personal, and scalable all at once. For legacy teams working to build long-term relationships with potential legators, that combination matters. Perhaps its most significant asset, though, is trust. RCS messages carry a Verified Sender badge, giving recipients clear reassurance that what they're reading is genuine. In a sector where legacy giving is built on trust above almost everything else, that matters enormously. It's a low-cost, high-impact way for charities to demonstrate credibility at the point of contact. This focus on trust is one that the wider sector is increasingly vocal about. A recent article from Smee & Ford - specialists in legacy data and intelligence - noted that while AI holds real promise for the sector, legacy fundraising remains deeply human in nature, and that AI-generated messaging risks feeling inauthentic if the human touch is lost. It's a perspective that reinforces why channels like RCS, which carry built-in credibility signals, matter as much as they do. You can read the full article at smeeandford.com . Through our sister brand Cymba , which specialises in developing and delivering RCS campaigns, we are already helping legacy fundraising teams harness this technology and build mobile messaging campaigns that make an impact. Its agility, tailorability, and scalability make it an opportunity the sector shouldn't wait for. Clean Data and Legacy Fundraising Data rarely gets the attention it deserves. When there is new technology to explore and AI-driven approaches promising transformative outcomes, the discipline of maintaining clean, accurate data can feel like an unglamorous afterthought. It shouldn't. Good data is the bedrock of good communication - and poor data is a reliable route to missed opportunities, wasted resources, and, at worst, damaged relationships with supporters. In legacy fundraising specifically, the stakes are high. Duplicate mailings, deceased supporters still being contacted, incorrect names, missing preferences - each of these is more than an administrative error. They erode the trust that legacy relationships depend on. And they signal to supporters, however unintentionally, that they are not truly known or valued. There is also a practical argument that goes beyond relationships. AI's effectiveness is entirely dependent on the quality of the data it works with. A model built on inaccurate or incomplete source material will produce inaccurate and incomplete outputs. Investing in AI while neglecting data hygiene is, in effect, building on sand. Maintaining clean data isn't always straightforward, but the rewards are consistent and compounding. Better-timed communications. More relevant personalisation. Greater confidence in what is being sent and to whom. Drawing on the expertise of our data cleansing team, FirstClass is already helping charities get more from their data - and from the systems and strategies built on top of it. In 2026, attaining and maintaining clean data should be on every legacy team's radar. Good data is the bedrock of good communication. Poor data is a route to missed opportunities - and lost supporters. A More Complete Picture AI is undoubtedly part of the future of legacy fundraising. Any attempt to argue otherwise would miss the point. But RCS and clean data deserve to sit alongside it as strategic priorities - not as supporting acts, but as foundations without which the promise of AI cannot be fully realised. Underpinning all three is the same thing: trust. Trust that communications are genuine. Trust that supporters are known and respected. Trust that the technology serving a legacy team is making relationships stronger, not weaker. The charities that hold that at the centre of their strategy - whatever tools they use - will be the ones best placed for what comes next. The legacy sector is evolving quickly. Charities that invest in all three - the innovation of AI, the reach of RCS, and the discipline of clean data - will be better placed than those treating them as an either/or. If you would like to explore how we can support your legacy team with data cleansing or RCS messaging , we would be glad to talk. Get in touch with our team on 01257 272730.
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 .