New Year, Clear Vision: How Charities Can Get Legacy Income on Track

A Fresh Start for Legacy Giving


The start of a new year is the perfect time for charities to pause, reflect, and plan ahead. It’s a chance to look back at what worked last year, identify where improvements can be made, and set the foundations for lasting success.


This is especially true for legacy income. Unlike regular donations, legacy gifts are rarely quick decisions - they’re deeply personal, transformational commitments that often require years of careful stewardship.


That’s why now is the time to put strategies in place that bring structure, confidence, and clarity. With the right approach, charities can grow a healthy pipeline for the year ahead, ensuring no opportunity is missed and every supporter feels valued.


Clean Data, Thriving Relationships


Legacy giving is built on trust, and trust depends on accuracy. Surveys suggest that legacies can make up anywhere from 10% to 60% of a charity’s voluntary income. That’s a huge proportion, and it shows just how transformational these gifts can be.


That’s why clean data matters so much here. Outdated records don’t just mean missed mailings - they mean missed opportunities to nurture relationships with the very supporters who might one day choose to leave a legacy. Without accurate data, charities risk losing touch with this critical donor segment at the exact moment when connection matters most.


Clean data ensures charities know exactly who their supporters are, how they’ve engaged, and where they are in their journey. It’s not just about tidy spreadsheets - it’s about making sure every supporter feels recognised and connected. When data is clean, charities thrive because relationships thrive.


Integration and Visibility: One Source of Truth


Legacy income touches fundraising, finance, supporter care, and marketing. Without a central system, data gets scattered across spreadsheets, emails, and CRMs - making it hard to see the full picture.


A legacy management system brings everything together. With seamless integration into key CRM platforms, charities can ensure supporter records, financial data, and stewardship notes are all aligned. No duplication, no gaps - just one source of truth that everyone can rely on.


And when it comes to notifications, integration with services like Smee & Ford is critical. These alerts about new legacy gifts or potential income flow directly into the system, giving charities immediate visibility into what’s in the pipeline. That means faster follow‑up, clearer forecasting, and the confidence to plan.


This clarity transforms legacy giving from something reactive into something strategic - helping charities steward relationships, manage income, and build trust with supporters at every stage.


Front of Mind: Marketing That Cultivates Legacies


Charities are experiencing a major shift in how supporters want to connect. Today’s audiences expect communication to be digital‑first and mobile‑first - interactions that feel personal, transparent, and effortless. Social media is powerful 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 trusted.


Traditionally, mobile messaging has been limited to quick text‑to‑donate campaigns or event reminders. But imagine if that same channel could nurture long‑term relationships, build trust, and spark legacy pledges. That’s where RCS  (Rich Communication Services) comes in.


RCS is the first major upgrade to mobile messaging in two decades. Unlike SMS, it offers a richer, more interactive experience — secure, modern, and designed to feel genuinely helpful. For charities, this means the ability to stay front of mind with supporters, using the very channels they already rely on every day.


By combining clean data with RCS‑powered outreach, charities can ensure their cause is remembered when supporters make one of life’s most meaningful decisions.


Efficiency and Confidence


Legacy gifts involve sensitive information, legal processes, and long timelines. A management system streamlines workflows, automates reminders, and ensures compliance. This saves staff time, reduces risk, and allows teams to focus on what matters most: building relationships with care.


Conclusion: Turning Intent Into Impact


Legacy giving isn’t just about managing income - it’s about honouring the intent of supporters and turning it into lasting impact. The start of a new year is the moment to get ahead: to clean your data, connect your systems, and embrace modern channels that keep you front of mind.


With the right legacy management approach, charities don’t just track gifts - they build trust, deepen relationships, and secure the future of their mission.


If you’re ready to move from good intentions to measurable impact, get in touch with our team. We’ll help you put the structure, clarity, and human touch in place to make legacy income simple, strategic, and successful.

