Planned Giving: ‘How Old Are You and Did 
You Know You Could … ?’

9. Do you have a will?
Bequests are the lifeblood of any planned-giving program. According to recent surveys of charities, the average age when a will which contains a charitable bequest is signed is 80; the average age at the last gift is 82; and the average age at death is 85. Charitable bequests accounted for 7.6 percent of the total gifts in 2007, or $23.15 billion. Would your organization like to share in this largesse?