A simple way Catholic universities are bringing hidden legacy gifts into view
A practical approach to help advancement teams increase planned giving and gain visibility into future gifts... without adding staff
A Catholic university is currently named in a $232,000 legacy gift commitment made through a Catholic estate planning platform.
The donor is still living.
Because the institution is not connected to that planning process, there is no confirmed visibility into the commitment.
In the absence of a system to capture these commitments, visibility depends almost entirely on whether a donor chooses to come forward.
There has been no clear opportunity to acknowledge the donor, strengthen the relationship, or understand what gifts may be coming.
Situations like this are more common than most institutions realize.
Across Catholic Universities, alumni are making estate planning decisions privately
Many choose to include the institutions that shaped them. But those decisions are rarely shared in advance.
As a result, advancement teams often:
- Learn about gifts only after they are realized
- Miss opportunities for stewardship and recognition
- Lack visibility into future planned giving
This is not due to lack of generosity.
In most cases, there simply isn’t a clear or meaningful moment for alumni to take action—or a compelling reason to share their intentions.
When legacy giving remains private, it limits both its impact and its visibility
The institutions addressing this most effectively are putting a simple system in place that does two things at once:
- Makes it easy for alumni to act
- Makes it meaningful for them to share
First, they provide a clear and faithful way for alumni to complete their estate plans.
Catholic Legacy supports this by guiding individuals through the creation of a Will, Healthcare Directive, and Funeral Plan aligned with Church teaching. In that process, many choose to include the institutions that formed them.
Second, they create a Catholic legacy society.
This gives alumni a clear invitation to come forward—not as a formality, but as a meaningful expression of their commitment.
A legacy society allows institutions to:
- Recognize donors during their lifetime
- Include them in prayer and remembrance
- Connect their generosity to the mission in a visible way
When both elements are in place, legacy giving becomes more active, more visible, and more connected to the life of the institution.
Want to see how this works in practice?
Request the Legacy Society Playbook
We've created a short, practical guide to help advancement teams implement this approach.
The Catholic Legacy Society Playbook includes:
- A clear explanation of what a Catholic legacy society is
- How to structure it in a way that is simple and sustainable
- A step-by-step launch checklist
- Guidance on integrating it with Catholic Legacy to increase participation
This is designed to be immediately usable—whether you are starting from scratch or refining an existing effort.
Request the Legacy Society Playbook
Sent directly to your inbox--simply use your institutional email address
For Catholic universities, legacy giving is not only a financial opportunity—it is part of the long-term relationship with alumni and their faith.
Creating a clear path for that generosity, and a meaningful way to recognize it, enables that relationship to continue for years to come.
Request the Legacy Society Playbook
Sent directly to your inbox--simply use your institutional email address
