How do charities ask for gifts in wills?

Gently and consistently, not with a hard sell. The most effective legacy fundraising simply makes supporters aware that leaving a gift in their will is possible and welcome, explains the difference it would make, and points them to clear, practical information. It is an invitation woven through your regular communications, not a one-off aggressive ask.

How much of a will can be left to charity?

A person can leave any amount to charity, from a fixed sum to their entire estate. Most charitable gifts are either a fixed amount, a specific item, or a share of what is left after other gifts and costs, known as a residuary gift. Residuary gifts tend to be the most valuable to charities because they keep pace with the value of the estate over time.

Are gifts to charity in a will tax free?

Gifts to charity in a will are generally exempt from inheritance tax, and leaving at least 10 percent of an estate to charity can reduce the inheritance tax rate on the rest of the estate. This is a genuine benefit worth mentioning, but supporters should always be advised to talk to a solicitor or professional adviser about their own situation.

Legacy Fundraising: How to Ask for Gifts in Wills

Legacy income is the largest voluntary income source for many UK charities, yet most are afraid to ask for it. This is how to talk about gifts in wills with warmth and confidence, without being morbid or pushy.

For many UK charities, the single largest source of voluntary income is not events, not major donors, and not regular giving. It is legacies, gifts left in wills. And yet legacy fundraising is the thing most charities avoid, because it feels awkward to raise, tangled up with death, and somehow greedy. That discomfort costs the sector an enormous amount of money every year. The truth is that most people who could leave a gift to a cause they love simply never realise it is an option, because no one ever gently told them. This guide is about how to have that conversation with warmth and confidence.

Why legacies matter more than charities admit

Legacy income has a few qualities that make it uniquely valuable, and understanding them changes how seriously you take it.

It is often large: a gift in a will is frequently the biggest single donation a supporter ever makes.
It is loyal money: people leave gifts to causes they have believed in for years, which reflects a deep relationship.
It is long-term and resilient: legacy income is less exposed to short-term economic ups and downs than event or appeal income.
It compounds: a residuary gift grows with the value of the estate, so its worth can rise over the decades between the pledge and the gift.

The catch is the timescale. Legacy fundraising is a long game; the gifts you receive this year were often decided years or decades ago. That is precisely why the charities that do it consistently pull ahead, and why the ones who keep putting it off keep missing out.

Get past the fear of asking

The biggest barrier is emotional, not practical. Fundraisers worry that raising legacies is morbid, that it will upset supporters, or that it looks like the charity is circling. In reality, well done legacy fundraising is gentle and welcome. You are not asking anyone to die. You are letting people who love your cause know that they can extend their support beyond their lifetime, if they wish.

You are not asking someone to think about death. You are offering someone who loves your cause a way to make their belief in it last.

The reframe that helps most: a legacy gift is the ultimate expression of a supporter relationship. People who leave gifts overwhelmingly say they are glad to, and proud to. Denying them the knowledge that they can is not protecting them, it is withholding something they would value.

Understand the types of gift

You do not need to be a legal expert, but you do need to understand the basic shapes a gift can take, so you can explain them simply.

A pecuniary gift: a fixed sum of money, for example a specific amount left to your charity.
A specific gift: a particular item, such as property, shares, or a possession.
A residuary gift: a share, or all, of what is left of the estate after other gifts, debts and costs are settled. These are especially valuable because they keep their value over time.

When you talk to supporters, gently encouraging residuary gifts is worth doing, because a percentage of an estate holds its value far better than a fixed sum set decades earlier. But any gift, of any size, is worth welcoming warmly.

Weave the message through your communications

Legacy fundraising is not a campaign you run once. It is a quiet, steady presence across everything you do, so that over years the message reaches supporters at the moments in their lives when they are writing or updating a will.

Include a short, gentle mention in newsletters and appeals, not as the main ask but as a standing invitation.
Create a simple, clear page on your website explaining how to leave a gift, with the practical details people need.
Tell stories of the difference past legacies have made, with the family permission and sensitivity that requires.
Thank and involve people who tell you they have pledged, because a pledger who feels appreciated rarely changes their mind.

Consistency beats intensity here. One heartfelt line in every newsletter, year after year, will raise more than a single big legacy push that then goes silent.

Make the practical part easy

When someone is moved to consider a gift, the last thing you want is for the process to feel complicated. Give them what they need to act, and always point them to proper advice.

Provide your charity full legal name and registered charity number, which they will need for their will.
Explain the simple options: writing a new will, or adding a gift through a codicil to an existing one.
Mention the tax position honestly: gifts to charity are generally free of inheritance tax, and a gift of at least 10 percent of an estate can reduce the tax rate on the rest.
Always advise people to use a solicitor or professional will writer, and never position yourself as giving them legal advice.

That last point matters for trust as well as compliance. Your job is to inform and invite, not to draft wills or pressure anyone. Keeping that boundary clear is part of doing legacy fundraising the right way, and the Code of Fundraising Practice expects it.

Play the long game with care

Legacy fundraising rewards patience and warmth above almost anything else. You will plant seeds that take years to grow, and you will rarely know exactly when a quiet mention in a newsletter tipped someone into deciding. But the charities that talk about gifts in wills gently, consistently, and without embarrassment build an income stream that can one day underpin everything else they do. The hardest part is simply starting the conversation. Start it kindly, keep it going, and let the people who love your cause do the rest.