Priti Parmar has been a familiar, reassuring presence for FirstClass customers since 2018. Here is her story. Ask any FirstClass customer who they turn to when they need help, and Priti Parmar's name is sure to come up. Warm, patient, and quietly knowledgeable, she is one of those people customers turn to time and again. And for many, she is the voice that stays with them long after the problem is solved. What fewer people know is that Priti came to FirstClass having already encountered Clear, as it was then known, through a previous role. Clear's software at that time had a different product entirely, unrelated to legacies, but the connection was there. When the opportunity to join the team arose, she already had a sense of the company she would be walking into. A Different Kind of Support Priti's background before FirstClass was in support, but of a very different kind. She spent years helping internal teams handle insurance claims, working directly with claimants and taking on training and validation responsibilities alongside. It was detail-oriented, people-focused work that demanded both patience and precision. Those instincts - listening carefully, finding the right answer, making sure nothing gets missed - turned out to translate perfectly. The sector itself was entirely new, but the skill of supporting people through processes, and doing it with care, very much was not. When the opportunity at FirstClass came along, Priti took it. "It was the chance to move into something new and learn a whole new industry. I thought: why not." A Steep and Rewarding Curve Legacy administration, as Priti discovered, is not a world that gives up its complexity easily. The people she was supporting already knew their sector inside out: wills, tax, finance, estate law. The questions they asked were specific, technical, and often urgent. She joined at a significant moment too. A major software upgrade was underway, which meant supporting customers through a transition while simultaneously getting to grips with the different versions herself. Then COVID arrived, which brought its own particular demands and, in some ways, an unexpected opportunity to focus. "Initially it was a daunting task. But after a while it starts to become second nature. Even today I am still learning, and at times I also need support from the team myself." That last part matters. Priti does not pretend to know everything. She is comfortable saying she needs to find out, and just as comfortable making sure she does. For the customers she supports, that honesty is part of what makes the relationship work. The Part She Loves Most Ask Priti what she enjoys about the job and the answer is immediate: the customers. Not the software, not the processes, not the features. The people. She knows most of them by name, and in a sector as close-knit as legacy administration, that means something. Professionals move around. Someone she supported at one charity can reappear at another a year later, and when they do, the relationship picks up exactly where it left off. "I love chatting with customers and working out how I can help them. And if I cannot help them myself, I make sure I get the right information from those who can." It is a straightforward answer, and a revealing one. Support done well is not about resolving tickets. It is about the person on the other end of the call feeling heard, helped, and confident that someone is genuinely on their side. That is what Priti brings. A Team Worth Belonging To The warmth Priti extends to customers is very much a reflection of the team she works within. "I absolutely love them to bits. We are also close-knit, and I could not ask for a better team. No one ever hesitates to help, no matter what your role is. We are there for each other." Working remotely has not changed that. The team still makes a point of meeting in person once a month, keeping the social thread intact alongside the professional one. It is the kind of culture that does not happen by accident, and it shows. Beyond the Working Day Away from FirstClass, Priti finds her balance in movement and connection. Long walks in nature, time with family, and a genuine love of travel. She has explored the US, spent holidays with relatives in India, and counts visiting the Golden Temple on the India-Pakistan border among her highlights. These days, Europe is drawing her attention, Italy in particular. It is a life lived with the same open curiosity she brings to her work: always willing to explore somewhere new, always ready to learn. What Comes Next For now, Priti is exactly where she wants to be. Support is her world, and she sees plenty of road ahead in it. A software company never stands still, which means there will always be something new to learn, a new customer to meet, and another challenge to work through. For the customers who already know her, that is reassuring news. For those who have not yet had the chance to work with her, it is something to look forward to.
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.
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 us for our next session on Wednesday, 19th August at 11:00, where we'll be building on our last discussion around R185 and tax reclaim with further updates and guidance from Paul Browne of ILM on questions raised previously . You can sign up using the Save the Date button below.
