U.S. charitable bequests
$62.19B
+19.7% growth vs. 2024
Planned Giving Statistics: Bequests, Legacy Gifts, & the Great Wealth Transfer
Understand the legacy giving opportunity, explore bequest & donor trends, and grow planned gifts effectively.
Updated on September 2026 | By LotusGiving
Annual growth benchmarks
Market share
10%
Share of all U.S. charitable giving
Conversion lift
2.2x
Using plain-language prompts
Why 2025–2026 Mark a Legacy Tipping Point image placeholder
Why 2025–2026 Mark a Legacy Tipping Point
While cash appeals have hit friction due to inflation and household cash constraints, bequest giving has entered an era of sustained hyper-growth.
Bequest Revenue Outpaces Cash Giving
Total U.S. charitable giving reached $617.20 billion in 2025. While individual cash giving grew 4.1% in current dollars (1.4% inflation-adjusted), bequest giving surged 19.7% (16.6% inflation-adjusted).
$10 Billion Single-Year Expansion
Bequests contributed over $10 billion in new philanthropic revenue in a single year, accounting for nearly one-third of total U.S. charitable growth.
Small Estates Drive Real-World Growth
Between 2023 and 2025, bequest revenue from estates valued under $1 million grew 53.5%—vastly outperforming estates valued between $1M–$10M (+26.3%).
Tapping the 97.7% Wealth Pool
Approximately 97.7% of American household wealth is held in non-cash assets (real estate, retirement accounts, business equity), leaving only 2.3% in liquid cash. Planned giving shifts the fundraising conversation from the 2.3% to the 97.7%.
Who Actually Leaves a Gift in Their Will? image placeholder
Who Actually Leaves a Gift in Their Will?
Data modeling shows that legacy givers are defined by long-term loyalty and family structure, not major-donor cash status.
Childless Donors Generate 64% of Bequest Dollars
Donors without children represent 20% of will-makers but account for 48% to 64% of total bequest dollars, leaving average gifts 2.5 times larger than donors with children.
Single and Widowed Donors Lead Volume
Single, divorced, or widowed individuals generate 62% of all planned giving volume, leaving the highest average gifts ($76,677).
Gen Z & Millennials Are Adopting Wills Faster
19% of Gen Z donors have already included a charitable bequest in their estate plan. Donors aged 35–44 average $36,690 in planned gift allocations.
Pet Owners Feature Higher Inclusion Rates
Pet owners are 55% to 70% more likely to include a charity in their will than non-pet owners (21% inclusion rate vs. 13%).
Why Legacy Gifts Don't Cannibalize Cash image placeholder
Why Legacy Gifts Don't Cannibalize Cash
A common concern among fundraising boards is that promoting legacy gifts will decrease immediate annual cash donations. Research proves the exact opposite:
+75%
Increase in Annual Cash Giving
After a supporter writes a charity into their will, their annual cash donations to that same organization increase by 75% to 77%.
2–8 yrs
Permanent Identity Shift
This cash surge is sustained 2, 4, 6, and 8 years after the legacy commitment is made.
61.8%
Major Gift Propensity Doubling
The likelihood of legacy donors contributing cash gifts of $1,000+ rises from 51.5% to 61.8% post-bequest.
Behavioral Mechanism
Adding a charity to an estate plan—a document reserved for family—causes an “identity shift.” Transactional givers transform into permanent institutional stakeholders [1, 2].
Solving Top-of-Funnel Procrastination
Before a donor can add your organization to their will, they must actually create a will. An estimated 76% of American adults (197 million people) currently lack a valid estate plan.
Inertia Over Cost: 43% of un-willed adults cite procrastination (“just haven't gotten around to it”) as their primary barrier.
Asset Misconception: 40% of Americans falsely believe they lack sufficient assets to justify a will. Crucially, 25% of individuals earning over $80,000 annually share this false belief.
Low-Asset Inclusions: When offered an easy, no-cost digital tool, 12% of individuals with under $200,000 in net assets choose to include a charitable gift.
