How to Create a Donor Stewardship Plan That Includes Charitable Bequests

How to Create a Donor Stewardship Plan That Includes Charitable Bequests

A donor stewardship plan that includes charitable bequests is a systematic approach to acknowledging, engaging, and nurturing supporters who have pledged a future gift through their will or estate plan. It works by combining personal, ongoing contact with thoughtful recognition options to ensure donors feel valued and connected to your mission—so they don't remove you from their estate plans. The core framework is the Bequest Stewardship Cycle: a four-stage process of Track, Contact, Recognize, and Evolve that turns a one-time commitment into a lasting relationship.

Why This Framework Works

A bequest is often a donor’s largest gift—it can be 10 to 20 times the size of their average annual gift, sometimes more. Because of its size and the cultivation that precedes it, planned giving is arguably the most cost-efficient fundraising a nonprofit can undertake. That means the effort you put into stewarding a bequest donor has an outsized return compared to annual giving.

The Bequest Stewardship Cycle works because it addresses the three core reasons donors remove nonprofits from their wills: neglect, poor communication, and lack of recognition. By creating a system that Tracks every promise, Contacts donors at least annually, Recognizes them in meaningful ways, and Evolves the relationship over time, you build a culture of gratitude that keeps your cause top-of-mind.

Step 1: Track Every Bequest Intention

The foundation of any donor stewardship plan charitable bequests is knowing who your bequest donors are—and keeping that knowledge even as staff come and go. Without a system, a donor’s promise can be lost in a file drawer or a departing employee’s inbox. To avoid this, devise a system to track donors and maintain information about them, in both electronic and physical form.

What to record:

• Donor name and contact details, including birthdate and any special dates like anniversaries—these become touchpoints for personalized outreach.
• The type of planned gift (e.g., bequest, beneficiary designation, charitable gift annuity, charitable remainder trust, retained life estate).
• The approximate size of the gift and any restrictions on its use, if the donor has shared that information.
• Whether the donor has given permission to be recognized publicly—a key part of your recognition strategy.
• Every interaction you have with the donor, so future contacts can be personalized.

A “gift notification form” is a practical way to capture this information at the time a donor informs you of their intention. But any written indication from the donor—an email, a letter—should be accepted and recorded. If the commitment is oral, compose a letter to the donor that expresses your understanding of the gift; this prevents miscommunication and opens the door for formal recognition.

Make a habit of checking your tracking system regularly and using it to keep others in your organization informed about donors’ bequest intentions. This ensures that when a board member or program officer encounters a donor, they know to say “thank you for your legacy gift.”

Step 2: Contact Donors at Least Once a Year—Personally

A bequest is a promise for the future, but the relationship is now. After a donor commits to a legacy gift, regular contact is your strongest retention tool. Donors who maintain relationships with the charities they support are much less likely to remove them from their wills.

Plan to be in touch personally with each bequest donor at least once a year. Ideally, that contact is a visit—if geography supports it and the donor is willing. If not, have a substantive phone conversation. A form letter or a newsletter alone won’t cut it. The call or visit should be warm, sincere, and focused on the donor—their story, their hopes, their connection to your mission.

Surprise and delight with seasonal touches:

• Send a Valentine’s Day card—it’s “very nice and unexpected”. You’ll stand out from the flood of year-end appeals.
• Send birthday cards, and collect birthdates as you get to know your donors.
• If you know a special date like a wedding anniversary, send a card or note commemorating it.

These small, personal gestures show that you see the donor as a person, not just a future check. They reinforce your gratitude without asking for anything more.

Step 3: Recognize Donors in Ways That Matter

Recognition is about more than a listing in your annual report—though that’s a meaningful option. It’s about honoring a donor’s story and inspiring others to follow their lead. Many donors want their legacy to reflect their values, not just transfer wealth to heirs. Your recognition should help them see how their gift will create a lasting impact.

Recognition options to consider:

• Name donors in your annual report, at public events or ceremonies, or on a donor “giving tree” in your building.
• Offer named scholarships, endowments, or funds that connect the donor’s story to your mission. This turns a generic gift into a personal legacy.
• Consider recognition levels that correspond to gift size—but always ask for permission first. A donor may prefer to remain anonymous.

Planned giving stewardship is not just about saying thank you; it’s about inviting donors into a deeper relationship. Ask open-ended questions like, “Would you like your legacy to reflect your values or simply your heirs?” This encourages reflection and helps them see the meaningful options available.

To help donors experience the impact of their future gift while they’re alive—and to deepen their engagement—offer creative giving vehicles:

• Virtual or “5 & 5” Endowments: Donors contribute 5 percent annually for five years to experience the impact of their future gift.
• Charitable Gift Annuities (CGAs): Provide lifetime income and tax benefits.
• Charitable Remainder Trusts (CRTs): Offer income now and a lasting gift later.
• Retained Life Estates (RLEs): Let donors gift property while keeping lifetime use.

Because bequests are often 10 to 20 times larger than annual gifts, a small investment in recognition and engagement pays off exponentially.

Step 4: Evolve the Relationship Over Time

Let’s be honest: A donor’s life changes. They move, their family circumstances shift, or they grow closer to your cause. Your stewardship plan should be flexible enough to accommodate those changes.

Revisit your relationship at least annually. In your personal contact, gently confirm that their gift intention is still current and where the document now lives (e.g., will, trust, beneficiary designation). This is not about pressuring them—it’s about ensuring their wishes will be honored. It also gives you a chance to update your records with any new information.

If a donor decides to increase their gift or add another planned gift vehicle, celebrate that as a milestone. If they want to change a restriction, listen and update your records. And if they are considering removing your organization, use the check-in to ask why—often, donors removal happens because they feel forgotten, not because they’ve lost interest in the cause.

