Leave a lasting legacy of care
Charities are struggling for money amid Covid- 19. A gift in your Will can make a huge impact, writes Sandra Dick
They are there when we need them most; picking up the pieces if we’ve had bad news, aiding the search for medical breakthroughs, offering advice and devoted to making things better. As Covid- 19 brought disruption to all our lives, charities answered a flood of calls for support and guidance, rapidly adapting to ensure vital work continued.
But just as the pandemic has left its mark on all our lives, so too have charities suffered. Countless events which would normally raise precious funds – from marathons to sponsored walks – have been cancelled. Charity shops have had to shut their doors and face- to- face street fundraising has halted.
It has left many charities with a massive financial headache, just as they are needed more than ever.
“Charities are the fabric of society, and when society is under so much strain and change inevitably people call on these charities even more,” said Rob Cope, director of the Remember A Charity consortium of charities behind Remember A Charity Week.
“Demand in Scotland has gone up significantly in many areas, at the same time as charities have not been able to fundraise as normal. It means legacy fundraising is even more important.”
Remember A Charity Week, which runs from 7- 13 September, is a special time to celebrate the inspiring work provided by charities and to make sure we consider how we can continue to support them even after we’ve gone, by leaving a precious gift in our Will.
Every single legacy gift – regardless of how big or small – is hugely valued, and together they bring more than £ 3 billion a year to good causes.
And as other sources of income have dried up, gifts in Wills left to charities have become even more important, helping to keep work going through the restrictions of lockdown, helping charities quickly adapt to the “new normal” and continuing their essential work.
However, there are difficult days ahead. In one recent report from the Chartered Institute of Fundraising and Charity Finance Group, charities surveyed said they were expecting to see a 24 per cent drop in their total income for the year.
This would equate to a £ 1.39bn loss in total income for 2020 for the Scottish charity sector.
Not surprisingly, recent research from the Scottish Charity Regulator showed almost every charity in Scotland had reported some form of negative impact from Covid- 19 and lockdown.
An overwhelming majority – 92 per cent – of charities reported seeing their ability to deliver services disrupted, while a fifth foresee a “critical impact” to their finances at some point within the next 12 months.
Just over half – 51 per cent – have stated that they have lost income and, worryingly, one in five Scottish charities predict they face being unable to achieve all they had hoped in the coming year.
Cope says: “A lot of Scottish charities have been severely hit. It’s those who have established legacy giving programmes that will be able to keep going.
“From speaking to Scottish charities, it’s very clear that many have had to completely rethink how they communicate with supporters and how they provide their services. For a lot of them, demand for their services has soared at the same time as income is down.
“In some cases, as much as a quarter of a charity’s income can come from challenge events like the London Marathon, and these fundraising events are not happening now. Charity shops have shut, and a lot of the retail opportunities which are really important to charities’ income have stopped.
“Gifts in Wills are what have enabled many charities to be financially resilient during this crisis.”
In the case of Cancer Research UK, onethird of its vital work is funded by gifts in Wills. Leaving a legacy helps lead to breakthroughs and the chance that future generations might be free of the misery a cancer diagnosis brings.
Gifts in Wills are crucial to the work of the RNLI, helping to cover the costs of six out of every ten lifeboat launches, as well as providing funds for training and the protective gear needed by lifeguards to stay safe and save lives.
And at Scotland’s national children’s hospices run by CHAS, gifts left in Wills help families to celebrate the lives of their children while they are together and honour their memory when they are gone.
Far from solemn places, the hospices are filled with joy – and it was vital their work continued despite the difficulties of lockdown. The charity turned its support on its head, to provide a world first ‘ virtual hospice’, bringing everything from important medical advice to the fun- filled clown doctors straight to families’ homes.
Legacy gifts help CHAS pay for the care of one in every four children.
Cope says: “Charities exist to help people, and they have been under huge strain because they’ve been unable to work the way they would normally do.
“We have seen how important medical research – which is often protected by gifts in Wills – is during this crisis. We have seen how the environment and nature has helped us through. So much work that is carried out to protect and enhance the environment is funded by gifts in Wills. We have seen the impact of the pandemic on arts and culture and music. Again, gifts in Wills can help charities keep things going.”
According to a recent report from the Scottish Council of Voluntary Organisations, before the pandemic struck legacies were worth £ 126m to the sector – 2.1 per cent of its total income.
With no clear sign yet of when things will get back to normal, gifts in Wills will be needed more than ever to provide financial stability and to help charities recover.
“It is no doubt inevitable that some will really struggle to survive,” Cope warns. “Remember, this is not about the charities as such, it’s about the work they do and making sure their work survives this pandemic is crucial.” Thankfully, there is some hope.
“This disease has made us all think about how fragile life is and what matters to us. We have been very encouraged to have seen a huge increase in the number of people enquiring about charitable Wills – visits to our website doubled in March.
“I think people have been reflecting on their own lives and looking to get their lives in order.”
It can be uncomfortable to think of a time when we’re not here, however, people who have made a Will often talk about how remarkably straightforward it is, and how comforting it is to know they have set down what they want to happen.
Having a Will takes huge pressure off loved ones during an already stressful time, making it clear what your wishes are and without the need for complicated legal processes that can be costly and upsetting.
You don’t have to know precise details of the value of your estate – you can arrange to leave a percentage of it to a favourite charity or a cause that you feel a particular connection with.
Cope says: “Gifts in Wills are about shaping the future. At a time of crisis when we have all had to reflect on what it means to lose people, on our sense of community and society, part of that reflection is about shaping the world and the future we want to see. Making a Will is important, it’s easy to do and you don’t have to leave a lot of money to make a difference for generations to come.”
Deciding to leave a legacy can be a surprisingly comforting thing to do too.
“People who have made a Will often say that they feel good to have done it, it’s such a positive thing,” he says. “I think of it as the last chapter of my book, and a chance to create an ending around who I want to support beyond my own life.
“I have left three gifts in my Will, so I know these charities will benefit for years to come and I take some pride in knowing I’ll be doing something amazing by passing on a gift to a charity.”
As Remember A Charity Week begins, Cope urged us to give more support to ensure Scotland’s charities can continue their good work.
“We have seen how fragile our lives and society is but it’s easy to make a lasting change. I’d encourage everyone to think about leaving a gift in their Will. Even a small amount really makes a difference.”
Making a Will is important, it’s easy to do and you don’t have to leave a lot of money to make a difference