Welcome to this month’s edition of Everything Legacy.
The last few weeks have been a fantastic opportunity to reconnect with so many people from across the sector. It was a real pleasure to host the Legacy Giving Awards 2026 and celebrate the incredible work being delivered across legacy giving. Congratulations once again to all of this year’s winners and shortlisted organisations – the quality of work, innovation and commitment across the sector continues to be incredibly inspiring.
This year’s Awards also marked ten years since the launch of the Crispin Ellison Bursary to support the next generation of legacy professionals. Huge congratulations to this year’s bursary recipients – and thank you to everyone who has supported the programme over the past decade.
We’re also delighted by the response to the Legacy Giving Report 2026. More than 1,000 people have already registered to download a copy, making it our biggest launch yet. If you haven’t had a chance to explore it yet, I’d strongly encourage you to take a look – this year’s edition includes richer data, deeper analysis and fresh insight into the changing shape of legacy giving in the UK.
This month also includes new thinking from CharityTracker on the value – and potential pitfalls – of benchmarking your brand against the wider sector. Just around the corner is the 9th annual Legacy Strategy Summit, where charity professionals from across the UK come together to explore the future of legacy fundraising. And for something a little different, Dr Clare Routley reflects on what Queen Victoria and the history of grave goods can teach us about legacies today.
As always, I hope you find something in this edition that informs, challenges or inspires your own work in legacy giving.
Legacy giving continues to provide a vital source of stability for charities across the UK, with the Legacy Giving Report 2026 revealing a market that remains resilient despite wider economic and fundraising pressures.
The report shows that legacy income reached an estimated £4.4 billion in 2025. While this represents a modest easing from the exceptional £4.6 billion peak recorded in 2024, the market performed significantly better than many expected.
Following the clearance of the probate backlog by HM Courts & Tribunals Service last year, a slowdown in estate administration and a corresponding fall in legacy income had been widely expected. Instead, probate volumes remained robust, charitable estates held close to record levels, and average gift values remained high.
Alongside this short-term performance, the report highlights factors that are expected to shape the outlook for legacy income in the years ahead, including demographic change, evolving charitable giving patterns and emerging policy developments. These influences suggest that while the market remains strong today, future performance will be shaped by a more complex and changing environment.
14 winners, 91 finalists, 1 fantastic evening showcasing the extraordinary contributions of legacy professionals and partners from across the sector.
The winners were chosen by an expert judging panel of 15 leading figures from the legacy giving community, who assessed entries based on Ambition, Excellence and Achievement.
Legacy giving continues to play an increasingly important role in supporting the UK’s charitable sector, with gifts in Wills projected to reach nearly £5 billion annually by 2030. This year’s awards highlight the sector’s ongoing evolution, with a strong focus on digital innovation, stewardship, collaboration and leadership.
The 2026 winners represent a diverse range of charities, agencies and partners, from national organisations to specialist causes, all demonstrating outstanding commitment to engaging supporters and maximising the impact of legacy giving.
Taken on their own, numbers can flatter or disappoint. The question that gives them meaning is, ‘compared to what?’. Benchmarking adds that context. It turns isolated readings into a living picture, so you can see whether you’re genuinely earning attention and trust, or simply moving with the tide.
Benchmarks are powerful, but they can mislead if read without context. Here are three common traps – and why they matter:
Dr Claire Routley is someone who is endlessly fascinated by legacy in all its forms – and whose brain can’t stay still for more than five minutes – she has recently embarked upon a "side quest", which involves exploring legacy in the wider sense of the word.
One of the fascinating little trails she has been following is around what people choose to be buried with: their grave goods. We might imagine grave goods as being something that archaeologists dig up in ancient burial mounds, but they’re a phenomenon that transcends time and cultures. One recent study found that, even in modern times, the majority of people are buried with something special or meaningful.
7-13th September 2026
21 September 2026
Insight in Fundraising Conference 2026
7th September 2026
Navigator Community Workshop - Donor Stewardship 101
CharityTracker: AI in charities report.
Thanks for taking the time to read this month's edition. See you next month!
Legacy Futures and Smee & Ford
Dr Claire Routley
Consultancy Director
How did you get into the charity sector?
I got into the charity sector accidentally! I'd graduated from Uni and I went to volunteer at the hospice where my Bampi was a patient - and loved it. A fundraiser left, they offered me a job and I've never looked back. There's huge satisfaction in doing a job where you're making a tangible difference to people's lives.
I'm consultancy director which means I have the brilliant job of leading our super strategy and research teams. I also get to work with clients directly, mostly nowadays on our largest projects. At the moment, for example, we're running an exciting innovation project with CRUK, and some fascinating research with National Trust. And I'm also working with Anna on our sector leading brand - legacy connection project.
Legacy giving is often discussed in terms of demographics, wealth and long-term market growth, but geographical location is another important part of the story.
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