Definition
What is a Legacy Pledge?
A Legacy Pledge is a simple public statement that you intend to leave a share of your legacy — often as little as 1% — to a charity that matters to you, while your family keeps the rest.
It is free to make, and it is not legally binding — it turns a private intention into something visible, so it can inspire others, long before the legal step of writing a gift into your will.
In plain terms
Most people who care about a cause never say so in a way anyone can see. The wish stays private, and often it is never written down at all. A Legacy Pledge is a small, public way to change that: you say, openly, that you intend to leave a share of what you leave behind — it can be as little as 1% — to a charity you believe in.
Your family still keeps the overwhelming majority. The point is not the amount. The point is that your goodwill becomes visible while you are still here — and a promise other people can see is a promise that can inspire them to make one too.
A pledge is a statement of intent, not a legal act. It commits nothing and no one — and you can change your mind at any time.
Pledge, Giving Pledge, or bequest?
Three things people mix up. Here is how a Legacy Pledge sits next to the two it is most often confused with.
Legacy Pledge
A free, public statement of intent to leave a share of your legacy to charity.
The Giving Pledge
A public commitment to give away most of your wealth. Not legally binding either.
Charitable bequest
A gift to charity written into your legal will — binding once the will is executed.
The honest bottom line: a Legacy Pledge does not replace a will. If you want a gift to actually reach a charity, you put it in your will — ideally with a solicitor. The pledge is the earlier intention that makes the whole thing real, years before you sit down with the paperwork. Read more on whether a pledge is binding →
Common questions
Is a Legacy Pledge legally binding?
No. A Legacy Pledge is a statement of goodwill and intent, not a legal document. It does not change your will, commit your estate, or bind your family. If you want to formally leave a gift to charity, you do that in your will — the pledge simply lets you express the intention early.
How is it different from the Giving Pledge?
The Giving Pledge is a public commitment by billionaires to give away most of their wealth. A Legacy Pledge is the same public-commitment idea made for everyone — at any amount, starting from just 1%, with no minimum wealth and nothing to pay.
How is it different from a charitable bequest?
A charitable bequest is an actual gift written into your legally valid will, and it is binding once your will is executed. A Legacy Pledge is the earlier, non-binding intention. The pledge does not replace a will — it is the bridge that makes your intention visible years before the legal step.
Does it cost anything?
No. Making a Legacy Pledge on mylo.family is free, and it costs your family nothing — it is a statement of intent, not a payment.
Can I change my mind?
Yes, at any time. A pledge carries no obligation. You can change your chosen cause, your share, or remove it entirely whenever you wish.
Make your legacy visible
Start with 1%. Your family keeps the rest. It is free, public, and yours to change at any time.