There’s no particular ‘type’ of person who leaves a gift in their Will.
Women tend to be more likely to leave a charitable gift or legacy simply because women generally live longer than men.
But, absolutely anyone can leave a gift in their Will as long as –
1. They have an up to date and valid Will
2. They have specified the amount of or type of gift they would like to leave and to which charity or charities
It really doesn’t matter what your ‘demographic’ is, leaving a gift in your Will is a simple and straightforward way of supporting your favourite charity even after your death.
When a charity receives a gift in a Will, they may discover that that person has long been associated with their charity either as a regular donor, a volunteer or perhaps they’ve used its services previously.
In other instances, it’s more difficult to find the connection as they have no record of the person on their database but more than likely there is a particular reason why someone decided to leave a charitable gift in their Will.
We asked a few people about their reasons for selecting their particular charity.
Sheena, Belfast, ‘I was quite surprised to learn that my Dad has left a gift in his Will to the RNLI, it’s not a charity I knew that he a connection with but he told me that he’s always admired their work and would never pass a collection tin without dropping in a few pounds.’
Jonny, Newtownards, ‘We’ve really appreciated the support of a number of different charities over the years with our son who has learning difficulties so we knew when it came to writing our Will that we would like to thank them in some small way.’
Emma, Lisburn, ‘I’ve always felt a close connection to the Marie Curie Hospice, my grandmother was cared for there and even though I was quite young I remember how much support the nurses gave my mum during a very difficult time. I’ll definitely be leaving a gift in my Will to Marie Curie.’
Carol, Belfast, ‘I’ve supported my local animal sanctuary throughout my adult life, leaving in donations to their charity shop, a monthly donation and dropping off old towels and bedding at the sanctuary itself so it was only natural that when it came to writing my Will I’d be leaving them a gift. I know they’ll put it to good work.’
Everyone we spoke to had a different story to tell and their own unique reasons for supporting their particular charity, but it shows anyone can leave a gift in their Will and continue to support the work of a much-loved charity even after death.
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Will to Give is a unique network of charities working together to encourage people in Northern Ireland to leave a charitable gift in their Will.
For more information about how you can leave a gift in your Will click here.
