30 don’t have a Will, and surveys point to many reasons why this is the case. Some individuals feel that it’s too early for them to make a Will—either because they’re too young or don’t have enough assets. Others understand the impor- tance of having a Will in place, but say that the process is too expensive, time-consuming, or daunting. And a large percentage of people report that they simply don’t know where to start. By making the Will-making process more affordable, convenient, and approachable, online Wills remove a lot of the barriers that people say are pre- venting them from making a Will. Even if the percentage of Wills that contain a legacy gift remains the same, simply having more Will-makers will increase the total amount of legacy gifts in Wills. 2. Everyone is asked about legacy giv- ing In the traditional estate planning pro- cess, legacy giving often isn’t discussed at all, unless the client has specific wish- es regarding charitable gifts in their Will that they mention to their lawyer. However, many online Will platforms (including Epilogue) include legacy gifts as part of the standard user’s experience. Some people won’t think about legacy giving unless the concept is presented to them. In fact, some people don’t even know it’s an option until they are pre- sented with the idea of leaving part of their estate as a charitable legacy. Wills created through the Epilogue plat- form contain legacy gifts at a rate that is approximately 50% higher than the national average. We believe that this may be a result of simply introducing each and every one of our customers to the concept of legacy gifts. 3. Reduces friction between legacy giving intention and action Charities often put a lot of time and expense into their legacy giving messag- ing and campaigns; when successful, these efforts can inspire people to include a charitable gift in their Will. But in order for that gift to be realized, the prospective legacy donor needs to take additional steps—ones which, for the reasons mentioned above, might be put-off for weeks, months, or years. Sometimes, the Will creation or update only happens once it’s motivated by another significant life event. In the meantime, the passion for leaving a charitable gift may wane or disappear altogether. When charities can direct prospective legacy donors to an online Will plat- form, they can reduce that friction between the moment of inspiration and the moment of action. A donor can become inspired to leave a legacy gift and complete a Will that includes the gift—all in the same sitting. Additionally, through programs like Epilogue for Charities, organizations can partner with online Will providers to provide custom Will-making journeys for prospective donors. When a charity directs a prospective donor to a custom, charity-focused experience on Epilogue’s platform, that individual is about four times as likely to make a legacy gift compared to the national average. The takeaway for charities A growing segment of Canada’s popula- tion is turning to online solutions to cre- ate their Wills. They eliminate many barriers that exist with traditional estate planning, expose more people to legacy giving, and make it easier for people to put their charita- ble intentions into place. As a result, Wills created online are more likely to include legacy gifts than lawyer-drafted Wills. Canadian charities that view legacy giv- ing as an important and meaningful part of their fundraising must ensure that their donors are aware of online options for creating their Wills. Daniel Goldgut is the Co-Founder and CEO of Epilogue Wills, Canada’s leading online estate planning platform. A former tax and estate planning lawyer, Daniel rec- ognized the need for a simpler, more accessi- ble way for Canadians to create Wills and Powers of Attorney. In 2019, he co-founded Epilogue with the mission of making estate planning easy, affordable, and convenient. Since 2022, Daniel and his team have been working closely with charities across Canada to help them strengthen their planned giving programs. By integrating online Wills into their fundraising strate- gies, organizations like World Vision, the Canadian Cancer Society, Heart & Stroke, the Toronto Foundation, and many more have been able to increase legacy giving and drive long-term impact. Daniel is a pas- sionate advocate for innovation in philan- thropy and estate planning. He enjoys speaking at industry events, sharing insights on how charities can modernize their planned giving efforts in an increas- ingly digital world.
