National Make-A-Will Month occurs in August, providing a fantastic chance for nonprofits to expand their legacies.

The simplest way for supporters of your nonprofit to make a planned contribution is to leave a piece of their fortune to your organization in their will. Even if the contribution represents only 1% of a donor's inheritance, it can significantly impact your nonprofit's future.

And barely 30% of Americans report having a will; thus, most of your supporters should create one. If you're a nonprofit's planned giving or fundraising team member, it's time to make the most of this annual occasion. Even if you still need to get a comprehensive planned giving campaign during Make-A-Will Month, you should at least promote it multiple times via email, social media, and other channels.

Here are three suggestions for promoting Make-A-Will Month to your donors and securing more planned gifts.

1. Dispel myths surrounding the creation of a will.

Make-A-Will Month is the ideal time to demystify the will-writing process for your supporters. When communicating about wills, you should make it obvious that everyone needs one, even if they want to live to be 150 years old. Here's what you might say to your supporters to dispel these widespread fallacies about creating a will:

Myth: Wills are only necessary for those with substantial assets.

The statement is false. Numerous reasons exist for having a will. Wills can do much more than designate who will inherit your money and property. In a will, you can also specify guardians for your minor children, carers for your pets, digital asset instructions, and funeral desires. Additionally, a will can save your loved ones time, money, and stress associated with lengthy, costly probate court proceedings.

Myth: My family knows my wishes, so I do not need a will.

Your family may be aware of your wishes, but they will not be able to act on your behalf if they are not documented in a will. A court will instead make these decisions based on local laws. And the legal process can be lengthy and expensive for your loved ones out of your estate.

Myth: Writing a will is lengthy, difficult, and costly.

Fact: No longer! There are currently a variety of online will-making options available. The majority charge for their services. On MinaWill, however, you may draught, download, and print a free will in less than twenty minutes. Sign your will in the presence of at least two witnesses and save it safely.

2. Make it simple and costless for everyone to create a will.

As stated previously, making a will can be simple and free. However, few individuals are aware of this. Or, if they created a will many years ago, they may not believe it is necessary to do it again. When promoting National Will-Writing Month, provide your supporters with the means to create or revise their wills.

We have made free wills accessible to anyone at MinaWill by working with inspirational charitable groups. Our partners utilize MinaWill to offer their donors a branded link to make a free will donation (while also encouraging them to give a gift in their will and tracking these bequests). You can still share a link to MinaWill with your supporters, even if you are not a MinaWill partner. This will make the procedure far simpler and more accessible to all parties.

The conventional method for drafting a will is lengthy, laborious, and potentially costly. People have to find a lawyer, potentially go to them, have a chat, go through follow-up meetings, wait for the lawyer to gather all their documentation, and then pay fees. On MinaWill, however, you may create legally good self-help will in only three steps: complete our online form, print the documents, sign, and save them safely.

During the inquiry, we asked will-makers if they would consider leaving a contribution to charity. This is voluntary, but if they decide they want to, all they have to do is write in your nonprofit's name. If you are wondering whether you have received bequests on our platform, you can contact our staff for further information.

3. Highlight the long-term benefits of planned giving for both you and your donors.

People dislike contemplating their mortality, which might make it difficult to discuss planned gifting. Therefore, when marketing for Make-A-Will Month, you should emphasize the mutual benefits of creating a will and leaving a donation to your organization. Share:

Why your purpose is more important than ever and how a planned contribution will affect the future of your nonprofit;

How will safeguards their loved ones; and

Leaving a gift in a will is an effective means of leaving a legacy without costing the donor anything during their lifetime.

Here is an example of a stand-alone email you can send to your supporters to encourage them to create a will in August, along with a modest request for a legacy.

Title:

Protect what is most important during Will-Writing Month

Body:

Dear Anne,

August is National Make-A-Will Month, so I wanted to provide a free resource that thousands of people have already utilized to provide for their families: an online will-writing tool.

This is a free, straightforward method to defend the people and communities you love. Creating a will is one of those duties that can be neglected; however, you can use our application to construct one in less than twenty minutes.

Document your free will

Everyone, whether they are 18 or 80, needs a will. And there is no better time than the present to achieve future planning tranquility.

You can join the outstanding people who have supported [mission] by leaving legacies in their wills while making your will.