Attitudes to legacy giving shifting with 4 in 10 now happy to leave a gift to charity
Melanie May | 24 May 2019 | News
Remember A Charity’s latest consumer tracking poll has found that four in ten people now say they would be happy to leave a gift to charity in their Will, up from 35% in 2008.
The OnePoll survey commissioned by Remember A Charity and conducted during March and April this year found that 40% of people aged 40+ would be happy to give a small percentage of their estate to charity, up from 35% in 2008. Almost two thirds (65%) said that it was acceptable to leave your entire estate to charity if you wish.
The large majority (70%) of respondents felt that people should tell their children if they intended to leave a ‘reasonable sum of money’ to charity in their Will. Only one in four (26%) thought their family would object to them making such a gift, down from 31% in 2008.
In 2008, the majority of respondents said that it was better to give money when you are alive than through a legacy (63%) and that close relatives have a right to the majority of an estate (72%). Today, according to the latest survey findings, those views are held by less than half, at 47% and 41% respectively.
Rob Cope, Director of Remember A Charity, said:
“We’ve seen a real shift in attitudes in recent years with the public indicating that they are more open to the concept of legacy giving and this is a positive sign for the years ahead.
“While legacy income will inevitably fluctuate to reflect wider economic trends, the public’s propensity to give is the key driving factor for market growth. This poll suggests not only that the public is more willing to leave a gift, but that they have a clearer understanding of legacy giving and think people should be free to do what they want with their estates.
“People still do worry about how their family might feel if they leave a charitable gift in their Will and this underlines the importance of encouraging potential legators to discuss their wishes with their family, reducing the risk of dispute.”
The challenge now for Remember A Charity, Cope added, and a key pillar of its new three-year strategy, is to review what can be done to shift the emphasis on from building awareness to inspiring supporters into taking action and writing charitable gifts into their Wills.
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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.