Bequest Management
Bequests in the News
5 Reasons More Nonprofits Are Outsourcing Bequest Management
July 16, 2026
News & Resources
The Real Growth Story in Giving USA 2026: Bequests From Estates Under $1 Million
Bequests in the News
C-Suite Summary: We have read the full Giving USA 2026 report so you don’t have to. The most consequential finding for planned giving revenue: bequests from estates under $1 million grew faster than any other tier, driving billions in new giving through tens of thousands of small estates.
The dollars are there; capturing them takes detail-heavy, deadline-driven administration across a growing portfolio of smaller gifts. Most development teams don’t have the bandwidth for that kind of volume. We do, we’ve built our practice around it, and at a 3% service fee, our work more than pays for itself in the gift value we recover.
The newest Giving USA data points somewhere many organizations aren’t looking.
Every year, a handful of nine- and ten-figure estates capture the attention of the nonprofit world, and every organization holds out a little hope that its name is in one of them. (We hope that for you too!) But the chances of a billionaire’s gift coming to your organization are slim. The relationships behind those rare gifts are typically built over decades, and many organizations go their entire existence without receiving one. It’s not a sustainability strategy; it is a lightning strike.
Total charitable bequests reached $62.19 billion in 2025, up nearly 20% from a revised $51.95 billion in 2024. Bequests now represent 10% of total giving, up from 8% the year before, making them the fastest-growing source of American philanthropy.
Every tier grew. Small estates grew fastest.
Between 2023 and 2025, bequest giving from estates valued at $1 million or less increased from $7.70 billion to $11.82 billion, a 53.5% increase. During that same period, giving from estates valued between $1 million and $10 million grew 26.3%, and giving from estates over $10 million grew 50.9%.
The $10 million-plus tier grew substantially too, but it’s a poor basis for planning. The Chronicle of Philanthropy’s Philanthropy 50 list found just five bequests of $50 million or more in all of 2025, totaling $3.4 billion combined. That money moves through relationships most organizations are unlikely to have. The under-$1 million tier is different: giving that shows up broadly, across many donors your team likely already knows.
More estates, more administrative weight
Billions of dollars from estates under $1 million are only possible because of tens of thousands of individual gifts, the quiet millionaires most organizations never see coming. The average bequest residual gift is approximately $47,600. At that average, the $4.12 billion increase reflects an estimated 86,000 additional estates settling in 2025 compared to two years prior, with the full $11.82 billion figure representing roughly 248,000 estates.
Every one of those estates requires notifications, documentation, follow-up, expert review of fiduciary actions, tax considerations, and accountings. As this segment of the giving population continues to grow, so does the administrative workload required to protect and maximize those gifts. The data suggests that future growth in bequest giving will increasingly depend on an organization’s ability to administer a large portfolio of smaller estates, not on its ability to attract a handful of large ones.
The data suggests that future growth in bequest giving will increasingly depend on an organization’s ability to administer a large portfolio of smaller estates, not on its ability to attract a handful of large ones.
Preparing for volume takes capacity
Building relationships with this growing pool of donors takes dedicated staff time, which means development teams need to stay focused on cultivation, not paperwork. That points to outsourcing the bequest work itself. Organizations that invest in efficient systems, experienced professionals, standardized workflows, and active oversight will be better positioned to capitalize on this trend. Many are choosing to outsource bequest management to handle the increased volume, freeing staff to focus on development and building the next generation of bequest intentions.
CCK Bequest Management is built to meet volume
We become an extension of our client’s organizations, providing experienced legal and administrative support throughout every stage of the bequest administration process, no matter how quiet the gift or how large the portfolio grows. Our approach includes:
- Nationwide bequest expertise.
For nearly a decade, CCK Bequest Management has helped nonprofit organizations nationwide navigate the complexities of estate administration. We’re one of only a few firms in the country with true expertise in this niche, trusted by some of the country’s most prominent charities. - A cost-conscious legal philosophy.
Our goal isn’t to generate unnecessary legal fees, including litigation fees. It’s to help organizations realize the full value of each donor’s legacy, at a 3% service fee. - Direct access to experienced professionals.
When you call, you have access to the practice’s leadership. Our team is happy to answer questions about cases, provide guidance about bequest issues, and respond to requests for revenue projections. - Disputes resolved efficiently, litigation only as a last resort.
Our substantial litigation experience lets us resolve nearly all disputes with executors or competing beneficiaries without going to court. In the rare cases where litigation is unavoidable, we manage it every step of the way, including hiring and overseeing local counsel. - A collaborative, relationship-first approach.
We work alongside planned giving, development, finance, and legal teams to provide responsive guidance, clear communication, and seamless coordination. Our relationships across the sector let us coordinate with co-beneficiaries when interests align.
Preparation, not luck, determines who benefits.
The headline number will always be the nine-figure estate. But the organizations that come out ahead over the next several years won’t be the ones waiting for a lightning strike. They’ll be the ones that saw this shift early and built the infrastructure to capture it before the volume arrived. That window is open now, and it won’t stay that way for long.
Want to dig deeper? Join us August 12 for a live webinar on the full Giving USA 2026 report and what it means for bequest administration. Register here or reach out directly. We’re happy to talk through what getting ahead of this looks like for your organization.
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