Remember a Charity
Remember A Charity is a
consortium of 200 UK charities, working together with government and partners
across the legal sector to inspire people to consider leaving gifts to charity
in their Wills.
More than 800 solicitor firms and
legal advisors are signed up to our Campaign Supporter scheme, committing to
make Will-writing clients aware of the charitable option available, and providing
impartial information about how they can support good causes as well as loved
ones in their Wills. We provide free resources, template news items and imagery
for supporters to share with their client base to get charitable Will-writing
conversations started.
Addressing the disconnect
between the desire to give and action
Our research shows that 40% of
the UK want to leave a gift to charity in their Will after taking care of loved
ones, but only 7% currently do. Remember A Charity exists to help address this
disconnect by raising awareness and increasing understanding of legacy giving
amongst the public.
Why is it that people that wish
to give so often don’t? Our research shows that one of the most prominent
reasons people give is simply that they didn’t think of it at the time.
However, research from the Cabinet Office Behavioural Insights Team has found
that simply mentioning the charitable option during Will-writing will double
and, in some cases, triple the likelihood that a client will leave a donation.
We provide guidance and support
to advisers about how to approach such conversations, along with background
information about just how crucial this form of giving is to UK charities.
Raising almost £4 billion for good causes a year, gifts in Wills are the
largest single source of voluntary income in the UK.
Empowering clients
The good news is that charitable
Will-writing is becoming more popular year-on-year. 20% of over 40s have chosen
to leave a gift in their Will, up from 14% ten years earlier. But how do you
get the conversation started?
Often, legal advisors highlight
that many of their other clients like to include a charitable gift in their
Will, conveying that this is a growing and popular way of giving. For clients
whose estates will likely face inheritance tax, highlighting the tax incentives
of giving can be very powerful. Charitable gifts in Wills are tax-free. So, not
only can donations reduce the total taxable value of an estate, but if the
client chooses to leave 10 per cent or more to good causes, IHT on the taxable
portion of the estate is reduced from 40% to 36%.
By letting your clients know that
they have the option of including a gift to charity in their Will, you can
enable and empower them to support good causes for generations to come.
To find out more, visit www.rememberacharity.org.uk