Luen’s blog: What will your legacy be?

We know there are many people out there who would love to support our charity but simply feel they can’t afford it, or can’t afford to give as much as they would like. Leaving a legacy, or a gift in your will, is a way of giving to a favourite cause without there being a cost during your lifetime. Better still, because legacy gifts are made before tax is paid, they can be a very attractive way of giving to charity and minimising tax on inheritance.

Legacies are an incredibly important ingredient in our fundraising mix. Around 10% of our annual income comes from legacy gifts, money we use to keep our reserves at an appropriate level to deal with unforeseen expenditure and to invest in being able to support more children and families.

Unlike adult hospices, those leaving a legacy to Forget Me Not aren’t generally families who have experienced our services. They tend to be people who want to support and invest in a local cause they value.

And it doesn’t matter how much you want to give. Legacy giving isn’t just for wealthy people, anyone can leave a gift that will make a difference to their favourite cause. You can do so by setting a specific amount you want to leave, known as a ‘pecuniary gift’, or you can choose a ‘residuary gift’ which is a share of whatever is left after everything else has been distributed, such as bequests to family and friends and any costs. The choice is yours and may depend on the value of your assets, what and who you want to support after your death and the things that you personally value. Whatever you decide, you can be sure your gift will be very much appreciated by the local children and families living with a life limiting condition who need your support and will benefit from your gift.

If you are one of the very many people who have not yet made a will, we are making it really easy for you during our Make a Will fortnight. Whether you choose to leave a gift in your will to Forget Me Not or not, you and your family will have the reassurance of knowing what you want to happen when you die. Our chosen will writing partners can help you to get this sorted and half their fees will be donated to us, your local children’s hospice.

Thank you for considering leaving a gift in your will.