Providing Dignity Through and Restoring Reciprocity in Fundraising: An Inclusive Approach to Legacy Giving

Chapter Leadership Brief 3.8.24

by M. Angel Flores
Senior Vice President, CCS Fundraising

In a previous article, I shared data from Giving USA that confirmed nearly half of legacy gift donors first learned about the personal benefits of making such a gift from their charity. Beyond the inherent responsibility wealth stewards or donor advisors have to partner with donors and ensure they understand and therefore can take advantage of the significant benefits of making a legacy gift, there are the added benefits to our profession of providing donors the dignity of dying with their affairs in order and restoring reciprocity to this sacred relationship.

In a recent study, Dr. Russell James confirmed that there is little to no (0-10%) disparity when looking at donor giving rates by bequest when broken down by broad racial categories (white, black, Hispanic) as defined by the federal government. Admittedly, these categorizations are far too limited and limiting, but that is a topic for another time. Dr. James found significant disparity (~50%) in the percentage of individuals who had an estate plan. This data, coupled with the fact that only a third of U.S. adults have a will, is deeply concerning. Improving rates of will creation in an area where nonprofits can have a significant impact.

I will share a personal example. All of my grandparents died without a will for many reasons, chief among them was they had little to no estate to speak of and they did not have the resources or wherewithal to connect with a professional advisor. When my mother was 24 and working for a nonprofit Catholic hospital, she had an opportunity to meet with a financial advisor provided by the hospital. During that meeting, my mother was encouraged to save for retirement and set on a path towards financial security and independence that she shared with my father. By comparison, my father, who was a lifelong government employee first with the U.S. Marines and then with the USPS, was never afforded an opportunity to meet with a financial planner. Fast forward to today and they are both retired – something that was never a possibility for their parents.

My brother and I are also beneficiaries of the forward-thinking and deep care that the hospital had for their employees by providing that service. That meeting had a ripple effect that is felt to this day.  My family story highlights the power of nonprofits when they expand their sights beyond simply asking for donations and instead look to give back to their community in a substantive way.

Another more recent example of the power and dignity a will confers came in the aftermath of Aaron Bushnell’s protest, the US Airman who self-immolated and ultimately passed away on February 25. Various news agencies reported on his will, which immediately sparked my interest.

At only 25, the contents of his will ranged from the typical (financial assets designated to charity, Palestinian Children's Relief Fund); to the practical (a friend was given custody of Aaron's cat); to the quirky (another friend was bequeathed Aaron's stash of root beer); to the poignant (request for his "ashes to be scattered in a free Palestine" should that come to pass and those living there be open to his wish.) While I am still processing these tragic events, I am struck by Airman Bushnell's seriousness of purpose to create a will to protect his assets, to care for what he loved, and to uphold his beliefs beyond this life.

As wealth stewards and donor advisors, we hold a unique responsibility to normalize will creation for our donors as well as our nonprofit’s broader community. The implications go beyond that of the wealth transfer, which in and of itself is incredibly significant, to building and protecting intergenerational wealth and democratizing philanthropy. The potential for wealth stewards and donor advisors to guide a generational shift in estate planning and will creation because of the unique space we hold at the intersection of philanthropy, legacy, and money in our society is one that we cannot ignore.

To begin to shift your fundraising culture, consider the following steps:

1. Learn how certain types of giving vehicles and assets can provide substantial benefits to donors
2. Lead with those benefits in your educational and marketing materials to empower your donors
3. Build a resource list of local professional advisors – wealth managers, tax advisors, financial planners, estate attorneys – to help donors, particularly those in the global majority
4. Host regular sessions with professional advisors for your broader local and donor community to learn about financial and estate planning tools
5. Segment these sessions by generational cohort and tailor the content accordingly

M. Angel Flores (she/her) is thrilled to serve as AFP NYC Secretary. She is a Senior Vice President with CCS Fundraising, currently leading the firm’s Gift Planning Practice Group, focused on identifying new ways to diversify and increase revenue for CCS’s nonprofit partners. Angel is a highly motivated, results-oriented, and compassionate executive with nearly two decades of experience working with and within organizations in all sectors, planning and managing campaigns ranging from $20 million to $4 billion. Within CCS, Angel has held a number of leadership positions. She led her NY-based team’s mentorship program; founded and led the Working Parents and Caregivers Community, CCS's first employee resource group (ERG); founded Refresh and Reaffirm (R&R,) an employee-led health initiative that offers meditation and movement classes; and she was a founding member of CCS's DEI Working Group. In addition to AFP NYC, she volunteers on the Board of the New York Philanthropic Planned Giving Group. Angel currently resides on the historic lands of the Munsee Lenape, Schaghticoke, and Wappinger Peoples with her family. She draws on her dance, yoga, meditation, and Ayurvedic training to maintain her flexibility and strength in mind, body, and spirit. Find Angel on LinkedIn.