Advancement · Community & Giving

Find the people
who already plan to give

Many supporters who have included an organization in a will never say so. A short legacy giving survey, one question with four answers, tells you whom to thank and who would like to know more. Print the reply card and a plain information sheet, count the answers when they come back, and keep a follow-up for each yes and maybe, by database code.

Add a surveyWhat you get
$12one-time · every device you sign in on
Buy · $12

Included with Caveat Classroom and Whole-school licenses. Or get it in the Development and giving kit, $39 for 30 items.

Legacy surveys

The worked example is made up: an arts center member mailing, a school alumni insert where the counts do not add up and a land trust just starting. Saved on this device only.

Loading the survey form. If nothing appears, turn on JavaScript.

What you get

Advancement · Community & Giving$12 · included with Classroom and Whole-school licenses

What you finish with
A record per legacy giving survey: legal name, tax ID and address, the mailing, surveys sent and returned, the four answers counted, a follow-up row per yes or maybe by supporter code, and seven stewardship checks; the response and interest rates and the follow-ups not yet made; a printable reply card and a gift information sheet with general sample wording.
Who it is for
Development and planned giving staff, executive directors and board members at schools, foundations and nonprofits starting or growing a legacy giving program.
Format
Browser tool with a saved record per survey. Prints the reply card, a gift information sheet, the record, every survey in a table or a blank form; downloads a spreadsheet (.csv); exports and imports a file.
Access
$12 one-time, yours on every device you sign in on; the tool opens once you are signed in with it. Included with Caveat Classroom and Whole-school licenses. Also in the Development and giving kit ($39) and the Advancement Suite pass ($99), and 1 more bundle. Everything you type stays in this browser; nothing is sent to Caveat.
Where it lives
The Community & Giving space in Caveat Advancement.
Support
Questions about access, an order or a correction: team@caveatacademic.com.

How to use it

  1. Enter your legal name and tax ID.
  2. Print the reply card for the mailing.
  3. Count the four answers.
  4. Add a follow-up for each yes and maybe.
  5. Thank and inform, without pressure.

Add a survey

What a legacy survey does

From a reply card to a lasting relationship1Ask simplyOne question, four answers2Thank the yesesPersonally, within two weeks3Inform the maybesLegal name, tax ID, ways togive4Respect privacyRecognition only if they wantit5Point to advisorsTheir attorney drafts, not you6Stay in touchInvitations, not deadlinesFrom a reply card to a lasting relationship1Ask simplyOne question, four answers2Thank the yesesPersonally, within two weeks3Inform the maybesLegal name, tax ID, ways to give4Respect privacyRecognition only if they want it5Point to advisorsTheir attorney drafts, not you6Stay in touchInvitations, not deadlines
Many legacy gifts arrive from people the organization never knew had included it: asking is how you find and thank them.

Why ask at all

A bequest or beneficiary designation is usually private until the estate is settled, so organizations often learn of a gift only when it arrives. Asking a simple question lets you thank people while they are alive, invite them closer and make sure your legal name and tax ID are right in their documents. Ask your longest and most loyal supporters first: their consistency matters more than gift size.

What you can and cannot say

Share facts: your exact legal name, tax ID, address and the ways people commonly give. General sample wording helps a person start the conversation with their own attorney, who adapts it to state law and their plans. Never draft a will, set a deadline or press for a decision, and keep names private unless the donor asks to be recognized.

Sources

  1. Internal Revenue Service. Tax Exempt Organization Search, to confirm a legal name and EIN (irs.gov).
  2. National Association of Charitable Gift Planners. Model standards of practice for the charitable gift planner (charitablegiftplanners.org).
  3. Giving USA Foundation. Giving USA annual report: giving by bequest (givingusa.org).
  4. James, R. N. (2013). American Charitable Bequest Demographics. Texas Tech University.

The worked example is made up, including the organizations, tax IDs and supporter codes. The sample wording is general information, not legal or tax advice; wills and trusts follow state law, so supporters should work with their own attorney or advisor. Nothing you type is sent to Caveat. Support: team@caveatacademic.com.