Build the Minimum Viable Bequest Record

The eight fields of a minimum viable bequest record

A minimum viable bequest record needs eight fields. Some CRMs will use more. Some will name them differently. The discipline is not the software label; it is the judgment captured inside each field.

1. 1 Constituent identity and relationship What it is: The record must show who the person is and how they are connected to the organisation. Do not reduce the person to “legacy prospect.” Record whether they are a donor, volunteer, event attendee, former service user, family member, adviser contact, board contact, or another relationship type. What to record: Full name, preferred name, contact details, household links if relevant, donor ID, relationship type, giving history summary, volunteering or service connection, and any name variants that could matter later. What it looks like: “Dina Kaur. Preferred name: Dina. Donor ID 48219. Former monthly donor, 2018–2021; resumed annual gifts in 2025. Attended online conservation briefing, March 2026. Connection: retired biology teacher and long-term coastal bird survey volunteer. No household contact permission recorded.” Why it matters: Include a Charity’s 2023 analysis found that about 61% of realised bequestors were already known to the charity before death. That supports careful warm-base record discipline. It does not justify crude assumptions based on age or wealth.
2. 2 Signal source and exact donor words What it is: The record must show what happened, not the fundraiser’s interpretation of what happened. The difference between “asked for wording,” “is considering a gift,” “has spoken to solicitor,” and “has included the organisation” matters. What to record: Date, channel, staff member, campaign or source, document received, event attended, email subject line, phone note, reply slip, webform, or adviser contact. Use the donor’s actual words where possible. What it looks like: “Email received 9 July 2026 after webinar follow-up. Donor wrote: ‘I’m updating my will later this year and want to make sure I have the correct charity name and ABN. I’m not ready to discuss an amount.’” Why it matters: Exact words prevent internal inflation. “Updating my will” is not the same as “completed my will.” “Correct charity name” is not the same as “confirmed bequest.”
3. 3 Motivation and connection What it is: The record must capture the donor’s reason for caring, without turning that reason into a script to pressure them later. Motivation is relationship context, not a lever. What to record: Cause connection, personal story, values language, tribute or memory connection, program interest, and any wording the donor uses to describe why the work matters. What it looks like: “Motivation: donor said, ‘I spent thirty years teaching students that the natural world isn’t disposable.’ Interested in long-term habitat protection and conservation education, not short-term campaign appeals.” Why it matters: Dr Russell James’s research frames charitable bequest decisions around identity, autobiography and continuity. A record that captures only “bequest interest” loses the part of the decision most likely to guide respectful future contact.
4. 4 Permission and privacy boundaries What it is: The record must state what the donor has permitted and what they have not. Silence is not permission. A donor can disclose an intention without agreeing to recognition, follow-up calls, invitations, public listing, family contact, or broad internal circulation. What to record: Permission to contact, preferred channel, permission to send information, permission to recognise, anonymity preference, internal visibility limits, family-contact permission, and any “do not” instructions. What it looks like: “Permission: may send one email with legal name, ABN and general wording. Donor prefers no phone call. No permission for recognition. No permission to contact family. Keep visibility to bequest lead and supporter services manager.” Why it matters: Permission is an administrative field, not a courtesy note. If it is buried in free text, the next staff member may miss it.
5. 5 Organisational information provided What it is: The record must show exactly what information the charity gave the donor, especially when the donor is using it for a solicitor or will-writer. This protects consistency and professional boundaries. What to record: Date sent, channel, version of wording or information sheet, full legal name, ABN, DGR status if relevant, approved gift wording, and the reminder to seek independent legal advice. What it looks like: “Sent approved gifts-in-wills information sheet v3 by email, 10 July 2026. Included full legal name: [CHARITY LEGAL NAME]. ABN: [ABN]. DGR status: [DGR STATUS]. Included line: ‘Please take this information to your solicitor or adviser. We cannot advise on your estate plan or whether this wording is suitable for your circumstances.’” Why it matters: Australian bequest administration must be precise about legal identity. A will should name the charity’s full legal name and ABN. The charity can provide those details; it must not become a drafting adviser.
6. 6 Gift information actually disclosed What it is: The record must separate confirmed information from unknowns. A donor may mention a percentage, a residual gift, a fixed sum, a specific asset, or no structure at all. Record only what is actually disclosed. What to record: Gift type if stated, wording if provided, whether the will has been updated, whether solicitor details were supplied, whether a copy of the clause was offered, whether the donor wants the charity to know the amount, and all important unknowns. What it looks like: “Gift information disclosed: donor considering a percentage gift but no percentage stated. No amount. No will clause. No solicitor details. No confirmation that will update has occurred. Gift size unvalued.” Why it matters: Unknowns should be visible. A blank field can look like an oversight. A field that says “not disclosed” prevents later invention.
7. 7 Next action, owner and review date What it is: Every live bequest record needs an administrative next step. If there is no next action, the pipeline is just storage. What to record: Responsible staff member, action due, channel, purpose of action, trigger date, review date, and the boundary for that action. What it looks like: “Owner: Bequest Officer. Next action: send private email acknowledgement and approved information sheet by 10 July 2026. Review date: 10 January 2027. Boundary: no ask for amount, no request for confirmation, no phone call unless donor invites contact.” Why it matters: The action field stops two failures at once: neglect and overreach. The donor is not forgotten, and they are not pushed.
8. 8 Reporting and forecast status What it is: The record must say how it may appear in internal reporting. This is separate from the relationship note. A donor may be in the bequest pipeline for care and follow-up while still being excluded from income forecasts. What to record: Pipeline inclusion, forecast exclusion, probability-score rule if the organisation uses one, reporting category, and any leadership-facing caveat. What it looks like: “Pipeline reporting: include in bequest activity report as ‘information requested / considering.’ Exclude from income forecast. No value attached. No probability score. Do not include in budget-year revenue planning.” Why it matters: This field prevents a relationship record from becoming a financial claim. Forecasting discipline will be handled in more depth in Lesson 5, but the record has to hold the instruction from the start.