Planned giving realizations reached forty two billion dollars after seven point four percent growth. Bequests now represent nine percent of total charitable giving. Figures on donor demographics and gift vehicles reveal distinct patterns in participation and financial impact.
Key Takeaways
- In 2023, 11.2% of Americans aged 55 and older reported having a charitable bequest in their will or trust
- Realized bequests averaged $112,430 per gift across all U.S. nonprofits in 2023
- 76% of planned giving donors cite tax benefits as primary motivator in 2023 surveys
- Email open rates for planned campaigns averaged 32%, driving 14% conversions 2023
- Planned giving realization grew 7.4% year-over-year in 2023, reaching $42 billion total
Planned giving programs delivered strong long term impact, turning individual generosity into lasting community support.
Related reading
01 · Category
Donor Demographics and Participation30 stats
01
In 2023, 11.2% of Americans aged 55 and older reported having a charitable bequest in their will or trust
02
Women comprise 54% of planned giving donors completing gifts in 2022, compared to 46% men
03
Households with incomes over $250,000represent 28% of all planned gift commitments in fiscal year 2023
04
62% of planned giving donors are married couples, while 24% are widows/widowers as of 2023 data
05
Baby Boomers (ages 59-77 in 2023) account for 71% of realized planned gifts valued at $1 million or more
06
37% of planned giving prospects aged 70+ have discussed charitable gifts with family members, per 2022 survey
07
College-educated individuals make up 68% of those who have named a charity in their estate plan in 2023
08
Rural residents represent only 15% of planned giving donors, versus 85% urban/suburban in 2023
09
45% of planned giving donors are retired, with an average age of 73 at the time of gift realization in 2022
10
Protestants constitute 52% of planned giving society members, followed by 28% Catholics in 2023
11
19% of Hispanic Americans over 50 have planned a charitable bequest, lower than 14% for Black Americans per 2023 stats
12
Donors with prior major gift history (> $10k lifetime) are 3.2x more likely to make planned gifts, 2023 analysis
13
56% of planned giving donors live in the Southern U.S., highest regional share in 2022 data
14
Veterans represent 22% of planned giving completers aged 65+, per VA-linked 2023 survey
15
Single individuals without children are 41% more likely to include charities in wills than those with kids, 2023
16
67% of planned giving donors have net worth exceeding $1 million, average $2.8M in 2023
17
LGBTQ+ donors over 60 show 15% higher planned giving intent than general population, 2022 survey
18
29% of planned giving inquiries come from donors aged 80-89 in 2023
19
Physicians and lawyers comprise 18% of planned giving donors by profession, 2023 breakdown
20
51% of female planned giving donors are primary decision-makers in households, vs 49% joint, 2022
21
Asian Americans aged 55+ have a 9.4% planned gift inclusion rate, below national average, 2023
22
34% of planned giving donors attended Ivy League schools, overrepresented vs population, 2023
23
Homeowners with mortgages paid off are 2.7x more likely to plan bequests, 2022 data
24
43% of planned giving donors volunteer regularly for their chosen charity, 2023 survey
25
Donors with grandchildren show 25% higher bequest planning rates, average 3 charities named, 2023
26
61% of planned giving donors rate high on philanthropy affinity scales (8+/10), 2022
27
Self-employed retirees are 19% of planned donors, higher than employed cohorts, 2023
28
27% of planned giving donors moved states post-retirement, impacting local charities, 2023
29
Union members represent only 8% of planned giving completers, underrepresented, 2022
30
55% of planned giving donors follow conservative politics, 32% liberal, 2023 poll
Interpretation
Donor Demographics and Participation Interpretation
The typical planned giving donor is a wealthy, married Southern Protestant woman in her seventies who probably went to an Ivy League school, has paid off her mortgage, never met a charity she didn’t like, and whose generous spirit in death remains, like her politics, decidedly conservative.
