Linking charities with legacy income

The background


Legacy Link is the UK’s largest legacy administration team with over 40 legacy consultants, providing outsourced legacy administration services. Its consultants help the charities they work with ensure their supporters’ final wishes are realised by managing the legacy administration process on their behalf - from notification to receipt of the gift.


Specialising in supporting charities of all sizes, from those typically too small to have their own legacy administration teams to some of the largest in the UK, Legacy Link currently works with over 100 charities at any given time. It has also played a role in reshaping legacy administration into the fully professional and critical aspect of charity management it is today.


Legacy Link’s philosophy is built around ensuring the legacy administration process is carried out correctly, and being able to offer big charity best practice to all charities, in a package which meets their individual budget. Legacy Link will work with their charity clients to discover whether the implementation of a robust legacy management system is right for them.

 

That system is FirstClass.

“With FirstClass, charities can gain access to insights and data that simply isn’t available to those who don’t use the system. I work with charities that don’t use FirstClass and charities that do and can say with 100 per cent certainty that those who do, deliver. There is nothing like it on the market. Nothing else comes close.”

 

Paul Browne, Head of Legacy Management at Legacy Link

The approach


On joining the business in 2016, having come from a commercial background where process underpins organisational success, Paul immediately set about recommending a legacy management system to its growing portfolio of clients.


Importantly, as a Director of the Institute for Legacy Management, Paul’s recommendations are impartial. However, as FirstClass has been designed to specifically manage legacy income – unlike general charity CRM and platforms such as Salesforce - there is no challenger to offer the same level of functionality.


These days, Paul and his team use FirstClass to help Legacy Link’s charity clients:

 

  • Understand the bigger picture and timings associated with generating legacy income, such as how long it will take to secure the income and how much time a team will need to invest in order to receive it
  • Access soft data that allows them to better understand what is really going on from a legacy income perspective and provide a true picture of each individual case file
  • Plug directly into HMRC in order to quickly and easily reclaim tax
  • Deliver estate valuations and record all legators’ assets so that they can be continually tracked – considering fluctuations in valuation in line with market peaks and troughs – throughout the entire process
  • Provide immediate reporting on any aspect of data made available through the system
  • Evaluate team value; in some instances, where charities felt that they didn’t have the budget to recruit an additional legacy team member, FirstClass was used to record all the value add within the legacy team and use the findings to illustrate that a new member was not only required, but financially viable
  • Get much more from their legacy management function.


“If someone at a charity is looking for the best way to manage their legacy income, then FirstClass is always the recommendation. It’s a tool that can be used to deliver best practice – as simple as that. On a personal level, I know that I’m the most effective and efficient when using a properly configured FirstClass system, and if you asked any member of the team, they’d say the same thing, too.”

 

Paul Browne, Head of Legacy Management at Legacy Link

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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 .

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.

Legacy Giving: Where Donors Leave Their Mark

By Fiona Paton • January 30, 2026
Most people assume gifts in wills go mainly to hospitals or animal charities. But legacy giving is evolving - from climate action to cultural preservation, donors are reshaping where their final gifts go. And with the biggest wealth transfer in history already underway, the question isn’t if charities will benefit, but which ones will capture the imagination of a new generation of donors. The Main Sectors for Legacy Gifts Health & Medical Research : Personal or family experiences with illness inspire gifts to hospitals, hospices, and research foundations. Animal Welfare : Emotional bonds with pets and wildlife make animal charities a natural choice. Humanitarian Aid : Donors who care about poverty, hunger, and inequality often leave legacies to international aid organisations. Faith‑Based Causes : Religious traditions encourage charitable giving as part of a spiritual legacy. Education : Universities, schools, and scholarship funds benefit from donors who want to give future generations opportunities. Community & Social Services : Local charities supporting homelessness, youth, or food banks benefit from donors who want to strengthen their communities. Emerging Growth Areas Environmental Charities : With climate change high on the agenda, more donors are leaving gifts to conservation and sustainability causes. Arts & Heritage : Museums, galleries, theatres, and cultural trusts are seeing increased support as donors seek to preserve culture and history for future generations. Younger Donors and the Great Wealth Transfer A major shift is underway. Millennials and Gen Z are beginning to shape the future of legacy giving, and their priorities look different from those of older generations. Younger donors tend to support: Environmental and climate action - sustainability and conservation are top of mind. Social justice and equality - causes that drive systemic change resonate strongly. Community impact - grassroots and local charities that deliver visible results. Arts and culture - inclusive cultural spaces and heritage preservation are gaining traction. This shift is amplified by the Great Wealth Transfer: an estimated $84–124 trillion will pass from Baby Boomers to younger generations and charities over the next two decades. This is not just financial - it represents a cultural change in philanthropy. Younger donors expect transparency, digital engagement, and clear evidence of impact. Digital Engagement: Meeting Younger Donors Where They Are For younger generations, digital isn’t optional - it’s the default. Communicating with them means using the channels they already live on, and that includes mobile messaging . It’s quick, it’s simple, and your message lands directly in their hands. Charities that embrace mobile‑first communication alongside email, social, and digital campaigns will build stronger connections with younger supporters and keep legacy conversations relevant. Why Donors Choose These Causes Legacy giving is rarely about short‑term impact. Donors want to leave something that endures - whether it’s funding medical breakthroughs, protecting animals, preserving heritage, or tackling global challenges. These gifts reflect identity, values, and lived experiences, ensuring that a supporter’s passion continues long after they’re gone. Data Accuracy: The Foundation of Legacy Giving Regardless of who or what supporters choose to leave their legacy to, without the right details, it all becomes pointless . Poor‑quality data can mean missed opportunities or even lost supporters. Clean, validated data ensures that legacies are honoured, communications reach the right people, and charities can act with confidence. Conclusion Health and animal welfare charities may dominate legacy giving today, but the landscape is shifting. Environmental and cultural causes are gaining momentum, and younger generations are bringing new priorities to the table. With the Great Wealth Transfer already underway, charities that invest in legacy marketing now - building trust, demonstrating impact, engaging digitally (especially through mobile messaging), and ensuring data accuracy - will secure not just income, but a lasting place in the hearts of future supporters. From legacy management to data cleansing and mobile messaging, we help charities handle every legacy with confidence. Want to know how FirstClass can support your organisation? Contact our team to find out more