What is "Will to Give"?

Piloted in 2006, Will to Give is an initiative to increase charitable bequest giving that was created by the Gateway Center for Giving in partnership with Leave A Legacy® St. Louis. During the first two years, more than 200 teams of nonprofits and professional wealth advisors were trained to deliver presentations that reached more than 3,000 donors. As a result of these presentations 40 percent of attendees decided to name one or more charities as beneficiaries in their will.

Why is "Will to Give" important to your organization?

The greatest transfer of wealth in our region – approximately $532 billion – is projected over the next 50 years, with $181 billion estimated as gifts for charitable purposes. While our region is generous, only 7 percent of St. Louisians have named a charity as a beneficiary in their will. That leaves 93 percent of St. Louis households as untapped prospects for charitable bequest giving. Some of those families are currently supporting your organization. Don’t you want to be the first one to educate them on the impact that charitable bequest giving can have on our community now and for generations to come? Will to Give will help you to do that.

How does "Will to Give" work?

A team made up of a representative from your nonprofit organization and a professional wealth advisor will receive an orientation on the Will to Give presentation. After the orientation, teams receive a toolkit with all of the follow up material needed to communicate effectively to donors about charitable bequest giving. The nonprofit team member organizes a minimum of two presentations to a group of existing or potential donors using the information provided. 

How do you participate in "Will to Give"?

Registration will begin in July with orientation sessions in August and September. For more information, contact Kalen Brune at kalen@centerforgiving.org or (314) 621-6220.