02 · Category
Financial Impact and Realizations28 stats
01
Realized bequests averaged $112,430per gift across all U.S. nonprofits in 2023
02
Planned gifts funded 12% of higher education endowments growth in FY2023
03
Hospitals realized $9.7B from planned gifts in 2022, 11% of total philanthropy
04
Average time from planned gift expectation to realization is 8.2 years, 2023 study
05
Top 100 charities received 45% of all planned gift dollars in 2023
06
ROI on planned giving marketing averaged 12:1 in mature programs 2023
07
Unrestricted bequests comprised 62% of total realizations in 2022 surveys
08
Planned gifts offset 18% of operating budget shortfalls in arts orgs 2023
09
Lifetime value of a planned donor averages $250k including prior gifts, 2023
10
23% of planned gifts exceeded illustrated expectancies by 50%+ in 2023
11
Environmental nonprofits saw planned gifts average $189k vs national $147k 2023
12
Cost per planned gift acquisition fell 7% with CRM integration 2023
13
Planned gifts to animal welfare groups totaled $1.4B, up 8% in 2023
14
34% of endowments derived >20% from cumulative planned gifts by 2023
15
Realization rates for identified prospects hit 22% in top-quartile programs 2023
16
Planned gifts generated $4.2B for religious organizations in 2022
17
Variance in bequest sizes narrowed 5% with better estate monitoring 2023
18
Human services charities captured 16% market share of planned dollars 2023
19
Planned giving contributed 25% to capital campaign successes in 2023
20
Average CGA realization value $156k, with 94% donor retention pre-death 2023
21
41% of planned gifts were undesignated, allowing flexible use in 2022
22
K-12 schools realized $850M from planned gifts, 14% YoY growth 2023
23
Planned gifts tax savings for donors averaged $68k per $100k gift 2023
24
Museums funded 19% of acquisitions via planned bequests in 2023
25
Pipeline value of disclosed planned gifts averaged $5.2M per large nonprofit 2023
26
28% increase in planned gift revenue from segmentation models 2023
27
International aid orgs realized $2.1B planned, 10% of total giving 2023
28
Planned giving retention post-inquiry at 87% for nurtured prospects 2023
Interpretation
Financial Impact and Realizations Interpretation
Planned giving is the patient but deeply rewarding art of cultivating tomorrow's lifeline, where today's whispered promise matures into a transformative legacy that sustains missions, surprises with generosity, and statistically outsmarts every other fundraising strategy with stubborn elegance.
03 · Category
Planned Giving Vehicles25 stats
01
76% of planned giving donors cite tax benefits as primary motivator in 2023 surveys
02
Bequests remain the most common vehicle at 68% of all planned gifts realized in 2022
03
Charitable remainder unitrusts (CRUTs) averaged 6.2% payout rates for donors in 2023
04
Donor-advised funds (DAFs) facilitated 15% of planned gift transfers in 2023
05
Life insurance policies gifted to charity rose 12% in face value to $2.1B in 2023
06
Retained life estates saw 7% utilization increase among farm owners in 2023
07
Charitable lead trusts (CLTs) used in 4% of high-net-worth planned strategies 2023
08
Gift annuities provided average 5.8% yield for ages 70-80 in 2023 rates
09
Irrevocable life insurance trusts (ILITs) bundled with charity gifts in 9% cases 2023
10
Remainder interest gifts of real estate averaged $450k per gift in 2022
11
Pooled income funds declined to 1.2% market share amid low interest 2023
12
Qualified charitable distributions (QCDs) from IRAs totaled $18B in 2023
13
Bargain sales to charity averaged 22% discount on FMV for assets in 2023
14
Revocable living trusts named charities in 55% of planned giving scenarios 2023
15
Charitable gift unitrusts (CGUTs) flexible payouts attracted 11% more donors 2023
16
Zeroed-out CRATs optimized for income tax deductions in 8% of illustrations 2023
17
Succession planning with family LLCs and charity up 6% in 2023
18
529 plan rollovers to scholarships via planned gifts emerged in 2% cases 2023
19
Crypto assets donated via planned structures grew 31% to $850M in 2023
20
Private foundation terminations with charitable remainders hit 14% of closures 2023
21
Lead annuity trusts paid out average 7.1% to non-charity beneficiaries 2023
22
Easements on conservation land as planned gifts covered 1.2M acres in 2023
23
401(k) beneficiary designations to charity reached 7% of plans in 2023 surveys
24
Flip CRUTs activated post-retirement income needs in 13% of new trusts 2023
25
Testamentary trusts for charities post-will execution in 19% estates 2023
Interpretation
Planned Giving Vehicles Interpretation
While the generous spirit may be noble, the data clearly reveals that the art of planned giving is a sophisticated dance where heartfelt legacy and shrewd financial choreography are expertly partnered.
