Black Women Will
Annual Impact Report 2024
Annual Letter From
Jini Thornton Executive Director
Hey there!
Black Women Will has grown to become a movement beyond my wildest dreams. What started as just a will clinic has evolved into a go-to trusted resource that people depend upon.
For too long, estate planning has felt out of reach for many, especially those in the Black community, due to complexity and cost. So many people didn’t know where to start, were bogged down by shame, or paralyzed from the frustration of losing a loved one who didn’t have their affairs in order.
Black Women Will is a safe space for people to stop hiding. It’s so much more than just an event – it is a catalyst for change.
This year we are going deeper with the topic of “legacy planning.” We are proud to add the power of attorney document as a service for this year’s class, which will ensure they appoint a person or organization to manage their financial and legal affairs if they become unable to do so. We’re also empowering them with simple steps they can make on their legacy planning journey by themselves, such as organizing a list of their bank accounts and investment accounts and a list of important people.
When we started this initiative, we hoped that our upbeat approach would help normalize estate planning in our community. As we were preparing for this year’s event, we realized that the “butterfly effect” is happening.
A mother will come to BWW and complete her will one year and encourage her daughter to start the process the next year…
A woman will post on social media letting her community know that she’s participating in BWW and the next year, a group of her friends will volunteer or apply to get their will done…
I’ve even had people come up to me at events that had nothing to do with estate planning, like a 5K race or a networking mixer, and let me know how happy they were that they completed their will at BWW.
These are the moments that matter. The moments that remind me that we are supporting a mission that is so much bigger than us.We truly are transforming lives, one will at a time, at Black Women Will.
However, this wouldn’t be possible without the volunteers with the technical skills who are answering the call. Our attorney, paralegal, and notary volunteers are the backbone of BWW. We have attorneys from some of the largest law firms in the country, such as Alston & Bird and King & Spalding, who show out in big numbers at this event.
Our annual impact report highlights the collective power of our work. But we can’t do it alone. We invite you to partner with us – volunteer your time, contribute financially, or help us spread awareness. Together, we can ensure that every Black woman has the tools to build a lasting legacy for herself and for generations to come.
Best,
Jini
SEE WHAT WE'VE DONE
By The Numbers
At A Glance (2021-2024)
- 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
2024 Impact
Who We Served
At BWW ‘24 Homecoming
Here are some of the women in the BWW Class of 2024
By The Counties
Although most of the BWW Class of 2024 (aka the cohort) came from metro Atlanta, Black Women Will is making an impact in other cities in Georgia!
Women traveled as far as 255 miles (Savannah, GA) to be a part of Black Women Will ’24!
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:
My Sister's Keeper
57 referrals for this year’s cohort came from previous BWW participants
Impacters
28 women came from Impact Church, where we’ve hosted BWW for the third year in a row!
Sorority Sisters
16 women came from the East Point/College Park Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc.
Veterans
We are lucky and privileged to serve Veterans at Black Women Will Homecoming each year.
Caregivers
31 participants are caregivers for their elderly parents or relatives. We are proud of them for leaving their legacy while supporting aging loved ones!
Black Greek Letter Organizations
68 women are members of Black Greek Letter Organizations including Alpha Kappa Alpha Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., & Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority
Land Owners
53 participants in the BWW Class of 2024 own land! Acres of land will be passed down because of BWW! Generational wealth is growing strong with the BWW Class of 2024!
HBCU Grads
Many women in the BWW Class of 2024 are graduates of Historically Black College & Universities (HBCUs) such as Spelman College, Morris Brown College, Clark Atlanta University, Alabama State University, Fisk University, Florida A&M University, Howard University, Hampton University, Jackson State University, Johnson C Smith University, Morgan State University, Southern University A&M College, Tennessee State University, Texas Southern University, and West Virginia State University.
We Asked The Question...
What does leaving a legacy mean to you?
"Making sure my children know what to do when I'm no longer around."
"Giving my loved ones something of value to remember me by."
"Making sure my family has a solid foundation and that they are on a good track to success."
"Leaving a legacy, to me, means building something enduring that will positively impact my nieces, nephews, and other younger relatives for generations to come. Even though I don't have children of my own, I am deeply committed to ensuring my family's future is secure and prosperous."
"To create a blueprint that honors our ancestors’ sacrifices which made it possible for us to increase the bandwidth of financial independence for future generations and the wellbeing of our community."
"Leaving my family with something they can remember me by and ensuring they will be taken care of."
"Being able to know your purpose is bigger than youand ensuring that your family will be okay even after you are gone."
"It means that seeds that I have planted are not only starting from 0, but that they know I cared and loved them so much that I am creating a rich foundation for them."
"We see too many Black people who leave without giving their family any direction into their 'business.' I want to make sure that my assets are protected."
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.
