The UK's only awards recognising the whole legacy giving sector

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About the Awards

The Smee & Ford Legacy Giving Awards 2025 will showcase the outstanding achievements, talent and dedication of UK legacy giving professionals, and spotlight the vital and significant income that gifts in wills bring to charities.    

Now in its 3rd year, these unique awards provide an essential voice for the legacy giving community, raising the profile of the valuable work of professionals within their own charities, whilst also providing a platform to benchmark the progress made through collaboration, skill, and excellence across the sector.    

Combining a morning Excellence Forum with an afternoon award ceremony, the day will highlight and reward the talent, partnerships and creativity behind legacy giving, and provide insight and inspiration from the award-winning entries, as well as lively discussion on the direction of the sector.    

The Awards will inspire charities to think bigger and aim higher. It’s a day where the legacy sector will gather to share their pride in working in this sector and recognise and reward the hard work, creativity, and collaboration that goes into realising the life-changing gifts left in Wills. 

What does it feel like to win?

Hear what some of the winners from 2023 had to say!

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"The awards are a great new addition to the legacies sector, helping to raise the profile of many teams and the important work that they do "

Helen Prosser
Parkinson's UK
The Entry Process 

This year’s category groups will identify 3 specific elements of the legacy giving sector:  

  • Partnerships – Outstanding examples of working together on long or short-term legacy projects, campaigns, or strategies.  
  • Achievements - On-going examples of best practice, best in class processes, leading to achievement of legacy strategy.  
  • People -Outstanding effort for their charity or organisation in the field of Legacy Giving  

Entries will be reviewed against the following criteria:  

  • Ambition - The challenge and context within which your legacy projects, individual or organisation has set alongside your organisation’s goals and targets.   
  • Excellence – Best in class example of what you’re doing, how you’re doing it, and why your processes reach the highest standard.  
  • Achievement - The measurable metrics of your entry – e.g., increased number of pledgers, increased actual income, increased engagement with audiences.  
Example Categories  
Start your entry
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