The proportion of wills that include a gift to charity has increased by 50 per cent since 2014, new figures show.
The 2022 Savanta Will-Writing Tracking Study, published today, shows 24 per cent of wills written by solicitors and professional will-writers include a charitable gift, up from 16 per cent in 2014.
The study, which is based on computer-aided telephone interviews conducted in December and January among 230 solicitors, will-writers and independent financial advisers, was commissioned by Remember A Charity, a consortium of almost 200 charities that works to encourage people to leave a charitable gift in their wills.
The annual research shows a steady increase in the proportion of people leaving a gift to charity in their wills in recent years.
The latest study found that 36 per cent of those surveyed said they always raised the option of a charitable legacy with relevant customers, while 9 per cent said they never did so.
Of those who do not always raise the subject, 26 per cent said the main reason was because they did not want to influence their client’s decision.
When asked about the most common barriers to legacy giving for their clients, respondents said the most common reasons were that people wanted to leave their full estate to their family (cited by 83 per cent of those polled).
Other reasons included having difficulty choosing which charity or charities to support or that the decision might lead to a dispute – both reasons were raised by 38 per cent of respondents.
Lucinda Frostick, director of Remember A Charity, said: “When it comes to growing legacy giving, engagement and support from across the will-writing community is crucial.
“This benchmarking study charts a continual rise in the proportion of wills made through solicitors and will-writers that include a charitable gift and that’s so important for charities that rely on legacy income.
“These donations may not arrive for some years yet, but they will fund vital services and charities’ core costs for generations to follow.”