Make-a-Will Month spurs conservation legacy gifts in the US

August marks National Make-a-Will Month, a campaign urging adults to create or update wills. The effort partners with the free online service FreeWill, allowing people to draft a will in about 20 minutes at no cost.

The Amazon Conservation Association uses the campaign to highlight how personal estate planning can also support Amazon forest protection, encouraging donors to consider legacy gifts that fund conservation projects. Fossil Rim Wildlife Center promotes the same month, stressing that bequests enable continued funding for its cheetah breeding program—over 220 cubs since 1985—and for new initiatives such as a Texas horned lizard breeding effort. Both organizations stress that planned gifts require no immediate financial outlay but can provide lasting support for wildlife and habitat preservation.