Black Women Will
Annual Impact Report
Black Women Will
2023
Annual Impact Report
Annual Letter From
Jini Thornton Executive Director
Hey there!
I never imagined that Black Women Will would grow as quickly as it has when my team hosted our first event in 2021. During the pandemic, we put the event together in three weeks. We completed 25 wills in the parking lot at Impact Church, and helped transfer about $8M+ worth of assets.
I’m so proud that we’ve tripled our reach in less than three years!
As we were gearing up for our third annual event, I realized just how massive this problem is!
We are amidst a national crisis that isn’t getting enough attention.
There is such a big focus on entrepreneurship and building wealth – I love it, don’t get me wrong! As the CEO and founder of an accounting firm serving clients in the entertainment industry, I know first-hand the power of owning your own business.
However, we’re working so hard to accumulate new wealth that we aren’t paying attention to what our family owns, even if it’s just grandma’s house.
Families are losing their wealth silently at alarming rates because they don’t have an estate plan, especially in the Black community.
There’s data to back this up: Over the next 25 years, an estimated $68 trillion will be transferred from U.S. households to heirs and charities. Black Americans are missing out on the largest wealth transfer in history by not having an estate plan. – NBC News
No wonder why we can’t catch up or get ahead!
We need a plan in place to pass our wealth from one generation to the next. Yes, I’m talking about financial wealth, but also mental wealth. Peace of mind is priceless, and the only way you can give your family peace is if you establish financial order.
I’m ready to roll up my sleeves and create more solutions to help solve this silent crisis that we are in! From unpacking heirs property issues to helping people organize their personal information – we are taking legacy planning to the next level in 2024.
I’m honored to do this work and I hope you join this mission to impact Black families for generations through Black Women Will.
Best,
Jini
Transferring Black wealth and peace of mind for generations through legacy planning
Transferring Black wealth and peace of mind for generations through legacy planning
SEE WHAT WE'VE DONE
By The Numbers
At A Glance (2021-2023)
- DISCOVER MORE
Worth of assets with a plan to transfer (including real estate, bank accounts, investment accounts, etc.)
Wills and Healthcare Directives Completed
Impressions On Estate Planning Educational Content
(via radio, social media, and our private community)
Countless conversations about estate planning amongst our community and their families
2023 Impact
Who We Served
At BWW ‘23 Homecoming
Here are some of the women in the BWW Class of 2023
By The Counties
Although most of the BWW Class of 2023 (aka the cohort) came from metro Atlanta, Black Women Will is making an impact in other cities in Georgia!
Women traveled as far as 260 miles (from Glynn County, GA) to be a part of Black Women Will ’23!
Race & Gender
Entrepreneurs / Business Owners
Education
Age Range
Barriers
We asked our cohort what were the barriers that kept them from completing their wills up until now… Here’s what they said:
Veterans
We are lucky and privileged to serve Veterans at Black Women Will Homecoming each year.
Impacters
25 women came from Impact Church, where we’ve hosted BWW for the third year in a row!
The Gathering Spot
12 women came from The Gathering Spot, a private-membership club rooted in community & culture.
My Sister's Keeper
22 referrals for this year’s cohort came from previous BWW participants.
Check Out Our Sizzle Reel
Get a glimpse of how we created a plan to transfer over $70M+ in assets by helping 185 women complete their wills.
We had an amazing time at Black Women Will! It was important for us to have this experience together because as friends, we make sure we stay on top of each other when it comes to growth (personal, professional, financial & spiritual). We are so grateful for the opportunity to complete our will and healthcare directive for free at this event.
Who Served With Us
Black Women Will wouldn’t be possible without the help from our partner organizations, attorney volunteers, paralegals and notaries. It truly is a team effort!
- Partner Organizations
The following organizations partner to bring Black Women Will to life every year. We started planning for Black Women Will ‘23 in November 2022 after our second annual event!
Here’s an overview of how each partner organization contributes to make Black Women Will a success!