Gen X is writing wills earlier, including charitable gifts at a higher rate, and living on their phones. So why is legacy outreach still missing them?. Free Wills Month happens twice a year, in March and in October, giving supporters aged 55 and over the chance to write or update a simple will at no cost. It is one of the most practical and effective tools available for building a legacy pipeline. Most charities already use it. The question is whether the channels they are using to promote it are potentially reaching the right people The Gen X Opportunity Generation X, broadly those born between 1965 and 1980, are at precisely the right life stage to be thinking about wills and legacy giving. They are in their mid-40s to early 60s. Many are at peak earning power, thinking seriously about estate planning, and are open to including a charitable gift. The data backs this up. Research from Remember a Charity found that younger will-makers aged 40 to 59 are more likely to include a charitable gift than older age groups: 35% have done so, compared with 32% of those aged 60 to 69 and 30% of those aged 70 and over. Gen Xers are also writing wills earlier than previous generations, with 28% saying they would make a will online or have already done so, compared with just 10% of Baby Boomers. If a charity is not showing up in the digital moments where Gen X is making these decisions, it is simply not showing up at all. The Channel Gap Legacy income accounts for an estimated 37% of all voluntary income to UK charities. You might expect it to command a proportionate share of fundraising attention. The reality is quite different. Research from the Charities Aid Foundation suggests charities spend around 15% of their fundraising budgets on legacy promotion, less than half what the income share would justify. Most legacy fundraising communications are still built around channels designed for older donors: email, print mailings, and inserts in regular giving packs. These have their place, but they are not where Gen X is paying attention. This is a generation that lives on their phones, communicates through WhatsApp, and expects organisations they trust to show up in the same places they already are. Most charities already have the mobile messaging infrastructure in place through their regular giving programmes. Many are already working with Cymba, our sister company, on RCS, WhatsApp, and text-to-donate campaigns for donor acquisition, regular giving, and retention. What has not yet happened, in most cases, is applying those same channels to legacy and Free Wills Month outreach. What Good Outreach Looks Like Reaching Gen X for Free Wills Month does not require a new communications strategy. It requires applying what already works in other parts of fundraising to the legacy conversation. A WhatsApp message or RCS campaign sent to supporters in the run-up to October can carry your charity's branding, a short explanation of Free Wills Month, and a single link or button that takes the supporter directly to your booking page. One tap and they are there. A QR code on an email footer, social post, or any printed material can do the same job. Rich mobile messaging can drive supporters straight to a charity's legacy giving page during Free Wills Month, with a branded message that feels personal rather than broadcast. Short video content is also worth the investment. A 30-second clip from a legacy officer or trustee, authentic, unscripted, and filmed on a phone, will land far better with this audience than polished copy they scroll past. Video is now the dominant format across Instagram, WhatsApp, and every major social platform. Charities not using it for legacy messaging are leaving significant reach on the table. Build the Strategy Now October Free Wills Month is close enough to plan for, and Remember a Charity's national awareness week runs in September, this year from 7 to 13 September, giving charities a natural moment to prime supporters before the booking window opens. The charities that make the most of October will be the ones that have built the communications plan now, not in mid-September. That means identifying which supporter segments are most likely to be in the Gen X age bracket, ensuring contact data is clean, and mobile numbers are current. In addition, mapping out a short sequence of touchpoints across RCS, WhatsApp, social, and email that works together rather than in isolation. Clean data is the foundation of all of it. A message sent to an outdated number, or addressed with a wrong name, does the opposite of what you intend. The Bigger Picture Free Wills Month is a tactical opportunity. But the question it raises is a strategic one: are your legacy communications potentially reaching the people most likely to act on them? Meeting Gen X where they are is not complicated. It starts with the channels and tools most charities already have, applied with more intention to the legacy conversation. Sources: Remember a Charity Will-Making Survey 2025