Inspiring Legacies with RCS

By Fiona Paton • November 24, 2025
Charities are experiencing a major shift. Supporters now expect digital-first, mobile-first communication - they want to engage in ways 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. Traditionally, mobile messaging has been used for quick text-to-donate campaigns or sending reminders. But imagine if that same channel could nurture long-term relationships, build trust, and spark legacy pledges. That’s exactly where RCS (Rich Communication Services) can make a meaningful difference. RCS is the first major upgrade to mobile messaging in 20 years. It offers an enhanced, more interactive experience compared with SMS, giving charities a way to reach supporters with messages that feel modern, secure, and genuinely helpful. Here’s why RCS is so relevant for legacy fundraising: Secure & trusted: Your charity’s name and logo appear as a verified sender, giving supporters instant reassurance that your message is authentic. Connected & seamless: Messages land directly in supporters’ native messaging inboxes on Android and iOS - no apps to install and no additional steps. Engaging & interactive: You can add images, buttons, carousels, and track engagement in real time, making each message a richer opportunity to inspire and inform. For charities, this means you can reach warm, highly engaged audiences - those most likely to consider a gift in their Will, with content that feels personal, trustworthy, and uplifting. Instead of a plain text reminder, imagine sending a beautifully branded message containing a story of impact, a short video, or a simple button to learn more about pledging a legacy. It’s a small upgrade in channel, but a big step forward in supporter experience. Looking ahead, 2026 is shaping up to be a landmark year for mobile messaging. And the timing couldn’t be better. Legacy giving in the UK reached £4.5 billion in 2024 , a 9 percent increase on the previous year, and forecasts show legacy income is set to more than double by 2050 as the Baby Boomer generation finalises its estate planning. The opportunity is significant - but only if charities adopt communication tools that match how supporters want to connect today. With over 600 UK brands already using RCS , and early adopters seeing up to three times more engagement than SMS , the question isn’t whether charities should embrace RCS. It’s why wait at all? Bring your messaging to life and get started with RCS today. Get in touch for a journey towards richer messaging, better engagement, and higher conversions

The Hidden Power of Legacy Income

By Fiona Paton • November 18, 2025
Imagine a supporter who believes in your mission so deeply that they decide to make it part of their legacy. Long after they’re gone, their gift continues to fuel your work, carrying forward their values and trust in your cause. That’s the hidden power of legacy income - it’s not just funding, it’s a lasting bond between donor and organisation, built on loyalty and commitment. Beyond Paperwork Legacy gifts are one of the most impactful and emotionally significant forms of giving. They represent trust, loyalty, and a donor’s lasting commitment to your cause. But with that trust comes responsibility, and complexity. Managing legacy income isn’t simply about tracking paperwork. It’s about honouring a donor’s final wishes while ensuring their gift makes the greatest possible impact. Yet, many charities still rely on outdated tools or manual processes to manage gifts in wills. The consequences? Delays in processing Missed opportunities to maximise value Unnecessary risks that can erode donor confidence Why a Dedicated Legacy Income System Matters A modern, dedicated system transforms the way organisations handle bequests: Structure → Clear processes using best practices that reduce confusion and errors Visibility → Transparency across teams, ensuring everyone knows the status of each gift Confidence → Reliable data that builds trust with donors, families, and stakeholders This isn’t just about efficiency; it’s about safeguarding relationships and ensuring every legacy gift fulfils its intended purpose. Who Benefits? Whether you’re a charity, non‑profit, or higher education institution , getting smarter about how you manage legacy income is vital. With the right system in place, you can: Reduce administrative burden Protect against risk Unlock the full potential of legacy giving The Results of Smarter Legacy Income Management When charities and non‑profits adopt a dedicated legacy income system from FirstClass, the impact is clear: Faster processing & rapid access to records → Gifts are managed efficiently, reducing delays and ensuring funds reach the cause sooner. Income dashboards & financial reports → Real‑time visibility into pipeline, trends, and performance supports confident decision‑making. Customisable templates → Flexible tools that adapt to your processes, reducing admin and saving time. Contact records → Centralised donor and executor information strengthens relationships and ensures transparency. Reduced risk → Accurate records and structured processes protect against errors and safeguard donor trust. Seamless CRM integration → Works smoothly with key CRM partners, ensuring data flows without duplication. Smee and Ford integration → Direct connection to industry‑leading probate data for complete oversight. Stronger relationships → Families and executors feel reassured that gifts are handled with care and transparency. Legacy gifts are too important to be left to outdated processes. By adopting smarter tools, you can honor donor trust, reduce risk, and unlock the full potential of legacy income. Ready to transform how you manage legacy income? Get in touch with us today to see how our solutions can help you build confidence, efficiency, and growth for the future.

FirstClass goes Global

By Fiona Paton • November 4, 2025
The background International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) was founded in 1969, with the aim of stopping the commercial hunt for whitecoat seals on the east coast of Canada. IFAW has grown into a charity that works across seas, oceans, and in more than 40 countries around the world. IFAW is dedicated to building a world where animals and people can thrive together on a healthy planet. Through its work in the fields of biodiversity conservation and wildlife rescue, IFAW has had a major impact on ecosystems and communities around the world. With a third of the charity’s income stemming from legacies, IFAW has been using FirstClass to streamline, manage, and monitor this crucial revenue stream from its UK office for over 10 years. However, its international counterparts were using disparate systems that were incurring significantly more administration time than would have been required when using one standardised legacy management platform. In 2025, the decision to implement FirstClass across six new international territories was taken.