Jamie Simmons, Content Specialist at The Stelter Company, joins the blog today to share strategies for engaging one of the fastest-growing donor segments in planned giving: single, childless adults.
Building a solid estate plan is one of the most important steps anyone can take for their long-term security and peace of mind. As a professional fundraiser focused on legacy giving, you have likely crafted your own will and estate plan to protect your loved ones and ensure your assets are passed on to your heirs.
But what about those who have no spouse, partner, loved one or children to include in their estate plan? For many donors without direct heirs, the answer is philanthropic giving: supporting the nonprofit organizations and causes, like yours, that are closest to their heart.
The Demographics
According to Pew Research Center, fewer American adults plan to have children than ever before, and the share of never-married adults has reached a record high. This points to a growing population of single, childless adults in the years ahead. For nonprofits, now is the time to develop and refine your planned giving outreach strategy for this audience.
Planned gifts from single adults account for the majority of gifts in their will. According to the IRS, 43% of single donors leave a bequest to their favorite charitable organizations, compared to only 7.4% of married adults.
Bonus Demographic: Married Couples Without Children
Married couples without children are also more likely to leave a gift to charity. According to Dr. Russell James, J.D., Ph.D., CFP®, Professor of Charitable Financial Planning at Texas Tech University, the rise in childlessness among baby boomers dramatically increases the likelihood of charitable bequests. He notes that 50% of childless donors included a charity in their estate plans, compared with 17.1% of those with children.
How to Make the Ask
The number one thing to remember is this: if you don’t ask a potential donor for support, someone else will.
Start With Their Story
While you may be excited to share details about all the good work your organization is doing, don’t be afraid to have a conversation with these supporters that focuses on their wishes and desires. Ask them what they are passionate about and where they would like to see your organization in the future.
Connect Them to Your Mission
Those without direct heirs may not have a person they want or need to leave their assets to after their lifetime, but they likely have a cause close to their heart. This is your opportunity to make sure that cause is yours.
Be direct and intentional about sharing your organization’s mission, the impact of its work, and the tangible difference a planned gift could make. Help them understand that a bequest or estate gift is not just a financial transaction. It is a way to extend their values and make a lasting contribution to something they believe in long after they are gone.
Make the Ask Directly
Don’t wait for them to bring it up. Once you have built a relationship and they understand the depth of your mission, ask them directly to consider including your organization in their estate plan. Donors often say they were never asked. Don’t let that be the case with yours.
Help Them Take the First Step
According to Caring.com, supporters without children are less likely than parents to have a will or estate plan in place. This gives you a genuine opportunity to connect with your donors, encourage them to take that important first step, and invite them to include your organization in their plans. You can help supporters begin the process by sharing helpful resources such as Giving Docs, or by recommending they work with an estate planning attorney to help put their wishes in order.
Turning Intent Into Action
When a supporter decides to move forward with their estate plan, treat that moment with the significance it deserves. This is not simply a transaction—it is an act of trust. Work with them to tailor their gift in a way that reflects their values and their vision for your organization’s future.
There are several practical ways to help. You can provide bequest language to make it easy for them to include your organization in their will. You can also share your organization’s Federal Tax ID so they can name you as a beneficiary of their retirement plan, life insurance policy, or other assets. The easier you make this process, the more likely they are to follow through.
Through every step, make clear that their gift is not just a line item in an estate plan. It is a reflection of who they are and what they stand for.
Making Them Part of Your Legacy Family
For many single, childless adults, the organizations they support become a meaningful part of their personal community. When a donor chooses to include your nonprofit in their estate plan, they are not simply writing a check. They are declaring that your mission matters to them deeply enough to carry it forward beyond their lifetime.
Honor that commitment. Welcome them into your legacy giving community with the same warmth you would extend to any major donor. Recognize their generosity, keep them engaged with the impact of their future gift, and remind them regularly that they are a vital part of something larger than themselves.
When you invest in these relationships with intention and care, the result is transformational for your organization and for the donors who find purpose and belonging in supporting it.