Gifts and donations to charity in a will

When your will is written to include gifts or donations to charities and organisations, you can continue to support them after you’re gone.

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There are several reasons why someone may want to leave a gift to charity when they die. It may be that the charity has assisted them or one of their loved ones, or it could simply be a cause they feel strongly about. Gifts and donations to charity in a will are normally exempt from Inheritance Tax. To qualify for the Inheritance Tax exemption, the charity requires a Charity Reference Number from HM Revenue & Customs.

Fixed fee wills start from as little as £149 for a single will.

How to leave a gift to charity in your will

Our will writing experts will discuss your wishes and your needs for donating to charity in your will. We'll explain your options and make sure your will covers multiple scenarios.

When we have all the details about what your will requires, we'll quote you a fixed price upfront for the agreed work and that price will not change. This is what we call a fixed fee will.

If you want to leave a gift or donation to a charity or an organisation in your will, you just need to tell us the name of the charity and what you would like them to receive. You can leave a fixed amount of money, a specific item or a share of your total estate.

We will then take care of the rest and draft your will, making sure that your wishes are clear.

Any amount of money, a possession or a property left to people or charities in a will are called legacies. You can make a legacy in your will for virtually any person or organisation of your choice.

It’s very important to ensure that your will is written correctly and is legally valid. If it isn’t, your chosen charity may not receive your legacy. For example, if you get married or you remarry, your will automatically becomes invalid unless it makes specific reference to your upcoming marriage.

If you die without a will, your estate (your home, car, bank accounts, investments and everything else you own) is distributed in accordance with the rules of intestacy. These rules make no mention of donations to any organisations (charitable or otherwise). If you have no living family members, all your property and possessions will go to the Crown.

What to consider when leaving a gift to charity?

It's important to note that pecuniary legacies will be paid before residuary legacies, so you'll want to take this into account when making your will.

For example, if you choose to leave £1,000 to charity and 50% of your residuary estate to each of your children, then if at the time of your death your estate is not worth as much as you expected, it's likely your children's inheritance that might be compromised.

If you make your will with a professional will writing firm, such as Co-op Legal Services, our will writers can go through these types of scenarios with you, making sure that every possible eventuality has been considered.

Find out more about legacies in wills.

Charitable legacies

Charitable legacies in wills currently account for the largest proportion of voluntary donations to charity. Without this income, charities would have to cut services and many would simply not exist. By making a will you can donate to charity.