UK legacy giving is at near-record levels. What the latest figures tell us, and what they mean for the sector. UK legacy giving brought in an estimated £4.4 billion in 2025, the second-highest year on record, according to the Legacy Giving Report 2026 from Legacy Futures and Smee & Ford. Only 2024's exceptional peak of £4.6 billion has exceeded it. By any measure, gifts in wills have become one of the most significant and reliable sources of voluntary income in the charity sector. Yet despite that scale, the opportunity remains largely untapped. Understanding why starts with looking at what the numbers actually say. A Sector at Scale The figures behind that £4.4 billion total tell a compelling story. Around 44,000 estates included a charitable gift in 2025, generating an estimated 104,000 individual bequests. The average gift value stood at £44,000, a sum that can be genuinely transformational for smaller organisations receiving even a handful of legacies each year. Perhaps the most striking figure of all is this: a record 17.4% of all estates at probate now include a charitable donation. That's nearly one in five. Legacy giving has moved well beyond a niche form of philanthropy. It is mainstream, growing, and showing no signs of slowing down. The Underinvestment Problem With legacy income accounting for 37% of all voluntary income to UK charities, you might expect it to command a proportionate share of fundraising attention. The reality is quite different. Research from the Charities Aid Foundation suggests charities spend around 15% of their fundraising budgets on legacy promotion, less than half what the income share would justify. That gap between income received and investment made is striking. It suggests that for many organisations, legacy giving is still treated as something that happens to them rather than something they actively cultivate. The gifts arrive. But the strategy, the stewardship, and the administrative infrastructure to support them are not always keeping pace. Concentration at the Top Legacy income is also unevenly distributed. For the top 1,000 legacy-receiving charities, gifts in wills account for around 30% of total fundraised income, a significant dependency. In the health sector alone, just eight major charities account for roughly half of all legacy income received. That concentration matters for two reasons. First, it reflects how much further the market could grow if more organisations, including arts bodies, heritage organisations, universities, hospices, and community charities, invested seriously in legacy fundraising and administration. Second, it highlights the competitive advantage available to those who do. The pipeline is there. The question is whether organisations have the capacity and the tools to manage it well. What Comes Next The outlook is positive. Annual legacy income is projected to approach £5 billion by 2030, driven in part by the ongoing transfer of wealth between generations. As legacy giving becomes an increasingly central part of the UK's philanthropic landscape, the organisations best placed to benefit will be those that treat it with the strategic seriousness it deserves. That means investing in legacy fundraising, yes. But it also means having the administrative foundations to handle every gift with the care and precision it warrants. The £4.4 billion figure is not just a headline. It is a signal. Sources: Legacy Giving Report 2026, Legacy Futures and Smee & Ford; Charities Aid Foundation UK Giving Report.
How our support portal keeps your issues moving, and nothing slips through the gaps. We introduced our support portal last year, and it’s made a genuine difference to how quickly and consistently we’re able to help. But we also know how organisations work: people move on, new team members join, and not every process gets handed over as smoothly as we’d all like. So, it felt like a good moment to set out how it works and make sure everyone on your team knows where to go. When something isn’t working the way it should, you want it sorted quickly. So do we. That’s why we’ve put a system in place that makes sure every support request gets the right attention from the right person, with nothing getting lost along the way. The Quickest Route to a Resolution The best way to raise a support issue is through our portal: www.firstclass-software.com/contact When you log a request here, a ticket is automatically created in our support system. You’ll receive a confirmation email with your ticket number straight away, and your issue goes into a shared team view that we review together every day. That daily review matters. It means the whole team has visibility of what’s open, what’s progressing, and, importantly, who is best placed to help. If one of us is tied up or away, your ticket doesn’t sit in a single inbox waiting. It’s picked up. Once Your Ticket Is Open Everything you need to do from there can be handled by email. If you want to add more detail, share a screenshot, or simply check where things stand, just reply to your confirmation email. Your response is automatically recorded against your ticket, so nothing gets separated from its context. Why We’re Asking You to Use the Portal We know it’s natural to fire off an email directly to someone you know on the team. We genuinely appreciate that; it speaks to the relationships we’ve built with you. But direct emails do carry a real risk: if that person is out, in a meeting, or simply gets busy, your message can sit without anyone else knowing it’s there. The portal changes that. The moment you log a ticket; the whole support team knows about it. It can be assigned, prioritised, and picked up by whoever can move fastest, and it’s there in front of us at every daily team meeting. It’s a small change in habit that makes a meaningful difference to how quickly and reliably we can help you. In Summary – Log support issues at www.firstclass-software.com/contact – You’ll receive a confirmation email with your ticket number – Reply to that email to add information or follow up; it all stays connected – Your ticket is visible to the whole team and reviewed daily – The right person picks it up, wherever they are If you’re ever unsure, or would rather talk something through, you’re always welcome to call us on 01257 272730. Articles like this, along with sector news, product updates and practical tips, are shared in our monthly newsletter. It’s something we’re often asked about: how do I sign up, or why am I not receiving it? So, we’ve created a dedicated page to make that easy. Visit www.firstclass-software.com/stay-connected to join, and please do pass the link on to any new members of your team.
