Why Every Catholic Parish Needs a Legacy Society (And How to Launch One This Year)

If you serve in a parish or Catholic nonprofit, you already feel the tension:

  • Budgets are tight.

  • Donors are aging.

  • You want to grow ministry, not just hold the line.

Legacy giving is where those long-term pressures meet a very concrete solution. Across the US, charitable bequests consistently represent about 7–9% of all charitable giving, with bequest giving totaling an estimated $45.84 billion in 2024 alone.

Yet most Catholic organizations barely touch that stream.

At the same time, only about 32% of Americans have a Will or estate plan, and the rate has declined in recent years.

So, most of your parishioners have never formally aligned their estate with their faith.

A Catholic legacy society is where those two realities meet your mission.

This article will walk you through:

  • What a legacy society is

  • Why every parish, school, and apostolate should have one

  • How to design and launch a simple legacy society in practical steps

  • Where a platform like CatholicLegacy.com can make this doable even for small staffs

1. What Is A Catholic Legacy Society?

In fundraising terms, a legacy society is a simple concept:

A legacy society is a group that publicly and permanently recognizes people who have included your parish, school, or ministry in their Will, Trust, beneficiary designations, or other planned gift.

Membership is based on an intention, not on immediate cash:

  • “I have remembered St. Mary Parish in my Will.”

  • “I named our diocesan Catholic school as a beneficiary on my IRA.”

  • “Our family Trust includes the Catholic homeless shelter.”

Those people join your St. Joseph Legacy Society, Our Lady of Hope Legacy Society, or whatever name you choose, and you:

  • Thank them now

  • Keep in touch with them

  • Help them feel spiritually connected to your mission

A legacy society is not:

  • A pay-to-play club that sells access to the pastor.

  • A way to “buy” grace or heaven.

  • A complex legal structure that requires you to become an investment manager.

It is simply a recognition and relationship strategy for planned giving donors.

In Catholic terms, it is a pastoral way to help people obey the Lord’s words:

“Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven… for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” - (Matthew 6:19–21)

A legacy society helps your people tie their earthly estate to their eternal hope.

2. Why Your Parish or Ministry Needs A Legacy Society

Legacy gifts are large, quiet, and easy to miss

Planned gifts are not small change. The median charitable estate gift in the US is around $55,000, and many planned gifts are far larger.

At the same time:

  • Many donors put a parish or ministry in their Will

  • …then never tell anyone on staff

  • …then die

  • …and you find out, if at all, from an executor or a random letter

Those are unanticipated planned giving donors.

A legacy society helps surface these donors in a respectful, spiritual way:

  • “If you have already included St. Anne Parish in your Will or estate plan, please let us know so we can enroll you in the St. Joachim Legacy Society and pray for you by name.”

Now you know who they are.


Now you can thank them.


Now you can invite them deeper.​​​​​​​

Legacy societies increase planned giving

Study after study shows that simply asking and recognizing planned gifts increases both:

  • The number of people who make a bequest

  • The size of their ultimate gift

If bequests already account for a stable single digit share of all philanthropic giving in the US, then for any serious Catholic institution, ignoring legacy giving is leaving a huge share of long-term funding on the table.

A legacy society:

  • Keeps planned giving on the radar every year

  • Gives donors a concrete spiritual “destination” for their legacy

  • Signals to the community that legacy gifts matter for the future of the Church

  • Discourages changes in the designations away from charitable intent

Legacy societies are deeply pastoral

Remember the stat: only about one third of Americans have a Will.

That means most of your parishioners:

  • Have no formal plan for their children

  • Have no Catholic healthcare directive

  • Have no guidance on funeral and burial consistent with the faith

Helping them take these steps is real pastoral care, not “just fundraising.”

A legacy society lets you:

  • Teach about stewardship in homilies and missions

  • Encourage proper Catholic end-of-life planning

  • Offer them tools that reflect Church teaching on human dignity, sacraments, and burial

You are not asking people to fund a pet project.

You are helping them offer their whole life, even their estate, back to God.

​​​​​​​Legacy societies bring order to your data

From a development standpoint, a legacy society:

  • Creates a defined segment of donors to steward

  • Gives you a confidential list of “planned givers” to track

  • Helps you prioritize visits, Mass intentions, and communications

Organizations that intentionally cultivate planned giving regularly see total revenue increase by double-digit percentages over time.

3. Core Elements of A Strong Catholic Legacy Society

You do not need a huge staff, glossy brochures, or an endowment expert.

You need a clear structure.

Name and spiritual identity

Pick a name that is:

  • Catholic

  • Local

  • Easy to remember

Examples:

  • St. Joseph Legacy Society

  • Our Lady of Hope Legacy Circle

  • St. John Paul II Legacy Society

Explain the spiritual significance of the name:

“We chose St. Joseph, patron of a happy death and protector of the Church, as the patron of our legacy society. Members entrust their final earthly gifts to support the Church he loves.”

