Legacy giving continues to rise, Remember A Charity report shows
Melanie May | 9 April 2018 | News
Legacy giving is steadily rising, with 27% of charity donors now preparing to leave a charitable legacy or having already done so, according to Remember A Charity’s latest Impact Report.
This is up from 23% in March 2009, Remember A Charity’s figures show.
Of the over-40s questioned in 2017, one in six (16%) say they have written a charity into their will (the second highest figure on record behind its peak of 17% in 2015) and 11% say they are preparing to do so (up from 7% in 2015 and 9% in 2016). A further 13% say they are contemplating it.
Remember A Charity’s Impact Report also shows that awareness of legacies is growing, with only 12% of those surveyed saying they are unaware of the option of donating to charity through their Will, down from 17% in 2009.
The proportion of people rejecting the prospect is falling: down to 9% from 2009’s figure of 13%.
Rob Cope, Director of Remember A Charity, said:
“Legacy behaviour and attitudes are really starting to change. While we are likely to see some fluctuation year-on- year, now with nine years of comparable data, we can see a sustained shift in public attitudes towards legacies. This echoes findings from Legacy Foresight and Smee and Ford, showing longer-term growth in the number of gifts in wills and charities benefitting, as well as the amount given.
“Bearing in mind that only 6% of people that die currently leave a legacy, even a small percentage increase can make a big difference in terms of charitable returns.
“It’s an exciting time for the sector, but with more and more charities coming into the marketplace, there is even greater need for organisations to invest in this area of fundraising and ensure they can continue to rely on such a vital income stream.”
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About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.