# Research highlights potential for legacy giving with majority surveyed never considering it

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2024/02/22/research-highlights-potential-for-legacy-giving-with-majority-surveyed-never-considering-it/
- Published: 2024-02-22T08:06:03+00:00
- Author: Melanie May

**Just 7% of people surveyed by law firm Shakespeare Martineau say they have formalised
leaving a gift in their Will, while almost three quarters (74%) haven’t thought 
about it all.**

In addition, the survey of 1,000 people found that a further 1 in 6 (16%) people
have thought about leaving a legacy gift but have not made any formal provisions.
This was similar across various age groups, with those aged 35-44, 45-54 and 55+
exhibiting similar levels of contemplation (14%, 17% and 14%, respectively).

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Commenting on the findings, Gaynor Lanceley, head of legacy administration at [Shakespeare Martineau](https://www.shma.co.uk/),
said:

> “While the majority of people have not thought about leaving a gift to charity
> in their will, the proportion of individuals considering such provisions suggests
> there is a clear appetite in doing so.
>  
> “However, there remains a significant gap between intention and action – underscoring
> the importance of raising awareness about legacy giving and its benefits.”

Childless adults (26%) are more likely to have thought about leaving a gift to charity
in their will compared to parents (22%). Additionally, respondents from non-white
ethnic backgrounds are more predisposed towards considering charitable bequests (
32% compared to 22% of white respondents).

16% of those earning more than £75,000 said they had made provision to leave a gift
in their Will, compared with 4% of individuals earning £15,000 or less.

Lanceley added:

> “Legacy is an income stream that often gets overlooked in favour of other areas
> in a bid to bring in essential funds more quickly. However, investment in legacies
> really can produce a much higher return on investment and good stewardship of 
> donors can also promote lifetime giving.
>  
> “Our research shows there is a clear opportunity for charities to increase their
> focus on legacy giving to attract donors, which will, in turn, enable them to 
> continue providing the crucial services and support so many people rely on.”

According to Smee & Ford figures, [charity legacy income rose by 8% to £3.9bn](https://fundraising.co.uk/2023/12/06/latest-smee-ford-data-shows-legacy-income-rise-to-3-9bn-for-england-wales/)
in the year to the end of June 2023.

 * **[Legacy marketing investment increases to 6.2% of total fundraising spend](https://fundraising.co.uk/2024/05/08/legacy-marketing-investment-increases-to-6-2-of-total-fundraising-spend/)**(
   8 May 2024)
 * **[Online will writing service raises £1bn in legacy pledges](https://fundraising.co.uk/2024/05/23/online-will-writing-service-raises-1bn-in-legacy-pledges/)**(
   23 May 2024)
 * **[Legacy Futures invests in tech platform with aim of improving legacy admin process](https://fundraising.co.uk/2024/06/05/legacy-futures-invests-in-tech-platform-with-aim-of-improving-legacy-admin-process/)**(
   5 June 2024)