6 minute read
Charitable wills on the rise
Growth in the number of people choosing to benefit good causes from their Will
Public appetite for legacy giving has hit a new height with almost one in five UK charity donors choosing to leave a gift in their Will (19%), up from 14% in 2013. A further 10% intend to make a gift from their Will or are preparing to do so.
Legal advisers are seen to play a critical role in making clients aware of the option of including a gift in their Will, with 6 in 10 of the giving public saying they have used or would use a solicitor or Will-writer to set out their final wishes.
These are the key findings from Remember A Charity’s consumer benchmarking study– a survey of over 2,000 charity donors aged 40+, tracking legacy giving attitudes and behaviour over the past eight years.
Three in ten donors with a Will have included a charity. That proportion rises significantly among the affluent, those who are aware of the tax incentives and those who seek professional advice, as well as those who identify as gay, lesbian or bisexual. While legacy giving is becoming increasingly popular among the giving public, just 9% reject the concept of leaving a gift in their Will.
Rob Cope, director of Remember A Charity – a consortium of 200 UK charities, adds: “Leaving a gift in your Will is such a positive and empowering decision to make during endof-life planning and the legal sector has been a major driver of this change. The more solicitors that make clients aware of the option of giving in this way and can talk through the practicalities of doing so, the closer we get to a world where legacy giving becomes the norm.”
Impact of gifts in Wills
Legacy giving is the largest source of voluntary income to UK charities, raising £3.4 billion annually . That income has sustained charitable services throughout the pandemic; from hospices to shelters for those suffering from domestic abuse, mental health helplines to rescue services.
“This growth in appetite for legacy giving will be vital for the future of good causes across the nation,” says Cope.
“When you consider that, not so long ago, legacy giving was really only seen as something for the wealthy, it’s wonderful to see so many people now understanding that their gift, no matter what size, really can make a difference.”
Prevalence of Wills
The study, carried out by the independent research firm OKO, reports that 62% of donors have already prepared a Will, with the likelihood of doing so logically increasing with age. 82% of those aged over 70 have written a Will, compared with just 46% of those in their early 40s. It also highlights how often people change or update their Will, with just over half of respondents with a Will saying they have already updated it at least once and almost 6 in 10 indicating they are likely to change it in future.
Barriers to legacy giving
The concept of legacy giving appeals to the UK public, who are inspired by the message that even a small gift could make a big difference and that this income is vital to charities’ work. But the study also identified barriers. People naturally want to look after their family and friends first and foremost, some think they don’t have enough assets to leave a gift, while others say they simply didn’t think of it at the time.
Remember A Charity runs a free Campaign Supporter scheme for solicitors and Will-writers, providing promotional resources and useful guidance for referencing legacy giving with clients.
Find out more at www.rememberacharity.org.uk/solicitor
hope A gift in your Will could give of a world free from MND
What if the first time someone heard the words, ‘you have motor neurone disease’, they could be followed by ‘but there is hope’? Leaving a gift in your Will could make that future a reality. www.mndassociation.org/wills
Every day six people are diagnosed with MND and there is no cure. If you have any questions or would like to discuss gifts in Wills, please email emma.fellows@mndassociation. org or call Emma Fellows, Legacy Manager, on 01604 611898.
Registered charity no: 294354
If our brain breaks down, we break down.
Leaving a gift in your will to Brain Research UK is a wonderful way to make a lasting difference to future generations by helping to accelerate research into neurological conditions. It will cost you nothing in your lifetime, but will help us to make a difference in years to come. Gifts both large and small help fund research to accelerate the progress of brain research.
We hope you’ll consider leaving a gift to Brain Research UK
www.brainresearchuk.org.uk
BWB Charity Hub, 10 Queen Street Place, London EC4R 1BE 020 7404 9982
Registered Charity no. 1137560. A company limited by guarantee. Registered in England no. 7345516.
The Horse Trust - Home of Rest for Heroes
For 135 years The Horse Trust’s Home of Rest for Horses has provided a new home and support for working horses and ponies. These hardworking equine public servants have served our nation in the Police, the Army or with charities which use horses to help people.
We also provide sanctuary to horses, ponies and donkeys who have su ered from cruelty or neglect and who are in desperate need of specialist treatment and care.
If you would like to help us with a kind donation, please visit us at www. horsetrust.org.uk
For more information please contact us on: Tel: 01494 488464 • Email: info@horsetrust.org.uk
RELIEVING CHRONIC PAIN THROUGH RESEARCH
CHRONIC PAIN - THE SILENT EPIDEMIC
› 1 in 10 people in the UK suffer from chronic pain – which does not go away. › Over half of sufferers endure chronic pain all day, every day of their lives. › Many sufferers say they can’t remember what it is like not to be in pain. › Thousands of sufferers lose their jobs because the pain is so bad that they cannot work. › Pain stops sufferers enjoying walking, shopping, sleeping; even playing with their children.
Chronic Pain affects people of all walks of life, 43% of the population suffer from chronic pain. Research costs money, and there is always an urgent need to provide more funds for more research. The Pain Relief Foundation DOES NOT receive funding from the NHS or any other Government body. Instead, our vital work depends entirely on donations and the generosity of people like you.
PLEASE MAKE A DONATION TODAY, Or leave a Legacy in your will.
For help and advice, contact us. Pain Relief Foundation, Clinical Sciences Centre, University Hospital Aintree, Liverpool L9 7AL
Telephone: 0151 529 5820 E-mail: lorraine.roberts@painrelieffoundation.org.uk www.painrelieffoundation.org.uk Registered Charity No. 1156227
