How to a leave a gift in your Will
Your Will is one of the most important documents you’ll ever make. In fact, having an up-to-date Will is the only way to be sure that your wishes will be honoured when you die, and that loved ones will be provided for in the way you intended.
However, making or updating a Will needn’t be difficult or expensive and including a gift to charity is pretty straightforward too - just follow these four simple steps.
Whether you're creating your first Will or looking to update or amend an existing one, leaving a gift is simple – just follow these four steps.
There are three main options: A percentage gift, e.g. 99% to friends and family and 1% to us. These gift are especially powerful as they’re unaffected by inflation.
Alternatively you can leave a fixed amount or a specific item such as a piece of jewellery or shares that can be sold to fund our work.
When remembering us in your Will, you can also choose to dedicate your gift to the memory of a loved one. That way, the work we’ll go on to do in their name will be part of their legacy too. Alternatively, you can pledge your gift to any Supporter Group you belong to. If you’d like to do this, please let your Will writer know so they can ensure that your gift is recognised as a tribute or directed to a specific named Supporter Group.
You don’t need to tell us how much you plan to leave, but we’d love to be able to say thank you for choosing this very special way of giving. Plus having an indication of future gifts is a wonderful vote of confidence in our amazing researchers, so please let us know.
Will writing services for our supporters
If you're thinking of including a gift to us, thank you so much. We promise to look after it with integrity and passion, no matter its size. Here’s how we can help:
Make your Will for free
All of our supporters can make a simple single or Mirror Will for free, via the National Free Wills Network. We pay a reduced fee to the network for each Will made so that our supporters can write their Will at no cost to them. The National Free Wills Network partner with over 700 local law firms across the UK so there should be one local to you.
For a referral, call us on 01252 749043 or email your full name and address to mygift@thebraintumourcharity.org.
The National Free Wills Network will then be in contact by post, with details of solicitors in your area. Simply choose a solicitor from the list and arrange an appointment.
Once you've had your meeting, you'll be asked to complete a Confidential Declaration Form where you can tell us if you've included a gift in your Will, but there's absolutely no obligation to do so.
Make your Will at home for a discounted rate
If you’d rather a professional visit you in your own home to draw up your Will, The Goodwill Partnership offers discounted rates to our supporters.
Simply call The Goodwill Partnership directly on 0844 669 6148 or sign up online at thegoodwillpartnership.co.uk/thebraintumourcharity
A trained member of staff from the Goodwill Partnership will come to your home or another place of your choosing at a time that suits you to take your Will instructions. This can also be done over the telephone.
A solicitor will then draw up your Will and present it to you. This home service would usually cost between £250-£450 but as one of our supporters, you’ll pay just £130 when you go through the Goodwill Partnership.
If you prefer, you can find a solicitor in your local area via The Law Society's Find a Solicitor service. And if you have any questions, you can always contact us.
