Men and Women Equally Likely to Include Charity in Estate Plans

Donors without a will were likely to be younger and have lower incomes than were donors with a will. Also, donors without a will were more likely to be unmarried, to be African-American or Latino/Hispanic, or to be infrequent participants in worship services, compared with donors with a will.

“Bequest giving is growing in importance for charities” says Paulette V. Maehara, CFRE, CAE, president and CEO of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. “We’re indebted to the Center on Philanthropy and Legacy Leaders for supporting this type of research that will help nonprofits engage donors in a vision for improving communities and society. For example, by understanding what motivates donors, nonprofit organizations have a place to start conversations with loyal donors when they write a will.”