That spiritual frame matters more to your donors than the tax language.​​​​​​​

Simple membership criteria

Keep it broad and clear. For example:

“Membership in the St. Joseph Legacy Society is open to anyone who has included our parish, school, or ministry in their Will, Trust, retirement account, life insurance policy, or other planned gift.”

This avoids endless complexity over gift types.

If you want, you can list examples:

  • Bequest in a Will or Trust

  • Beneficiary designation on IRA, 401(k), or life insurance

  • Charitable gift annuity

  • Charitable remainder or lead Trust

Clear, sustainable benefits

Recognition should be simple and meaningfully Catholic​​​​​​​.

Common, easy benefits:

  • Annual Legacy Society Mass for living and deceased members. March 19th works well for a St. Joseph namesake

  • Inclusion (with permission) in an annual listing in the bulletin or report

  • Invitation to a yearly reception with the pastor or bishop

  • A small religious gift such as a blessed medal, rosary, or holy card

  • Periodic updates on the impact of legacy gifts on ministry

Make sure benefits are:

  • Spiritual first

  • Simple enough to fulfill every year

  • The same for rich and modest donors alike

Intention form and tracking

Create a one page Legacy Gift Intention Form that:

  • Confirms that the donor has included your organization

  • Does not ask for exact dollar amounts (unless they volunteer)

  • Asks how they would like to be recognized

  • Allows anonymity

Also, add two checkbox lines to every pledge card and response form, as many guides recommend:

  • “I have remembered [Parish Name] in my Will or estate plan.”

  • “Please send me information about including [Parish Name] in my Will or estate plan.”

Behind the scenes, keep a confidential list with:

  • Name

  • Date of confirmation

  • Type of gift (bequest, IRA, etc., if known)

  • Parishioner status

  • Notes on pastoral follow up

4. How To Launch A Legacy Society In 90 Days

Here is a realistic road map for a busy pastor and one development or business manager.

Step 1: Get alignment on purpose

In one short meeting, agree on three things:

  1. The purpose is pastoral stewardship, not pressure.

  2. Recognition will be spiritual, dignified, and not tied to income level.

  3. The society will be kept simple and sustainable.

Connect it to Scripture for your own leadership team:

“…to be rich in good works, generous, ready to share, thus storing up treasure as a good foundation for the future.” - (1 Timothy 6:18–19)

Step 2: Choose name, patron, and benefits

Decide:

  • Name of the society

  • Heavenly patron

  • Basic benefits you can deliver every single year

Write one short paragraph that explains all three. This becomes the core of all your materials.

Step 3: Build the minimal toolkit

You only need:

  • One-page description for your website and packets

  • Legacy Gift Intention Form

  • Updated pledge/response card with the two checkboxes

  • A paragraph for the bulletin and a script for pulpit announcements

You do not need a glossy brochure to start. Those can come later, if at all.

Step 4: Quiet phase – identify initial members

Before a public launch:

  1. Sit with your donor database.

  2. List people who:

  • Have given for many years

  • Have no children or are very committed to the parish

  • Have already mentioned “you’re in our Will” offhand

Visit or call a small group of your top ten or twenty likely legacy donors:

  • “We are forming the St. Joseph Legacy Society to pray for and thank those who have included our parish in their estate plan. Have you done something like that already?”

Invite them to be founding members. This group becomes the seed.

Step 5: Public launch weekend

Pick a weekend close to:

  • All Souls Day

  • Your parish feast day

  • Another natural stewardship moment

On that weekend:

  • Preach briefly on Christian stewardship, heaven, and long-term mission

  • Mention the new legacy society at each Mass

  • Include a bulletin insert and a simple half sheet on the tables

  • Have intention forms available, along with contact info for follow up

Going the extra mile:

  • Send a direct mail letter with a response card to each donor (you may want to segment to older individuals to save on costs).

  • Collect and track responses to use in the launch weekend messaging.

The ask is simple:

“If you have already remembered the parish in your Will or estate plan, or would like to learn how, please fill out the card in the pews and drop it in the basket or stop by the table after Mass.”

Step 6: Follow up and welcome new members

After launch:

  • Call or write every person who responded

  • Thank them personally

  • Invite them to complete the intention form

  • Add them to your confidential list

Once you have your first wave of members, host:

  • A simple Mass and reception

  • Or a coffee and cake gathering after a Sunday Mass

Publicly thank them (with permission). Emphasize the spiritual nature of their decision.

Step 7: Build an annual rhythm

The secret is consistency, not flash.

Each year:

  • Offer one Legacy Society Mass

  • Publish an updated member list (respecting anonymity where requested)

  • Share a brief story in the bulletin about how a past legacy gift made an impact

  • Mention legacy giving in one homily or parish talk

This keeps the idea alive and steadily grows the society.

