Legacy giving has always been about looking to the future. While we can’t predict exactly what the next five, 10 or 20 years will bring, we can be confident that gifts in wills will continue to play a vital role in funding charities and helping people create lasting impact beyond their lifetime.
The Legacy Giving Report 2026, produced by Smee & Ford and Legacy Futures, gives good reason for optimism. Despite economic uncertainty, the number of people are leaving gifts to charities in their wills has generally increased in recent years, with 43,485 charitable estates recorded in 2025 – the second-highest total ever.
The report estimates that legacy income reached around £4.4bn in 2025 and expects further growth over the coming decades as wealth transfers between generations increase and more people include a charitable gift in their will.
This growth won’t happen by itself, though. The charities that benefit most will be those that adapt to changing supporter behaviours and wider social changes. At Remember A Charity, we are focused on giving the sector a collective voice so we can raise awareness, normalise conversations about gifts in wills and create change that no organisation could achieve alone.
Sharing the love
One trend I expect to gather pace is that legacy gifts will be shared across more charities. Today’s supporters are connected to a wider range of causes than ever before. Someone might support an international charity, care deeply about animal welfare and have personal experience of a health condition.
We’ve already seen how quickly new issues can become part of the public consciousness. Foodbanks, for example, occupy a very different place in our communities today than they did a decade ago. As people become more socially aware and connected to the causes around them, I believe we’ll increasingly see wills that include multiple charitable beneficiaries.
That’s something charities should welcome. A more diverse legacy market creates greater awareness of gifts in wills and helps normalise the conversation, making it easier for more people to consider leaving a charitable gift.
Meaningful connections
The next few years will bring changes to estate planning. From April 2027, unused pension wealth is expected to become subject to inheritance tax as part of an individual’s estate.
As more people seek advice about inheritance and financial planning, charities have an opportunity to ensure charitable giving forms part of those conversations. Stronger relationships with solicitors, financial advisers and will-writing professionals will help supporters understand their options.
Technology will also influence how people plan for the future. Online will-writing services have already made the process more accessible, and innovation will continue to reshape how people think about estate planning.
There is still much we don’t know about how these changes will affect legacy giving, but charities and finance directors will need to remain aware of developments and be ready to adapt.
Regardless, people leave gifts because they trust charities and believe in their impact.
That trust is built over years, sometimes decades. It is created through meaningful experiences, good stewardship and consistently demonstrating the difference supporters make. A gift in a will is often the continuation of a lifelong relationship rather than a standalone fundraising decision.
Shared responsibility
Perhaps the biggest shift we’ll see is that legacy fundraising becomes more integrated across organisations.
Too often, legacies have sat separately from wider fundraising or organisational planning. Increasingly, charities will recognise that legacy giving isn’t just the responsibility of a specialist team.
The strongest legacy programmes are those where everyone understands the role they play. Fundraisers, communications teams, philanthropy colleagues, finance teams, trustees and senior leaders all contribute to creating the trust and relationships that inspire someone to remember a charity in their will.
We are already seeing more collaboration across fundraising disciplines, including growing interest in blended giving, where supporters combine major gifts during their lifetime with gifts in their will.
As this develops, legacy fundraising should have a seat at the table whenever charities discuss supporter journeys, fundraising strategy and brand.
Challenges, changes and constants
Of course, challenges remain. Many organisations face pressure to prioritise income today over investment that may take years to deliver.
Legacy fundraising requires patience, long-term thinking and support from leadership teams and trustees who understand its value. Charities also need strong stewardship and accurate records to demonstrate the relationships they have built with supporters over time.
But these challenges shouldn’t diminish our confidence. Legacy fundraising has always evolved alongside society. Laws change, technology changes and supporter expectations change.
The organisations that succeed will be those that continue to innovate while staying focused on what matters most: building trust and putting supporters first.
The future of the legacy market is bright. More charities are receiving legacies and engaging with legacy fundraising, creating a vibrant and increasingly innovative ecosystem.
As charities grow in confidence, we will move beyond tried-and-tested approaches and find new ways to engage supporters that are more relevant to individual organisations and their audiences.
Legacies can only thrive when the whole organisation is on board. We are all part of creating the relationships and experiences that inspire people to leave a lasting gift – and by working collaboratively across the sector, we can achieve that change even faster and better.
Remember A Charity Week (7-13 September 2026) brings together charities, professional advisers and partners across the UK for a national celebration of the impact of gifts in wills
