According to the Chartered Institute of Fundraising’s (CIOF) 2026 benchmarking survey, 37% of all voluntary income comes from gifts in wills, but charities are directing only around 15% of fundraising expenditure towards legacies.
There may be several reasons for this, including the fact that legacy income can be uncertain in terms of the amount and the timing, but we suggest that every charity should consider a properly resourced legacy programme.
You can read more in the Civil Society article at https://www.civilsociety.co.uk/news/charities-underinvesting-in-legacy-fundraising-figures-suggest.html.