Smee & Ford makes legacy alerts free for all
Howard Lake | 7 September 2026 | News
Smee & Ford, the national legacy notification service, is making registration free for every charity in the UK, in a move timed to coincide with Remember A Charity Week (7 to 13 September).
More than £1 billion a year goes unclaimed
New analysis from Legacy Futures shows that more than £1 billion a year is currently left to charities that are not registered to receive notifications when they are named in a will. Gifts in wills raise an estimated £4.4 billion a year for the sector, making them one of its most resilient sources of income, yet many charities remain unaware when they have been remembered.
That gap can delay legacy income significantly, or in some cases mean it is missed altogether. From Remember A Charity Week, any UK charity or nonprofit will be able to register for free alerts, regardless of size. There is no fee to remain registered and receive notifications; charities can then choose whether to purchase a fuller notification, including a copy of the will and grant of probate, once an alert is received.
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A service running for more than 125 years
Smee & Ford has operated the National Legacy Notification Service for more than 125 years, and is now part of the wider Legacy Futures group alongside Legacy Foresight, Legacy Voice and Legacy Link, itself part of the MiExact group.
Matthew Lagden, chief executive of the Institute of Legacy Management, said:
“Every charity should be able to know when a supporter has chosen to remember them in their will. Registering to receive legacy notifications is a simple but vital step that charities and voluntary organisations of every size can take.”
Ashley Rowthorn, executive director at Legacy Futures and Smee & Ford, added:
“Every gift left in a will represents someone’s final commitment to a cause they cared deeply about. The launch of free alerts registration marks an important step forward for the charity sector. By making alerts free for every charity, we’re removing barriers and helping ensure that no organisation misses out.”
The service does not yet cover all legacy notifications for wills in Scotland and Northern Ireland, where wills are administered differently. Charities can register at Legacy Futures.
- Inaugural Smee & Ford Legacy Giving Awards is open for entries (10 October 2022)
- Legacy Futures and Smee & Ford partner to offer charities comprehensive legacy service (12 August 2024)
- Charitable legacies most likely from younger will makers and volunteers (2 May 2025)
About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.