Local charities join forces to encourage legacy gifts
36 of Northern Ireland’s most respected charities joined forces at Parliament Buildings, Stormont on Thursday 27th March 2014 to raise awareness of the importance of legacy gifts.
‘Will to Give’ is a consortium of some of Northern Ireland’s most well-known charities, whose aim is to encourage and promote gifts in wills to all charities across the country.
Building on research trends in Northern Ireland on legacy giving over the last 70 years, local solicitor, Michael Graham, reported on research undertaken over the last year, which shows that the percentage of charitable gifts left by women has increased significantly from 48% in 1937 to 65% in 2013. In addition, the research highlighted that gifts for the benefit of religion, healthcare and poverty remain the causes which are closest to people’s hearts in Northern Ireland when it comes to legacy giving.
The event also emphasised the importance of the role of local solicitors when drafting clients’ wills, informing individuals of the possibility of leaving a legacy gift to those charities they have supported throughout their lives.
Mr Jim Wells, MLA, hosting the event, stated: “I am delighted to support Will to Give. As a previous legacy officer and a current legacy pledger, I fully appreciate the importance of gifts in wills and their power to support our most cherished charities here in Northern Ireland.”
Claire Smyth, Interim Chair of Will to Give, added: “People in Northern Ireland are extremely generous when it comes to showing their support for good causes. Gifts in wills are vital to charities – they help fund ground-breaking research into our most devastating illnesses, they provide services which support the most vulnerable people in our communities and they help save lives in disadvantaged countries worldwide, making a significant impact here in Northern Ireland and beyond these shores.”