If you have partnered with Catholic Legacy, the most effective way to launch your Legacy Society is to tie it directly to your Catholic Legacy landing page. In every homily, bulletin, email, and parish talk about legacy giving, send people to that page as the simple “next step.”

Those who still need a Will can easily get started on the Catholic Legacy platform and will be gently encouraged to consider a bequest for your parish, school, or ministry as part of that process.

When someone creates a Will through Catholic Legacy and chooses to include your organization as a beneficiary, your partnership can allow you to see that new legacy intention. Catholic Legacy does not manage your Legacy Society. Instead, it lets you know when a new bequest commitment has been made so you can personally welcome that individual into your Legacy Society and continue the relationship through your own database and pastoral outreach.

If you are not yet working with Catholic Legacy, partnering is intentionally simple. Go to https://catholiclegacy.com/nonprofit for more information. You can launch the benefits of Catholic Legacy and your Legacy Society at the same time.

5. Common Mistakes To Avoid

Let’s be blunt for a minute. Here are quick pitfalls that sink legacy efforts.

Mistake 1: Overcomplicating the structure

You do not need:

  • Multiple legacy tiers

  • Complex rules

  • A separate board

You will stall out if the structure is too heavy for your staff. Start light.

Mistake 2: Treating it like a “rich people only” club

Legacy societies that only highlight wealthy donors send the wrong message.

Many of your most generous souls are not your wealthiest parishioners. A school teacher leaving 5 percent of her estate to the parish may be making a larger sacrifice than a wealthy business owner. Make benefits equal. Honor the intention.

Mistake 3: Sounding transactional or manipulative

Avoid language that sounds like:

  • “Buy your way into heaven.”

  • “We expect everyone to include us in their Will.”

This is not Catholic theology, and your people will smell the pressure.

Instead:

  • Teach about freedom

  • Offer the opportunity

  • Tie it to gratitude and trust in God

Mistake 4: Launching with no follow through

A legacy society is a relationship, not a campaign.

If you launch loudly, then never:

  • Send letters

  • Offer the Mass

  • Host the promised reception

You will lose trust. Start small enough that you can follow through every year.

6. Where CatholicLegacy.com Fits In

By now you might be thinking:

“This all sounds good, but we are already stretched thin. We are not estate lawyers. Where do we even send people who want to get a Catholic Will or healthcare directive done the right way?” That is exactly where a partner like CatholicLegacy.com is useful.

The Catholic Legacy platform focuses on three concrete tools for your parishioners and donors:

        1. Catholic Will

  • Helps Catholics create a Will that reflects Church teaching and provides for family and the Church.

2. ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Catholic Healthcare Directive

  • Guides them to appoint agents and make medical decisions that respect human dignity and align with Catholic moral teaching.

         3. Catholic Funeral Plan

  • Helps them plan for a Funeral Mass, burial, and related details in harmony with the faith.

From your side, as a parish or nonprofit, CatholicLegacy.com can help you:

  • Offer faithful, practical resources at no cost to your staff

  • Encourage parishioners to complete essential estate and healthcare documents

  • Invite them, within that process, to remember your parish, school, or ministry

  • Identify those who indicate a bequest or legacy intention so you can welcome them into your legacy society appropriately

Instead of leaving people to secular online Will sites that may ignore Catholic moral concerns, you can point them to a Catholic-focused platform and connect that experience directly to your Legacy Society.

Also, if your Non-Profit signs up with a membership package, Catholic Legacy can share names of people who have added you to their estate plans. You can download this list regularly and add them to your Legacy Society process.

7. Putting It All Together

A legacy society is not a luxury for big universities. It is a very practical tool that:

  • Helps your people act as Catholic stewards of their estate

  • Builds long term financial stability for your mission

  • Gives you a concrete group of donors to thank, visit, and pray for

Given the size of the coming “great wealth transfer” and the low percentage of people with Wills, the parishes and ministries that take legacy giving seriously now will be the ones still thriving decades from today.

So, here is your short action list:

  1. Choose a name and patron for your legacy society.

  2. Draft a one-page description and intention form.

  3. Add the a simple checkboxes about Wills or estate plans to every pledge or response card.

  4. Identify a handful of founding members.

  5. Launch with one focused weekend and one yearly Mass and reception.

  6. Explore CatholicLegacy.com as a partner to give your parishioners a safe, Catholic way to create their Will, healthcare directive, and funeral plan while inviting them to consider a legacy gift.

If you do those things, your legacy society will not be another program. It will become a quiet, steady way for your people to say with their whole lives:

“All that we have comes from the Lord, and we give it back to Him for the sake of His Church and His poor.”

That is good theology.

And it is very good development work.