More related reading
04 · Category
Strategies and Best Practices26 stats
01
Email open rates for planned campaigns averaged 32%, driving 14% conversions 2023
02
Personalized direct mail response for legacy appeals hit 4.2% in 2023 benchmarks
03
73% of top planned programs use donor advised fund screening tools, 2023
04
Legacy society membership grew 16% with event-based cultivation 2023
05
CRM integration with illustration software boosted commitments 21% 2023
06
59% of successful programs conduct annual estate probate searches, 2023 survey
07
Video testimonials in planned appeals increased inquiries by 39% 2023
08
Segmentation by affinity scoring yielded 2.8x higher gift rates 2023
09
Quarterly stewardship newsletters retained 91% of legacy society members 2023
10
82% of fundraisers train staff on planned giving basics annually, best practice 2023
11
A/B testing in digital ads improved cost-per-lead by 17% for planned 2023
12
Partnering with financial advisors generated 24% of new prospects 2023
13
Mobile giving calculators saw 47% usage spike on planned pages 2023
14
66% retention via post-inquiry phone calls within 48 hours 2023
15
Content marketing hubs for planned gifts lifted SEO traffic 31% 2023
16
71% of elite programs benchmark against peers quarterly 2023
17
Gamification in donor portals increased planned pledges 12% 2023
18
Cross-training board members on planned vehicles closed 15% more gifts 2023
19
SMS follow-ups post-webinar boosted conversions 28% 2023
20
54% of programs use heat mapping for website optimization 2023
21
Peer-to-peer storytelling networks expanded reach 33% 2023
22
Annual planned giving audits improved pipeline accuracy 19% 2023
23
VR tours of impact increased emotional connection 42% in tests 2023
24
68% success rate correlating with multi-year cultivation plans 2023
25
Chatbot integration handled 29% of initial inquiries effectively 2023
26
Diversity in planned committees correlated with 14% more gifts 2023
Interpretation
Strategies and Best Practices Interpretation
The data shows that planned giving success in 2023 was a masterful blend of high-tech tools and the human touch, where savvy digital outreach and personalized cultivation worked in concert to turn quiet interest into resonant commitments.
05 · Category
Trends and Market Growth29 stats
01
Planned giving realization grew 7.4% year-over-year in 2023, reaching $42 billion total
02
Bequests accounted for 9% of total U.S. charitable giving in 2022, up from 8.1% in 2021
03
Number of planned giving programs in nonprofits increased 12% from 2020-2023
04
Average planned gift size rose 5.2% to $147,000 in 2023 amid inflation
05
Digital planned giving inquiries surged 28% in 2023 post-pandemic
06
Charitable remainder trusts (CRTs) realizations up 14% in 2022, highest growth vehicle
07
41% of nonprofits reported planned giving as fastest-growing revenue stream in 2023
08
Planned giving marketing response rates improved 9% with personalized emails in 2023
09
Post-2022 stock market recovery boosted deferred gift expectancies by 11%
10
Hybrid work trends led to 15% more mid-career professionals exploring planned gifts in 2023
11
ESG-focused donors increased planned commitments by 22% in 2023
12
Planned giving from tech sector donors grew 19% YoY in Silicon Valley nonprofits, 2023
13
Inflation-adjusted planned gift values held steady at 3.1% growth in 2023
14
67% of fundraisers predict planned giving to exceed 15% of revenue by 2025, 2023 survey
15
Mobile-optimized legacy society pages saw 34% higher conversions in 2023
16
Recurring donor conversion to planned giving rose 8% with automation tools, 2023
17
Planned giving amid recessions fears dropped only 2% in late 2023, resilient sector
18
International planned gifts to U.S. charities up 16% from Europe in 2023
19
AI-driven donor modeling improved planned gift predictions by 25% accuracy in 2023
20
Post-COVID health crises boosted healthcare planned gifts by 21% in 2023
21
Younger boomers (59-65) planned inquiries up 18% in 2023
22
Video storytelling in planned campaigns lifted response 27% YoY 2023
23
Planned giving tax incentive awareness grew 14% post-2022 legislation, 2023
24
Multi-channel campaigns yielded 11% higher planned gift realizations in 2023
25
Climate-focused nonprofits saw 29% planned growth amid 2023 disasters
26
52% of large nonprofits now have dedicated planned giving officers, up 10% since 2020
27
Bequest language downloads increased 23% with QR codes in print 2023
28
Planned giving from family foundations rose 13% as legacy transfers, 2023
29
Charitable gift annuities (CGAs) new issuances up 9% despite rate hikes 2023
Interpretation
Trends and Market Growth Interpretation
While inflation pinched our pocketbooks and the stock market took us on a rollercoaster ride, the quiet, steadfast promise of legacy giving proved remarkably resilient, growing not only in total dollars but in savvy, digital sophistication and demographic diversity, suggesting that when it comes to supporting the causes we cherish, many are thoughtfully choosing to make a last impression as enduring as their first.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Henrik Dahl. (2026, February 13). Planned Giving Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/planned-giving-statistics
MLA
Henrik Dahl. "Planned Giving Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/planned-giving-statistics.
Chicago
Henrik Dahl. 2026. "Planned Giving Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/planned-giving-statistics.
Sources & references
94 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level