- Responsibilities
- Event visionary and host
- Event logistics
- Recruiting and selecting the cohort of women who will complete wills
- Attorney and paralegal recruiting
- Volunteer recruiting
- Marketing
- Responsibilities
- Attorney recruiting
- Pre-review wills using software that helps prepare 80% of wills before the event
- Attorney training to complete wills
- Attorney lead day of event
- Responsibilities
- Attorney recruiting
- Thought leadership for the estate planning process
- Recruiting and selecting seniors and communities that have been impacted by gentrification
- Responsibilities
- Attorney recruiting
- Attorney lead day of event
- Responsibilities
- Paralegal and notary recruiting
- Paralegal lead day of event
- Creating processes to improve the workflow of completing the wills and healthcare directives
Meet The Black Women Will Executive Team
Bottom row (left to right): Teyonna, Olivia, Cari, Jiniah, Courtney & Judge Ashley Palmer. Top row (left to right): Lauren, Judge Kenya Johnson, Jini, Sarah & Dr. Bryant.
Hours
Time Spent On Meetings
Hours
Time Spent On Emails
Hours
Time Spent On Planning
Estimated time spent from November ’22 – November ’23
I've never seen a wills clinic quite like Black Women Will. The subject matter can be daunting, stressful, and even sad, but this event is celebratory and uplifting. Clients leave with their completed paperwork feeling accomplished and inspired, and volunteers leave feeling the same. Atlanta Legal Aid Society is happy to be a part of such a meaningful clinic, and we appreciate how the project partners come together to make it a success.
# of Attorney Volunteers
From 80+ other law firms, in-house companies and legal organizations.
# of Paralegals, Notaries & Law Student Volunteers
# of General Volunteers
Our general volunteers helped in areas such as marketing, witnessing, greeting, printing, food and more.
Special thank you to the law firms and legal organizations that helped us recruit attorneys!
Our Educational Impact
We know we can only prepare a set number of wills at the Black Women Will Homecoming event.
That’s why we create evergreen educational content that walks people through the step-by-step process so they can take immediate action.
The Roadmap To Complete Your Will Session
We broke down where to start and strategies to reach the finish line during this virtual workshop. More than 150 women attended and one of them received a live coaching session to address their particular pain points.
Black Women Will Estate Planning Playbook
We created a free ebook with 15+ pages of mindfulness exercises, journal prompts, and worksheets to help readers shift their mindset around estate planning, get organized and take action! To date, this ebook has been downloaded more than 1,500 times!
Caring For The Future: Estate Planning & Beyond
We hosted a workshop with the Faith@Work Employee Resource Group at AT&T to share tools for them to complete their estate plan, and help broaden their perspective of what it means to leave a legacy. Additional topics include creating a list of important people and documents, and creating a legacy contact on a cell phone.
Jini did a great job facilitating this session to the Faith@Work Employee Resource Group at AT&T! It was an insightful presentation that engaged our team and gave us actionable next steps so we can prepare for our future. I would strongly recommend other companies to partner with Jini to speak to their team – she truly has a gift for breaking down even the most complex topics, like estate planning, and making sure people know what to do next.
Jini did a great job facilitating this session to the Faith@Work Employee Resource Group at AT&T! It was an insightful presentation that engaged our team and gave us actionable next steps so we can prepare for our future. I would strongly recommend other companies to partner with Jini to speak to their team – she truly has a gift for breaking down even the most complex topics, like estate planning, and making sure people know what to do next.
Our Reach Beyond BWW
Social Media
50,000+
combined social media followers on @jinithornton, @tmlmoney and @blackwomenwill
Radio
5,000,000
listeners reached weekly on radio in 100+ markets (Rickey Smiley Morning Show, The Wilie Moore Jr. Show, Get Up Mornings With Erica Campbell)
TML Community
2,500+
members in our free private community
8,000+
email subscribers
Black Women Will in the Media
The work that we’re doing with Black Women Will is so aligned with my personal life. My mother passed away in March 2023, and prior to her death, she listed me in charge of her healthcare directive. Although I was so devastated that she was transitioning, I had some level of peace knowing that Black Women Will prepared me for this moment.
Vision for 2024
Our Sponsors
I was blown away by Black Women Will! Not only by the efficient process to complete hundreds of wills in one day, but the intentional experience created for everyone involved. I’m proud that the American Cancer Society invested in this initiative – I know we are helping to truly make a difference.
Kimberly Jackson pictured on the left
Thank you to our sponsors and individual contributors for your support!
