Legacy questions that show what supporters need before they decide
Ask supporters about gifts in wills with care, from the guide you sent to how they want you to follow up. Each question below comes with when to ask it and what the answer tells you.
What legacy giving survey questions tell you
Legacy giving survey questions ask supporters whether they have thought about a gift in their will, what would help them decide and how they want to hear from you. A will is a private decision made over years, and most supporters never mention it. Gentle questions show who is open to it and what would reassure them, without a hard ask.
Ask supporters who have given for some years, or after they request or read your guide to gifts in wills. Keep it to five or six questions, include the option to say no to follow-up, and honor it.
Each written answer is read as it arrives and given a theme and a sentiment, so worries and wishes are easy to find. Give each supporter who asks for a call or a meeting an owner in the inbox, and keep the follow-up personal.
- Questions
- 15
- Best asked
- After a supporter reads your legacy guide
- Industry
- Nonprofits
- Where to find them
- From library in the Usertick survey editor, on every plan
The 15 gifts in a will questions, with when to ask each
Grouped by what they tell you. Use them as they are or change the wording.
Where the supporter stands
Start gently with where the supporter is, then how comfortable they feel and how much they trust you, before any question about the gift itself.
- 01Yes / No
Have you thought about leaving a gift in your will?
A plain yes or no on whether the supporter has considered a gift in their will. Use logic to show the decision questions to those who said yes, and keep the survey short for the rest.
- 07Yes / No
Have you already named a charity in your will?
Asks whether the supporter has already named a charity in their will. Follow up a yes with a personal thank you and an offer to talk, and never ask for the amount.
- 03Big scale
How comfortable do you feel talking about wills?
How comfortable the supporter feels talking about wills, from 1 to 10. Low averages suggest that written materials and a quiet tone will work better than events or calls.
- 15Big scale
How much do you trust us to honor your wishes?
How much the supporter trusts you to honor their wishes, from 1 to 10. A gift in a will rests on trust, so follow the average from year to year.
What would help them decide
These questions show what your materials do well and what holds people back, so read them before you rewrite the guide.
- 02Multiple choice
What would help you decide?
Names the one thing that would help most, from clear information to more time. A large share for talking it through means a named person to call matters more than a new brochure.
- 09Ranking
Rank what would reassure you most
Supporters put five kinds of reassurance in order, from seeing where gifts went to a written promise. Results shows the average place per item, which tells you what to lead with in the guide.
- 04Stars
How clear was our information on gifts in wills?
A star rating for your information on gifts in wills. Results shows the average and the share who rated it 4 or higher. Read it with the effort score for the guide.
- 10Customer effort
How easy was our guide to understand?
A customer effort score for your guide. A low score points at legal terms or length. Results shows the average and the share who found the guide easy to understand.
- 13Text
What put you off, if anything?
An open question on what put the supporter off, if anything. Each answer arrives with its sentiment and theme, so recurring worries, such as cost or family, stand out.
The gift and the follow-up
Ask what a gift would support and how the supporter wants to hear from you, and follow every preference exactly.
- 06Multiple choice
Which work would you want such a gift to support?
Lets supporters pick every kind of work they would want a gift to fund. Results shows bars per option. Keep I am not sure yet, so nobody feels pushed to decide.
- 05Text
What would you want your gift to be remembered for?
An open question on what the supporter would want the gift remembered for. Each answer arrives with its theme. Treat these answers with care, and share them only with permission.
- 08Multiple choice
How would you like us to follow up?
How the supporter wants you to follow up, from email to a meeting. Honor Please do not follow up exactly, and give every request for a call an owner in the inbox.
- 11Multiple choice
How often should we mention gifts in wills?
How often supporters want to hear about gifts in wills. Results shows the share for less often, as now and more often, and a large share for less often is a clear signal to ease off.
- 12Call to action
You can read the guide before you decide anything
A message with a button that opens your guide, with the reminder that reading it commits nobody to anything. Place it after the decision questions.
- 14Contact
Where should we send the guide?
Collects a name and email for sending the guide, and Results lists them in a table. Use logic to skip it for supporters who chose Please do not follow up.
Tips for asking about gifts in a will
Small choices that get honest, useful answers.
- 01
Ask with care
Keep the tone gentle, explain why you are asking and give every supporter an easy way to say no. A will is a private decision.
- 02
Ask long-term supporters
Send the survey to people who have given for some years or asked for your guide, and leave out new donors.
- 03
Follow every preference exactly
When a supporter picks a way to follow up or asks for none, honor it, and record it where your whole team will see it.
- 04
Never ask for amounts
Ask what a gift would support and what would reassure, and leave the size of any gift to the supporter.
Add these questions to a survey
From the library to the first answers.
- 1
Open the library
In the Usertick survey editor, choose From library, filter by industry and topic, and add several questions at once.
- 2
Or paste your own list
Paste questions reads up to 10 questions from any text on Free, 100 on Starter and 200 on Pro and above, keeps your wording and picks an answer type for each.
- 3
Choose where it runs
Show the survey on your website, send it by email, share its link and QR code, or switch it to a conversation.
- 4
Read the answers
Results counts every score and choice, and Usertick reads each written answer and files it by topic, on every plan.
Templates and more questions about gifts in a will
Full surveys that ask about the same things, and neighboring topics in the library.
Templates
Browse all templatesFrequently asked questions
Supporters who have given for some years, monthly donors and anyone who asked for your guide. Leave out new donors and anyone who asked for no contact.
Five or six. Start with whether the supporter has thought about it, then what would help, how they want you to follow up and one open question.
A week or two after a supporter receives your guide, or once a year to long-term supporters. Usertick sends to a contact list now or on a date you schedule up to 30 days ahead.
Add one gentle yes or no question at most, and use logic to show the follow-up questions only to supporters who said yes.
Yes. The question library comes with every plan, the free plan included, and the free plan covers 150 responses a month across your surveys.
Yes. Once a question is in your survey, reword it, change its options or its answer type, and add logic to skip it for some answers.
Yes. The library is translated into Usertick's built-in languages, and in any other language it shows in English for you to translate.
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