Over £4 billion is generously donated to UK charities each year from Gifts in Wills - a quarter of this is distributed to the UK’s 10 largest charities.

In Wales, the amount donated through gifts in wills annually is growing faster than any other country in the UK, with over £20 million gifted to charities.

It’s often the smaller local charities that are forgotten. We encourage local charities to consider sensitively getting the message to their supporters that leaving a Gift in a Will to a local charity is possible.

The not for profit sector in Swansea is proud of the positive action that it has taken to improve people’s lives, health and their local environment. Gifts in Wills from supporters, beneficiaries trustees and staff of local causes means that the sector can be better placed to be here in the future, making a difference. 

Thinking local for Gifts in Wills helps organisations meet challenges head on and provide hopeful opportunities for change in the future. 

That's wonderful isn't it? The very last thing we do on earth is to to make the world that we're leaving behind just that little bit better

Below is a video produced by a number of Swansea based charities (in October 2024) talking about what a difference leaving a legacy to smaller organisations can mean.

We encourage all organisations in Swansea to deal with gifts in wills in a sensitive way, respecting the rights and wishes of families. We ask that organisation’s always:

• Understand that family and loved ones come first in Wills
• Demonstrate that privacy comes first, and any donors will always be treated fairly
• Respect the donor’s right to confidentiality when it comes size of the gift in the will, and that organisations will not ask about the gift’s size
• Understand that the donor may wish to change their Will in the future and this will be respected
• Promise to treat any gifts with the greatest of care in line with the donor’s wishes

We always recommend that your potential donor/s speak to a solicitor when leaving a gift or making changes to a Will. You can find a local solicitor on the Law Society's database. 

There are also solicitors who provide specialist legal advice for older and vulnerable people, their families and carers (an example of this is Solicitors For The Elderly).

The Charity Commission strongly advises that charity employees should never become directly involved in drafting an individual’s will. However, organisations can work with a solicitor to provide some suggested wording or clauses for your supporters to add to their wills.

If you need further support before undertaking a Gifts in Wills strategy, please contact SCVS Development Team on [email protected]