What I Wish Every Fundraiser Knew Part 5: The Wealth Transfer Is Here—Is Your Nonprofit Ready? Or… Will You Be Left Behind.

By Kimberly Jetton, CFRE, MNM

These largest gifts... Who Will Receive Them?

For over a decade, Planned Giving advisors have been heralding the call for nonprofits to implement an official planned giving program.  The echoes of “the greatest transfer of wealth is coming” have been our battle cry.  For some nonprofits, the notice was enough to put plans in place.  But far too many Executive Directors, boards, and even some development officers have ignored the calls to implement programs that will help their donors give through their estate plans and current gifts of assets.  The urgency of cash now at all costs outweighed future planning.  For those who will now take heed and implement a program, congratulations.  For those who refuse to acknowledge that the transfer is now upon us, your organization may be on borrowed time.

I’m willing to be blunt with organizations, many of whom I’ve spoken with over the years, to advise them that they may very well run themselves out of existence.  Those who have planned, prepared, and are open to planned gifts have invited their donors to give in an efficient, effective, and meaningful way.  Bequests will come to those who have stewarded their donors, and once they begin, they will continue.  Fostering these gifts should bring six and seven-figure gifts each year, most likely being the largest source of revenue, and the largest gifts ever received.

These should not be seen as hypothetical dollars or “someday” gifts. They are real assets, including homes, retirement accounts, stock portfolios, and closely held businesses already earmarked in estate plans. The only unanswered question is who will receive them.

Donors are planning their estates whether nonprofits are ready or not. When an organization has no planned giving program, no clear bequest language, no policy for accepting appreciated assets, and no one empowered to talk about legacy, donors do not wait. They name another charity with a clear invitation to give beyond cash, and I’ve seen it happen.  I have many examples of donors who loved organizations and even volunteered with them, only to leave another nonprofit in their will because they were never asked to make a legacy gift.

Meanwhile, organizations that have established policies, trained staff, educated boards, and consistently stewarded donors are quietly building financial resilience. They are less vulnerable to economic cycles, political climates, and government budget cuts. They can think long-term, hire strategically, and invest in mission rather than scrambling for survival. 

This is where the gap widens.

Two organizations may serve the same population, operate in the same community, and even compete for the same annual donors. One will struggle year after year to meet payroll and fund programs. The other will receive a $1.2 million bequest, followed by another six-figure estate gift the next year, and more after that. Not because they were luckier, but because they were intentional about receiving these gifts.

Some nonprofit leaders believe that planned giving is a luxury program for large institutions. It is something to “add later” once annual fundraising is strong enough. In today’s environment, it is a core financial strategy. Ignoring it does not preserve stability; it erodes it.

What makes this especially dangerous is how invisible the risk feels until it’s too late. Boards are rarely aware of the gifts that never came. Executive Directors don’t know which donors quietly leave other organizations in their estate plans. Development teams celebrate a successful year of cash fundraising while missing the larger, transformational gifts that could have secured the organization’s future.

Let me be clear: nonprofits will not fail because donors stop caring. They will fail because donors cared deeply and were never invited to give in the way that mattered most to them.

If your organization does not currently:

• Accept and actively encourage bequests

• Have policies for gifts of appreciated assets

• Train leadership and staff to speak comfortably about legacy giving

• Steward donors with a long-term, relational mindset

Then this is not a future problem. It is a present one.

The transfer of wealth is no longer approaching. It is underway. The organizations that thrive and survive over the next generation and beyond will be the ones that invested in donor trust and provided clear, credible ways for supporters to give through their estates and assets. Planned giving reflects how committed donors think about their legacy. Organizations that recognize this reality will remain relevant and resourced.