The majority of charity supporters in their 40s and over have written a will (at 61%) and just under one third (31%) of those with wills have included a charitable gift, according to new research released by Remember A Charity.
Charitable wills are most prevalent amongst younger will-makers, with 34% of those in their 40s and 50s having included a charity, compared with 30% of people with wills aged 60+.
Charitable legacies now raise more than £4 billion of vital funding a year for good causes across the UK, with almost 11,000 charities named in wills.
Remember A Charity’s consumer benchmarking study is carried out by independent research firm OKO and surveys more than 2,000 charity donors aged 40+ annually to track charitable will-writing attitudes and behaviour. It follows Prochaska’s Stages of Change model and has tracked long-term forward movement in legacy giving from awareness through to preparation and action over the last 15 years. The latest data is for 2024.
This year’s research reveals that the average age of writing a will is 50 and that half (50%) of those with a will – and 41% of those aged over 70 – have never updated it. However, the study also found that supporters are four times as likely to have added than removed a charity when making changes to their will (43% vs 11%).
Key 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%).
For those who have written a will, but haven’t included a charitable gift, 1 in 4 simply didn’t think about it at the time. The most prevalent reason (63%) for not including a charity was that they wanted to leave everything to family and friends, while 30% said it was because they didn’t have the money or assets to leave a large amount.
What’s more, the research also shows that 66% of those who have written a will used a solicitor. Lucinda Frostick, director of Remember A Charity, said:
“This study shows long-term growth in people’s appetite for including a charity in their Will, but what’s particularly fascinating is to see how prevalent this has become for younger Will-makers, seeding hope for the future. Over the years, legacy donations have become a crucial income stream for charities and community-based organisations across the UK, building their resilience and funding services for future generations.
Solicitors and professional Will-writers continue to play a critical role in increasing awareness across their client base of the option of including a charitable gift in a Will, alongside gifts for family and friends.”
Remember A Charity runs a free Campaign Supporter scheme for solicitors and will-writers, providing promotional resources and useful guidance for referencing legacy giving with clients. Find out more at www.rememberacharity.org.uk/about-us/for-solicitors-will-writers
