New analysis from Legacy Futures and Smee & Ford reveals that estates worth £1-3 million are the most valuable segment for UK charitable legacies, delivering a disproportionately high share of gifts in wills.
Estates falling within this “optimal wealth band” account for just 27% of total estate wealth but deliver an impressive 33% of all charitable bequests – amounting to £1.3 billion in value.
Key data highlights: Legacy giving by wealth band
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Giving correlates with wealth: Just 6% of estates under £100,000 include a charitable gift. This rises to 29% of estates over £5 million.
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Generosity peaks in the middle: £1-3m estates contribute a larger share of their wealth than any other group. £3m+ estates hold 23% of assets but contribute only 12% of total charitable bequest value.
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Gift type matters: Wealthier donors prefer cash gifts, while smaller estates favour residuary gifts – which tend to be more generous. This may suggest high-net-worth donors are giving via foundations, trusts, or donor-advised funds, which fall outside Smee & Ford’s dataset.
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Causes shift with wealth: High-value estates tend to support education, culture, and heritage while less affluent estates more often support animal charities, hospices, and medical research.
The release of this new research marks the launch of Legacy Navigator, a secure and easy-to-use online platform created by Legacy Futures and Smee & Ford to support charities in their legacy journeys. Built on over a decade of market-wide data and decades of strategic expertise within the fast-evolving legacy landscape, Legacy Navigator provides:
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Real-time legacy tracking across sectors, bequest types, and value bands
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Benchmarking tools to compare performance, income, and market share
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Market intelligence on legator demographics, probate trends, and high-value gift impact
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Peer learning through quarterly webinars, expert-led training, and insight reports
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Access to the Navigator Community, a year-round support network offering expert guidance, peer insight, and shared learning.
With over £5.5 trillion expected to pass between generations in the coming decades, and legacy income forecast to exceed £10 billion annually by 2050, the launch comes at a critical moment for the sector.
“The £1-3m sweet spot is where legacy fundraising delivers maximum impact and charities looking to grow income from gifts in wills can’t afford to overlook the power of the mid-value donor” said Ashley Rowthorn, CEO of Legacy Futures. “It is insights such as these where Legacy Navigator can help turn complexity into clarity, giving charities of all sizes the tools, evidence, and confidence to grow legacy income sustainably.”