Report: Target Donors 40 and Older for Planned Gifts

“Historically, we have targeted those who are older,” Hutney says. “This (study) blows open that theory. We’re not casting a wide enough net. It was a big ‘aha’ for us.”

This is an important group because they’re planning for their future much sooner than had been thought. About 66 percent of people 40 and older write their first wills before they turn 50, while they’re still raising their families, according to the study. Hutney says about 41 percent of people have a will before age 40. The percentage is even higher — 84 percent — among those 40 and younger with annual incomes greater than $100,000.