Planned or Legacy Giving
The Great Wealth Transfer
Over the next two decades, the United States will experience an unprecedented shift of demographics and finances that will likely impact every American. According to a report from Cerulli Associates, a leading provider of market intelligence and strategic recommendations for the asset and wealth management industry, this phenomenon is all about the Baby Boomers. The generation of people born between 1944 and 1964 have experienced decades of prosperity and economic growth and amassed significant financial wealth. In fact, over the next 20-25 years, Boomers are expected to transfer $84 trillion (yes, that’s a “t”) in homes, businesses, and investments to the next generation. This jaw-dropping amount—unprecedented in U.S. history— has led many journalists and financial experts to refer to this as the “Great Wealth Transfer.”
While experts predict that most of that wealth will pass to heirs, Baby Boomers will allocate between $10-$12 trillion to charity.
In 2023, a Community Foundation in Florida began building awareness of The Great Wealth Transfer and the importance of including a philanthropic component to estate plans with existing and prospective donors. They estimated that a mind-boggling $34.8 billion would change hands in their county by 2033. So, they set a goal to secure 3% of the local transfer of wealth through estate planning. That 3% could result in a $1 billion endowment that could generate over $50 million in grantmaking to support the Florida community each year.
Imagine what a $1 billion endowment could do for Cape Cod…now and for generations to come.
Be part of this philanthropic phenomenon! In this section, you’ll learn how to make a Planned Gift, also known as a Legacy Gift, through The Cape Cod Foundation. These gifts give the Foundation and their nonprofit beneficiaries the unprecedented ability to seize opportunities, navigate challenges, respond nimbly to needs as the change over time, and strengthen the community in perpetuity. We’ll also share amazing Legacy Stories from donors who have had a profound individual and collective impact on Cape Cod through their generous gifts.
The Impact of Planned Gifts
According to a 2024 article by certified fundraising executive Sara Pinto, planned gifts make up 80% of needed income for nonprofit organizations, but only 20% of people consider them. You have an amazing opportunity to lead the charge and come a phenomenal change-maker.
Legacy gifts are typically 200 times larger than a donor’s biggest annual contribution. Because of this they help nonprofits break the cycle of “perpetual fundraising,” allowing them to focus more on mission than money.
Consider this story about a nonprofit that went from barely surviving to thriving. For years, this small organization, dependent on many small donations, scrambled constantly to meet its budget. Then one day, they received a single bequest that changed everything. Rather than using it to cover immediate expenses, they made a game-changing decision to start an endowment. Slowly but steadily, the endowment grew; soon it covered 10% of their annual operating budget. That shift in financial stability allowed the nonprofit to do something they had never been able to do before: focus on growth.
Read our Legacy Stories for ideas and inspiration and learn about the individual and collective impact these gifts have had and will continue to have in our community.
LEGACY STORIES
Planned Giving:
Getting Started
Planned Giving Tips:
Standing the Test of Time
The Foundation’s
Keel Society
Inspirational
Legacy Stories
Together, we have invested more than $106 million in grants and scholarships in the Cape Cod Community. For good.
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Cape Cod Foundation
508.790.3040
261 Whites Path, Unit 2
South Yarmouth, MA 02664
info@capecodfoundation.org