Solving Top-of-Funnel Procrastination image placeholder
What Donors Are Using (Wills vs. Non-Probate Assets)
While Last Wills & Testaments represent 80% to 90% of planned gifts, non-probate asset transfers are expanding due to their speed and tax efficiency.
Beneficiary Designations (Non-Probate): Direct designations on IRAs, 401(k)s, and life insurance policies bypass probate courts entirely, transferring assets privately and instantly.
Tax Efficiency of Retirement Assets: Heirs pay heavy income tax on inherited traditional IRAs. Nonprofits (501c3) receive 100% of the asset value tax-free.
Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs): Donors aged 70½+ can transfer IRA funds directly to a charity tax-free.
| Tax Year | Individual Annual Limit | Married Couple (Separate IRAs) |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $105,000 | $210,000 |
| 2025 | $108,000 | $216,000 |
| 2026 | $111,000 | $222,000 |
What Donors Are Using (Wills vs. Non-Probate Assets) image placeholder
How Plain Language Doubles Conversions
Dr. Russell James's research shows that legal jargon depresses donor participation [1, 2].
The In-Workflow Prompt: Asking “Would you like to leave a gift in your will to charity?” during document creation raises bequest inclusion from 4.9% to 10.8% (a 2.2x lift).
Avoiding Death Terminology: Jargon like “bequest,” “testator,” and “upon my death” triggers mortality salience and avoidance. Plain-language phrasing (“a gift in your will”) keeps the focus on living impact.
Eliminating Small Percentage Anchors: Suggesting small percentage examples (e.g., “leave 1% or 2%”) depresses total gift sizes without increasing conversion rates.
How Plain Language Doubles Conversions image placeholder
Fundraising ROI & Eliminating the “Silent Bequest”
$56.83 ROI Per Dollar Invested: Planned giving returns $56.83 for every dollar spent, compared to $33.33 for major gifts and $8.41 for annual cash appeals.
Unmasking Silent Donors: 64% of traditional legacy pledgers never notify the charity. Tech-enabled digital platforms achieve a 67% in-app donor opt-in rate, providing real-time leads for stewardship.
Stewardship Halves Attrition: Un-stewarded bequests suffer a 48% cancellation rate over time. Consistent communication during the donor's final two years reduces gift revocation down to 24%.
Annual individual contributions
$1,600,000
$100k$5M$50M+
4,571
Estimated donors
74
Potential legacy gifts
Estimated planned giving potential
$3,608,286
This estimate uses a 10.8% legacy inclusion rate among loyal donors and an average digital planned gift of $48,723.
Want to scale planned giving?
Start now for freeFrequently Asked Questions
No. A bequest (a gift inside a will or trust) is the most common planned gift. Planned giving also includes non-probate beneficiary designations (IRAs, 401ks, life insurance), Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs), and split-interest gifts like Charitable Gift Annuities (CGAs).
Corporate matching suffers from heavy friction, leaving $4B–$7B unclaimed annually. Additionally, corporate matching excludes retirees, self-employed workers, and small business employees. Planned giving lets these non-corporate donors leverage non-cash assets to make major gifts without disrupting lifetime cash flow [1, 2].
Because LotusGiving is built like software, most organizations launch a fully white-labeled platform in 5 to 7 business days.
Sources
- Giving USA 2026 Annual Report
- IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy (Giving USA 2026 Data)
- Caring.com 2025 & 2026 Wills and Estate Planning Study
- Dr. Russell James Philanthropic Behavioral Economics Research (Texas Tech)
- FreeWill Planned Giving Industry Reports
- Cerulli Associates Wealth Transfer Projections
- Double the Donation Corporate Giving & Matching Gift Statistics
Ready to Turn Today's Donors into Tomorrow's Legacy?
Make it simple, accessible, and frictionless for supporters to add your mission to their final plans.
Sign Up for FreeCompliant in all 50 states · At no cost to donors · Branded partner experience