How to leave a gift to charity in your Will

You can change the lives of people living with dementia

Gifts in Wills fund a third of everything we do. They help us invest in ground-breaking research, offer vital support during the most frightening times of someone’s life, and demand urgent change from those in power.

That’s why we offer a free Will-writing service. Such a significant gift could change the lives of everyone affected by dementia – without impacting your current finances.

While our Will-writing service is free to use, many choose to leave something to Alzheimer’s Society because they believe in the power of gifts in Wills to help end the devastation caused by dementia.

Your Will-writing checklist: How to leave a gift in your will

It can be difficult to think about what will happen after we’re gone, but having a valid Will can give you peace of mind that your wishes will be carried out.

To help you get started, we’ve provided a list of questions which might be helpful to consider as part of the Will-writing process: 

1. Who would I like to include in my Will?

2. What gifts do I want to give?

3. What are my liabilities?

4. Do I need to pay any Inheritance Tax?

5. Who are my executors?

6. Who are my children’s guardians?

7. Do I have any other wishes?

8. Write my Will with Alzheimer’s Society’s free Will service.

9. How do I store my Will?

10. When should I update my Will?

You'll also find guidance here on how to word your wishes in your Will, with templates for you to follow, and FAQs with extra information.

1. Who would I like to include in my Will?

Your beneficiaries are the people and charities you’d like to give something to.  

If you choose to include a gift to Alzheimer’s Society in your Will to help end the devastation of dementia, please let us know so that we can thank you for your generosity and keep you updated about how we’re putting gifts in Wills to work.

2. What gifts do I want to give?

Your estate can include things like property you own, savings, investments, insurance policies, vehicles, jewellery, or artworks. The most common ways of leaving a gift to charity include cash gifts and 'residuary gift’ – a percentage of what is left after your loved ones have been provided for. You'll find more information on types of gift below.

3. What are my liabilities?

What money do you owe, for example, outstanding mortgages, loans or credit card balances? This will need to be settled, and they will be paid out of your estate.

4. Do I need to pay any Inheritance Tax?

Inheritance Tax is usually charged at 40% on your estate above a certain threshold.

However, gifts to charities are exempt from Inheritance Tax. They can even reduce the amount of tax your estate has to pay. This means that if you include a gift to a charity in your Will, more of your assets could be available for your beneficiaries.

For current information and guidance, please visit the HMRC website or call the HMRC Inheritance Tax Helpline on 0300 123 1072.

5. Who are my executors?

You’ll need to appoint an executor or executors, who are the people that will handle your Will and carry out your wishes. As this role can be quite time-consuming, many choose to appoint their solicitor or accountant, if they have one, as an executor.  

Whoever your executors are, you’ll need their full names and addresses to write your Will. 

6. Who are my children’s guardians?

If you have young children, you’ll need to appoint a guardian or guardians to assume legal responsibility for them in the event of your death before they reach the age of 18.

You should discuss this appointment with the individual(s) before writing your Will, to make sure they’re aware of the role and responsibility they would be taking on.

Like your executors, you’ll need their full names and addresses to write your Will.

7. Do I have any other wishes?

Common questions many ask themselves during this process can include: Do I have a funeral plan? Would I like a favourite song played? Who would I like to look after my pets?  

Including this information in your Will can give your loved ones important directions to follow when the time comes. However, these instructions are not legally binding. 

8. Writing or updating my Will with Alzheimer’s Society’s free Will service.

We can help you write your Will in three ways. Please take a look at all services and then choose the one that is best for you:

• Write a Will in-person, with the professional guidance of a local solicitor partner.
• Write a Will online, with the specialist support of our partner, Farewill.
• Write a Will over the phone, with the specialist support of our partner, Farewill.

9. How do I store my Will?

Once you’ve written your Will, you’ll need to keep it in a safe place and let your key contacts and loved ones know where to find it.

10. When should I update my Will?

Our solicitor partners recommend that you revisit your Will at least every five years to account for any changes in your life, and to think about your Will as a living document that walks with you through life.

Significant life changes such as buying a house, getting married or having children are all good reasons to think about making a Will or updating one.

How to word your wishes in your Will 

There are two main types of gift you can include to a charity in your Will.

Many choose to include what’s known as a ‘residuary gift’ – a percentage of what is left after your loved ones have been provided for – as these gifts are protected from inflation.

Or you could include a ‘pecuniary gift’ – which is a specific amount of money. 

You can also include an object or property in your Will – what’s called a ‘specific gift’ – and your solicitor or Will-writer will advise you how to include this.