Thank you, Thank Me Later, for a job well done. I had a wonderful experience as a member of the 2024 class. I already have 8 people waiting for the 2025 experience 😃. I will continue sharing it with others so they can secure their legacy. Don't stop!
Pearlie is pictured right, and her daughter Desireé who is a returning volunteer, is pictured left
Who Served With Us
Black Women Will wouldn’t be possible without the help of our partner organizations, attorneys, paralegals, notaries, and general volunteers. 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 ‘24 in November 2023 after our third 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
- Fundraising
- 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
- 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
- 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
Left to right – Olivia Smith, Dr. La Chunna Bryant, Judge Ashley Palmer, Jini Thornton, Judge Mara Block, Shantia Jones, Teyonna Ridgeway & Jiniah Bliss
Year Long Commitment
From fundraising to volunteer recruiting to improving our systems and processes - Black Women Will is a big undertaking! Here's a glimpse of the estimated time that the BWW Executive Team put into this year's event. We also worked with volunteer committees to help plan BWW --- thank you to the volunteers who engaged with us all year long!
Hours
Time Spent On Meetings
Hours
Time Spent On Emails
Hours
Time Spent On Planning
Estimated time spent from November ’23 – November ’24
I've never seen a wills clinic quite like BWW. This topic can be daunting, stressful, and even a bit sad for some, but this event is celebratory and uplifting. The GABWA Foundation is honored to be a part of such a meaningful event.
# of Attorney Volunteers
Our attorney volunteers come from independent firms like SR Law Group and bigger firms like Alston & Bird, one of the nation's top law firms.
We had $300,000 worth of attorney billable hours donated to serve the women in the BWW Class of 2024!
# 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!
My experience as a returning attorney volunteer at Black Women Will was amazing! Meeting women who are driven to ensure their families are secure has been empowering and I'm glad that I was a part of this exciting event. It was important for my law firm to sponsor Black Women Will because we understand how important it is to give women the power to create a will and enhance their future generations.
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 content and host workshops to walk people through the steps to leave their legacy and complete their estate plan.
Learn more about our educational resources at blackwomenwill.com/education.
The Thank Me Later Legacy Guide
We created a free ebook with 15+ pages of worksheets and journal prompts to help readers get organized and plan for what matters. To date, this ebook has been downloaded more than 1,200 times!
Legacy Builder Podcast Series
This year we launched our podcast, Thank Me Later Show with Jini, to help our community master their money and transform their life. We’ve created over 10 videos about estate planning through our Legacy Builder podcast series, where we spotlight real stories of people who completed their wills at BWW, expert advice, and actionable strategies to secure your family’s future.
Planned Giving Education
Thank Me Later partnered with our sponsor, the American Cancer Society to educate our community about planned giving and how they can intentionally give to organizations that they care about through wills and life insurance. We highlighted planned giving in our workshops, in our LinkedIn series, and on social media, focusing on how to have an impact on an organization no matter how much money you have.
Black Wills Matter LinkedIn Series
In honor of National Estate Planning Awareness Month in October, we released a weekly series on Linkedin called Black Wills Matter where we shared actionable advice to impact Black families and wealth for generations through estate planning. We covered topics such as choosing an executor of your will, the importance of a power of attorney, and planned giving.
The Roadmap To Leave Your Legacy
We hosted our signature legacy workshops with the African American Business Resource Group at Wellstar, Thermo Fisher Scientific, and the East Point / College Park Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. We shared tools for them to complete their estate plan, helped them compile a list of important people and documents, and taught them how to create a legacy contact on their cell phone.
Jini Thornton is so much more than a financial expert and her ability to take the "fear" out of facing your finances is so valuable. She spoke to our Business Resource Group about leaving a legacy and the members are still talking about the valuable tips she shared. From the "nuggets" she shared to her authenticity and everything in between, everyone was able to take away a little something that they could immediately put to use in their life. The work she does in the community and beyond is inspiring and I look forward to hearing and seeing more from her.
Jini Thornton is so much more than a financial expert and her ability to take the "fear" out of facing your finances is so valuable. She spoke to our Business Resource Group about leaving a legacy and the members are still talking about the valuable tips she shared. From the "nuggets" she shared to her authenticity and everything in between, everyone was able to take away a little something that they could immediately put to use in their life. The work she does in the community and beyond is inspiring and I look forward to hearing and seeing more from her.
Social Media
55,000+
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
3,000+
members in our free private community
10,000+
email subscribers
Black Women Will in the Media
Vision for 2025
Our Sponsors
It was important for City National Bank to sponsor Black Women Will because we like to show up in the community, but it’s how you show up in the community. This event leaves an impact and resonates beyond the moment. We are grateful to be a part of this movement.
Pictured on the right
Thank you to our sponsors and individual contributors for your support!