The Track, Contact, Recognize, Evolve cycle is not a one-and-done process. It’s a spiral, with each round of stewardship deepening the donor’s connection. That’s why the framework works: it’s built on the reality that relationships need ongoing care.

How to Apply This Framework to Your Nonprofit

Start small if you have to. Even five bequest donors can benefit from a structured plan. Here’s a step-by-step path:

1. Audit your current data. Gather every note, email, or document you have about donors who have indicated a bequest intention. Enter it into a donor database or a simple spreadsheet with columns for name, contact info, gift type, estimated value, restrictions, recognition permission, and last contact date.
2. Set reminders. Use your calendar to block out time each month for stewardship activities. Schedule the annual personal calls or visits, plus the Valentine’s and birthday cards.
3. Draft a recognition menu. Decide what you can offer: named funds, listing in annual report, a giving tree, or a special event. Prepare sample language and seek board approval if needed.
4. Assign ownership. Make one person responsible for stewardship, even if it’s a volunteer. They should know how to use the tracking system and be empowered to reach out.
5. Communicate internally. Share your bequest donor list (minus private details) with your board and key staff so they can express gratitude when they encounter these donors.

Key Principle: Track, contact, and recognize at least annually. If you can do more, do more—but yearly is the minimum to keep donors engaged.

Example: A Year in the Life of a Bequest Donor Stewardship Plan

Let’s walk through a hypothetical but realistic scenario. Suppose your nonprofit learns in July that Maria, a 65-year-old retired teacher, has named your organization as a beneficiary in her will for $50,000. She has not given permission to be recognized, so you record that private detail.

• August: You send a hand-written welcome letter thanking her and confirming your understanding of her gift (per the gift notification form practice). You ask if she’d like to receive a small token of appreciation.
• October: You send a personalized Thanksgiving card, mentioning that you’re grateful for supporters like her.
• February: You send a Valentine’s Day card—a simple gesture that stands out, as the evidence suggests.
• April: You call her on her birthday (you collected her birthdate in August) to wish her a happy birthday and chat about her favorite program. The conversation lasts 15 minutes; you learn she's considering a Charitable Gift Annuity. You make a note to follow up.
• June: You invite Maria to a donor appreciation luncheon, where she meets the program director and a beneficiary of the services she’s supporting. She’s touched and publicly introduces herself as a legacy donor—she now gives permission to be recognized.
• Next July: Your annual review call confirms her gift has increased to $75,000, and she asks to be listed in the annual report.

By the end of the cycle, Maria feels valued, more engaged, and more generous—without ever being asked for an annual gift. That’s the power of planned giving stewardship.

Common Mistakes to Avoid in Planned Giving Stewardship

• Out of sight, out of mind. Failing to contact bequest donors for years is the #1 reason they change their plans. Regular contact is “your strongest retention tool”.
• One-size-fits-all recognition. Not all donors want the same treatment. Some love public honors; others prefer quiet. Always ask for recognition permission.
• Relying on memory. Don’t think you’ll remember a donor’s birthday or even their bequest intention without a tracking system. “Keep track” is the first rule of stewardship.
• Ignoring the personal touch. Sending only mass emails or impersonal newsletters doesn’t deepen the relationship. A phone call or a handwritten note has far more impact.
• Forgetting staff transitions. When a key staff member leaves, knowledge can vanish. That’s why your tracking system must be maintained in both electronic and physical form.

Templates and Tools for Your Stewardship Plan

Here are two practical tools you can adapt for your own use.

Bequest Donor Tracking Sheet A simple spreadsheet can work wonders. Columns to include:

Annual Stewardship Calendar Plan your outreach:

Adjust based on what you know about your donors. Some may prefer to receive only one or two contacts a year—respect that.

Beyond Bequests: Expanding Your Stewardship Horizons

A donor stewardship plan that includes charitable bequests is just one piece of a comprehensive planned giving effort. As you begin to engage donors in legacy conversations, you’ll find opportunities to partner with other tools and strategies.

If you’re building a planned giving program from scratch, explore free estate planning resources to offer your donors—they can be a low-cost way to encourage bequests. Many platforms provide easy online tools to create wills and trusts at no charge, which lowers the barrier for donors to include you. Learn more about these tools and partnerships in our guide on Nonprofit Fundraising Tools and Partnerships: A Complete Guide.

Your stewardship plan will also benefit from integrating with your broader donor communications. A donor who feels valued today is more open to a bequest conversation tomorrow. For a deep dive on promoting bequests specifically, see our guide on Promoting Charitable Bequests to Your Donors: A Guide for Nonprofits.

Key Takeaways

• A donor stewardship plan charitable bequests involves a cycle of Track, Contact, Recognize, and Evolve—not a one-time thank-you.
• You must know who your bequest donors are and maintain a reliable system of records.
• Make personal contact at least annually, with special touches like birthday and Valentine’s Day cards.
• Offer recognition that honors donor values, such as named funds or giving trees—and always ask permission.
• Use the relationship to encourage reflection and suggest other planned gift vehicles like CGAs or CRTs.
• The framework is adaptable: start with a few donors and expand as you build capacity.

Now that you have a concrete framework, it’s time to put it into practice. Start with one donor. Send that Valentine’s Day card next month. Log every detail. Watch how small, consistent efforts build a legacy that lasts.

Remember, a planned gift is often 10 to 20 times larger than an annual gift. The effort you invest in stewardship is one of the most cost-efficient ways to secure your nonprofit’s future. So take the first step—your donors are waiting to feel appreciated.