FreeWill Turns Planned Giving from a “Wanna” to a “Wow!”

More than 400 hospitals, universities, and other non-profit organizations have partnered with FreeWill to bolster planned gift programs. So, when the Contributor Development Partnership (CDP) went in search for the right partner to help public media further its mission through this mostly untapped resource, FreeWill rose to the top of the heap.

FreeWill allows people to compose a will online in less than 30 minutes. When users arrive at FreeWill through a customized page on a station’s website, the station will be featured, and the donor will have the opportunity make a gift. That could be in the form of a bequest, appreciated stock, or a qualified charitable distribution.   

Why now? 90% of consumers do not have a will and, with COVID, there has been a sharp increase in consumers’ interest in doing so. This makes for a prime opportunity for those who strive to perpetuate the mission of the stations we steward for the next generations.  Is your initial reaction to say “hogwash” and declare that nobody is going to create a will through our station’s website? Well, even we were surprised at the results. In the past 4 months, our 10 public media early-adopters of FreeWill have seen:

• 443 charitable bequests

• $5.25 million committed ($11,800 avg gift)

• $9.75 million in secondary projected gifts

In a recent webinar, colleagues from Montana PBS and New Mexico PBS shared their experience and immediate success with the Freewill.  Talk to us and let us know if your station is interested in taking the next step toward giving your donors one more way to leave a lasting legacy to support everything you do for the community!