Why your next hire should be a legacy fundraiser
By Kurstin Finch Gnehm, Senior Partner, Cairney & Company
Legacies won’t wait.
Really. Remember a Charity Week (8-14 September 2025) reminds us that building your capacity to solicit and receive legacy gifts has never been more important.
Why? In the UK alone, we’re about to witness an estimated £7 trillion pass between generations over the next 30 years (FT Adviser), and a sizeable sum will be bequeathed to charities, universities and schools worldwide. It’s already happening: the 2025 Legacy Futures/Smee & Ford report shows a record £4.5 billion in legacy income last year. The risk-adjusted forecast is £10.6 billion by 2050.
As a steady revenue stream, legacies are encouraging — the average residuary gift is around £65,000. Right now, up to 39% of Wills include a charity (sources vary, and there’s evidence this is even higher among ultra-high-net-worth individuals), which means with planning there is the potential of income year after year.
And the return on investment is almost suspiciously strong. Even on conservative assumptions, mature legacy programmes can return roughly £15 for every £1 invested (the Chartered Institute of Fundraising reports up to £33:£1). Yes, break-even takes a little longer — but many principal gifts also take 2–5 years to materialise, and there can be some quick wins in the meantime.
Legacies are also more likely to be unrestricted, providing an important source of flexible funding at a time when donors are trending increasingly towards co-creation and restricted giving (for more on this, read our analysis of the latest CASE Insights on Philanthropy report).
How to get started
SEO, a clear webpage and a tick-box on appeals will get you started, and it’s always worth drip-feeding your legacy message through a wide variety of communications like email signatures and alumni newsletters. However, your best prospects are sophisticated and these gifts, especially the significant ones with tangible assets, can be complex.
To get the full benefit, you need a dedicated, full-time Legacy/Gifts in Wills lead: a patient relationship-builder who can be a strategic support to your face-to-face fundraisers to help surface intent and steward pledgers, and who partners with legal and finance on wording, probate, recognition and income handling.
If you already have a dedicated legacy fundraiser, great! It’s time to layer capacity in that area, especially if you want to take advantage of legacy opportunities overseas or spend more time prospecting than managing existing legacies.
In the last ten years this kind of fundraising has become specialised, and the sector is full of brilliant, talented legacy professionals who might be right for your organisation. To me the investment case is very clear — and if I were leading a team and had budget, I’d hire a legacy fundraiser.
Cairney & Company can help you review your current legacy approach, identify untapped potential and build a compelling case for investment. Get in touch with us to find out more.
Fantastic resources for further reading: