Key Takeaways

• Legacy giving lets you support a cause you love through your will, retirement account, or life insurance, all without touching the money you need today.
• Legacy Giving Day (Sept. 13) and Estate Planning Awareness Week (the third week of October) are built to spark conversations and actions around the good you can keep doing long after you’re gone.
• Planned gifts are a far more stable funding source for nonprofits than one-off donations.
• Anyone with a will can leave a legacy gift, regardless of income; it’s not just for major donors.
• For family services nonprofits like family resource centers, that stability allows essential programs to support families year after year, not just through a single grant cycle.
• Family resource centers help underresourced families through counseling, parenting classes, and connections to other essential resources tailored to meet families where they are. 
• A planned gift is a lasting statement of values, and when you use it to give struggling families a hand up, you’re helping to lift up entire communities for generations to come.

What Does It Mean To Leave a Legacy?

What do you want people to remember about you when you’re gone? For many, the honest answer isn’t a job title or a bank balance — it’s the people we loved and the causes we cared about. That’s the quiet power behind an idea more and more families are exploring: leaving a legacy through thoughtful estate planning.

What Is Legacy Giving, Anyway?

Legacy giving, also called planned giving or nonprofit planned giving, is a way of building future generosity into your existing plans. Instead of writing a check today, you arrange a future gift to a cause you love through a will, retirement account, life insurance policy, or other asset so it doesn’t compete with the money you need now.

Even so, most people who could leave a legacy gift haven’t gotten around to it. If you’re among them, it’s worth taking advantage of two national observances:

• International Legacy Giving Day (sometimes called Legacy Day) occurs on September 13, when charities worldwide raise awareness about planned gifts.

• National Estate Planning Awareness Week is the third full week of each October, devoted to helping people understand why estate planning matters for long-term financial wellness.

Together, they’re a gentle nudge: a reminder that taking steps to leave your legacy now can show the world not just who you love, but what you believe in.

Why Legacy Gifts Matter

You might be surprised to learn that legacy gifts come with benefits for both nonprofits and donors.

They’re the Pillars of Nonprofit Stability

Some organizations receive more than a quarter of their annual revenue from planned gifts, and that giving channel tends to keep growing even during recessions, when other funding sources shrink. That steady, dependable support allows nonprofits to plan years ahead rather than scrambling from season to season. Planned gifts also tend to be sizeable: the average charitable bequest is dramatically larger than the typical online cash donation. 

They’re for Everyone, Not Just the Rich

Legacy giving isn’t reserved for the wealthy. Because a bequest doesn’t touch a donor’s day-to-day cash flow, it’s accessible to virtually anyone with a will, regardless of current income. Loyal, everyday supporters, not just major donors, can leave a mark that outlasts a lifetime.

Why Planned Giving to Family Resource Nonprofits Makes Sense

If you’re unsure which cause is most important to you, try asking yourself which person is most important to you. Odds are, it’s one or more family members. For many Americans, family bonds transcend everything else, because your family is there for you through thick and thin. If that’s true for you, consider investing in family support services that help underresourced individuals build strong, healthy families. 

For nonprofits that offer these life-changing programs, legacy giving isn’t just a fundraising detail: it’s the difference between a program that survives one funding cycle and one that lifts up a community for generations.

What Is a Family Resource Center?

Family resource centers — also known as family centers, family success centers, family support centers, and parent-child centers — exist to catch families before they fall. These programs offer a safety net during difficult periods, whether the challenge is financial strain, emotional hardship, or a systemic barrier to personal success. They offer supportive services like counseling, parenting classes, and connections to other essential resources. This helps underresourced mothers, fathers, and children reach support they might not otherwise find on their own.

Your Legacy, Their Future

If your parent or other close relative has ever struggled to keep the family afloat, you know what an impact community-based organizations can have in helping others in similar situations. Planned giving empowers you to give that hand up to those who need it long after you’re gone. When that gift supports family services work — the everyday, unglamorous help that keeps parents employed, children stable, and households together — it becomes part of a much bigger story than any single donation could tell.

Organizations like Bartow Family Resources (BFR) in Georgia are built on exactly this premise: that families thrive when their community shows up for them consistently, not just in a moment of crisis. A legacy gift is one of the most meaningful ways to make sure that kind of support never runs out.

As planned giving observances approach this fall, it’s worth asking your attorney or advisor a simple question: Is there room in my plan for the causes I care about? Leaving a legacy may cost you nothing today — and mean everything to a struggling parent tomorrow.

Leave a Legacy of Stronger Families With Bartow Family Resources

BFR is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to supporting life, serving families, and shaping futures. Our vision is to have a community where every life is sacred and families are valued. We have been serving our community and the greater Atlanta area for over 36 years. We provide a safe and loving environment for clients to learn, grow, and receive the support they need.

Our medical clinic offers FREE health care for women, specializing in prenatal and sexual health services. Our BFR Academy educates, equips, and empowers parents through their journey by providing parenting classes and essential infant supplies. All of our services are compassionate and judgment-free.

Your gift can help us continue our mission of building healthier communities and stronger families through education, medical services, material items, mentoring, and more. Please consider supporting us through your estate plan today.