The Story Behind Future Impact Collective

A career built around sustainable impact

For more than 20 years, I’ve worked across the not-for-profit sector, supporting organisations including Kids Under Cover, Leukaemia Foundation and Plan International to deepen supporter relationships and build sustainable income for the future.

That journey eventually led me to EveryWill (formerly Gathered Here), a platform that helps organisations offer free online Wills to their supporters. Over five years, I had the privilege of working alongside more than 1,000 charities and purpose-led organisations and saw firsthand the different approaches organisations take to building and growing their Gifts in Wills programs.

During that time, I came to appreciate both the generosity of everyday people and the growing role legacy giving can play in helping organisations create long-term impact.

To date, EveryWill has helped facilitate an estimated $1.5 billion in future charitable revenue through Gifts in Wills, highlighting the role accessible Will writing can play in helping more people create future impact through the causes they care about.

Understanding the gap in Gifts in Wills readiness

Working with organisations at every stage of their Gifts in Wills journey, from volunteer-led sporting clubs and community organisations through to globally recognised brands, a pattern began to emerge.

While many organisations had well-established and thriving Gifts in Wills programs, others were still in the early stages of, or yet to begin, their Gifts in Wills journey.

With limited resources and competing priorities, their focus was understandably on delivering impact today. As a result, Gifts in Wills often remained an aspiration rather than an active priority, despite leaders recognising their long-term value.

Many had already experienced the impact a single bequest can have and saw free and accessible online Wills as an opportunity to introduce Gifts in Wills to supporters in a way that felt simpler, more practical and more inclusive.

The enthusiasm was there. What emerged was that many organisations were looking for practical support to put the foundations of a Gifts in Wills program in place so they could fully realise and build momentum from this opportunity.

Building the foundations

Because Gifts in Wills has traditionally sat somewhat outside everyday fundraising, many organisations were looking for practical, accessible support that reflected the realities of their size, resources and capacity and gave them the confidence to build momentum.

In practice, that meant putting some of the core foundations in place first.

Things like:

• A dedicated Gifts in Wills webpage and supporter brochure
• Scripts, guides and internal fact sheets to help staff build confidence and respond to Gifts in Wills conversations
• Practical frameworks for internal processes, record keeping and supporter stewardship, tailored to the size and capacity of the organisation

Many organisations deeply understood the importance of building long-term sustainability. They simply needed practical support to help turn intention into action.

A pivotal moment for legacy giving

At a time when many organisations were still building the resources, confidence and foundations needed to grow Gifts in Wills, Australia and New Zealand were entering one of the largest intergenerational wealth transfers in history.

This raised an important question:

How do we make sure organisations, regardless of size or capacity, have the opportunity to build thriving Gifts in Wills programs?

That question ultimately became the catalyst for Future Impact Collective.

Turning opportunity into action

Future Impact Collective was created to help charities and purpose-led organisations establish strong, sustainable Gifts in Wills programs through practical, accessible and affordable support.

At the heart of this is the Gifts in Wills Starter Kit, a ready-to-use collection of tools, templates and strategic guidance designed to give organisations everything they need to confidently establish the foundations of a successful Gifts in Wills program.

Intentionally designed for organisations in the early stages of their Gifts in Wills journey, the Starter Kit provides practical building blocks that make it easier to get started, build internal confidence and create meaningful supporter experiences over time.

Having worked alongside organisations of all sizes, I know that many charities, schools, sporting clubs and community organisations do not have large fundraising budgets, dedicated Gifts in Wills staff or access to specialist consultants.

That’s why accessibility has been built into our model from the beginning, with pricing designed to make specialist support achievable for organisations of different sizes and stages of growth, including reduced pricing for organisations with annual income under $500,000.

Future plans

Future Impact Collective is currently supporting charities and purpose-led organisations across Australia and New Zealand, with plans to expand into additional regions in the future as awareness and demand for accessible Gifts in Wills support continues to grow.

Looking ahead, my vision for Future Impact Collective extends beyond helping organisations get started.

While the Gifts in Wills Starter Kit is intentionally designed for organisations in the early stages of their Gifts in Wills journey, the next stage is the development of a Gifts in Wills Accelerator Kit for organisations that already have the foundations in place and are ready to take the next step.

The Accelerator Kit will focus on helping organisations grow awareness, strengthen supporter engagement, build momentum and take a more active approach to promoting Gifts in Wills through practical strategies, tools and support. Watch this space!

Our vision is simple:

To empower every charity and purpose led organisation across Australia and New Zealand with the confidence, capability and support to build thriving Gifts in Wills programs.

A uniquely meaningful space

As I reflect on my journey so far, I feel incredibly grateful to continue working in this very special space.

For me, Gifts in Wills has always felt like a uniquely meaningful area of fundraising because it brings together generosity, purpose and long-term impact.

At its heart, it’s about giving people the opportunity to care for the people and causes that matter most and create impact that extends far beyond their lifetime.

I’m excited to continue contributing to the growth and evolution of Gifts in Wills and supporting more organisations to build thriving programs that create lasting impact for generations to come.