# Charitable legacies most likely from younger will-makers and volunteers - Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2025/05/02/charitable-legacies-most-likely-from-younger-will-makers-and-volunteers/ - Published: 2025-05-02T16:38:15+01:00 - Author: Howard Lake **Remember A Charity’s annual consumer tracking study reports that almost 1 in 3 supporters aged over 40 with a Will have already included a charity, while younger Will-makers and volunteers are most likely to leave a gift in their Will.** The encouraging findings are based on a survey carried out in November 2024, and** suggest that legacy giving has become increasingly prevalent across the board, particularly for younger Will-makers**. The benchmarking study is carried out by independent research firm OKO and surveys more than 2,000 charity donors aged 40+ to track legacy giving attitudes and behaviour. Over the last 15 years, the study, which follows Prochaska’s Stages of Change model, has tracked long-term forward movement in legacy giving from awareness through to preparation and action. ## Advertisement [⌊Posthub advert. You create the campaign. We'll handle the postal journey. Get started at post-hub.co.uk.⌉](https://fundraising.co.uk/ads/posthub-20261007-300x250/) The research is commissioned by Remember A Charity, the UK’s charity consortium working to grow the legacy giving market. ## Key findings * Almost 1 in 3 (**31%**) supporters aged 40+ with a Will have already included a charitable gift * This rises to around half (**49%**) of those without children * More than half of legacy pledgers say they first wrote a charitable gift into their Will in their 40s and 50s (**55%**) * Younger Will-makers and volunteers are most likely to leave a gift in their Will ## Legacy giving prevalent for Generation X Although older generations are more likely to have a Will, **34%** of people with Wills in their 40s and 50s have included a charitable gift, compared with **30%** of those aged 60+. The latest data reveals that over half of legacy pledgers had done so in their 40s (**23%**) and 50s (**32%**), with others at an even younger age. ## Do supporters change Wills and beneficiary charities? While individuals can amend their Wills at any time, the research found that **50%** of those with a Will, and **41%** of those aged over 70, **have never changed it**. If anything, supporters are **four times as likely to have added than removed a charity when making changes to their Will **(43% vs 11%). Will your charity be aware of this? Probably not. The majority of pledgers (**67%**) have not told the charity they have left a donation in their Will. The date of first writing a will is a new element to the research. Lucinda Frostick, director of Remember A Charity, said: > “For the first time of running this study, we asked supporters to tell us how > old they were when they wrote a charity into their Will, revealing that many pledgers > include a charity at a younger age than fundraisers might anticipate. While this > enthusiasm for giving amongst younger generations is greatly encouraging and bodes > well for the future of the legacy market, the reality is that stewarding supporters > for many decades is a challenge, particularly when so many pledgers are unknown. > “This generation of hidden pledgers emphasises the importance for charities of > maintaining best practice across the board, building trust and confidence in all > they do and of continuing to nurture every supporter as a prospective legator.” ![Findings from Remember a Charity's survey which find that few pledgers tell the charity.](https://wfay6x.infiniteuploads.cloud/2025/04/CleanShot-2025-04-03-at-14.15.00@ 2x.png) Few pledges tell the charity. Source: Remember A Charity ## Long-term rise in legacy giving The study finds a continued rise in recognising the value and possibility of leaving a gift in a Will. In 2010 **13%** of respondents rejected the concept of leaving a charitable gift in their Will, but by 2024 this had dropped to **8%**. Those most likely to have pledged a gift include: * volunteers (**29%**) * those who have been supported by or have fundraised for a charity (**28%**) * and those who donate regularly (**27% **for weekly donors, and **25%** for monthly donors). Frostick highlighted the opportunity for charities in recognising the link between volunteers and likely legacy pledgers. She said: > “While legacy giving may seem – and often is – a natural progression from regular > giving, the study shows that there is a strong correlation with volunteering, > along with those who have benefitted from charitable services. > “This highlights the opportunity for charities to ensure that their volunteers > know about the importance of legacies, how valued they are and that any such gifts > can help to make a difference to the charity’s work long into the future.” ## What are the motivations for and barriers to legacy giving? The prime motivations for including a charitable gift include the recognition that: * even a small gift can make a difference (**35%**); * charities rely on gifts in Wills to continue their vital work (**30%**); * and leaving a gift is a natural step after supporting charities for a long time(** 27%**). ![What do people say about their top movitations for giving? Table from the Remember a Charity survey.](https://wfay6x.infiniteuploads.cloud/2025/04/CleanShot-2025-04- 03-at-14.15.53@2x.png) Source: Remember a Charity And why might people not include a charitable gift? The study found that, for those who have written a Will: * **63%** wanted to leave everything to family and friends * **30%** believed they didn’t have the money or assets to leave a large amount * **25%** simply didn’t think about it at the time A [summary report](https://www.rememberacharity.org.uk/media/gyfcqnh4/oko-summary-report-2025-public-march-2025-1.pdf) is published on the consortium’s website, with a full report and six legacy consumer personas available for Remember A Charity members here. * **[Remember A Charity launches a wealth advisor committee](https://fundraising.co.uk/2024/11/22/remember-a-charity-launches-wealth-advisor-committee/)( 22 November 2024) * **[Remember A Charity Week 2023: who’s doing what](https://fundraising.co.uk/2023/09/14/remember-a-charity-week-whos-doing-what/)( 14 September 2023) * **[Legacy Futures and Smee & Ford partner to offer charities comprehensive legacy service](https://fundraising.co.uk/2024/08/12/legacy-futures-and-smee-ford-partner-to-offer-charities-comprehensive-legacy-service/)( 12 August 2024)**