Leaving a Gift to Charity in Your Will and What It Costs

You give a little every month, and you would like the causes you care about to keep getting something after you are gone. The problem is that most people never get round to it, because writing a will feels expensive, morbid, and complicated. Leaving a gift to charity in your will is none of those things if you know the three or four decisions that actually matter.

Around a third of the money many UK charities raise comes from legacies, yet only a small share of people with a will include one. Most of those gifts are modest. A single legacy of a few thousand pounds can pay for a year of a helpline volunteer's training or a small charity's rent. Here is how to set one up properly.

The three ways to leave a gift to charity in your will

Solicitors use slightly dry names for these, but the ideas are simple.

A pecuniary gift is a fixed sum, such as "£2,000 to the local hospice".
A residuary gift is a share of whatever is left after debts, funeral costs, and other gifts are paid, such as "10 percent of my residuary estate".
A specific gift is a named item, such as a painting, a car, or a piece of jewellery the charity can sell.

You can combine them. Many people leave fixed sums to family friends, a share of the residue to children, and a smaller share of the residue to one or two charities.

Why a fixed sum is not always the simple choice

The usual advice is that a fixed amount is easiest: pick a number, write it down, done. I disagree, and the reason is time.

A will often sits in a drawer for 20 or 30 years. A gift of £1,000 written in 2026 will buy far less by 2050. With inflation averaging 3 percent a year, that £1,000 has the spending power of roughly £490 after 24 years. Charities know this, which is why most of them quietly hope for a share of the residue instead.

A percentage also protects your family. If your estate shrinks because of care home fees, a fixed £5,000 to charity could take a bigger bite out of what your children receive than you ever intended. A 5 percent share shrinks along with everything else, so the balance you chose stays the balance you get.

A fixed sum still makes sense in some cases. If your estate is small and mostly the family home, a modest pecuniary gift is clear and easy for executors. Just review it every five years or so.

The inheritance tax rules worth knowing

In the UK, anything you leave to a registered charity is free of inheritance tax. That alone can make a gift cheaper than it looks, because every pound to charity is a pound the taxman does not touch.

There is also a less known rule. If you leave at least 10 percent of your net estate to charity, the inheritance tax rate on the rest of the taxable estate drops from 40 percent to 36 percent. For some estates, that reduction covers most or all of the cost of the gift, so your family receives nearly the same amount and the charity receives a meaningful sum.

The calculation of that 10 percent is fiddly, and it only matters for estates large enough to pay inheritance tax in the first place. Most estates are not. If yours might be, ask whoever writes your will to model it both ways.

One thing that does not apply: Gift Aid. Legacies cannot be Gift Aided, because Gift Aid relies on the donor's income tax. If you want to understand where that 25 percent boost does apply, our guide on how Gift Aid works on your donations covers it.

How to write the gift so it actually reaches the charity

Badly worded legacies cause real problems. Executors cannot guess, and a vague phrase like "to cancer research" can trigger letters, delays, and occasionally court costs. Use this checklist.

Use the charity's full legal name and registered number. Both are on the Charity Commission register for England and Wales, or the equivalent registers in Scotland and Northern Ireland. Many charities print the exact wording on their website.
Include the registered address. It removes any doubt between two charities with similar names.
Add a fallback. A short clause such as "or to any charity that has taken over its work" saves the gift if the charity merges or closes.
Decide on restricted or unrestricted. Restricting the gift to one project feels personal, but if that project ends, the charity may struggle to use the money. An unrestricted gift lets it go where it is needed most.
Tell your executor. A one line note in the will file makes it far less likely the gift is overlooked.

Before you name anyone, it is worth spending ten minutes checking the charity's accounts and track record. Our step by step guide on how to check a charity before you donate applies just as well to a legacy as to a one off gift.

What it costs to write a will that includes a charity

A simple will from a high street solicitor usually costs somewhere between £150 and £300. A will writer or online service may charge less. You can also cut the cost to nothing or close to it.

Free will schemes. Many large charities pay for a basic will through partner solicitors. You are not required to leave them anything, though they hope you will.
Will Aid. Each November, participating solicitors write basic wills in return for a suggested donation to the scheme's charities. Check the current suggested amount before you book.
Free Wills Month. Usually run in March and October for people aged 55 and over, through participating solicitors.

If you already have a will, you do not need to start again. A codicil, which is a short formal amendment, can add a charity gift. It must be signed and witnessed in the same way as the will itself, and a solicitor may charge £50 to £150 to prepare one.

Making a small legacy count

You do not need a large estate. Charities receive thousands of legacies under £5,000 every year, and together they fund core costs that are hard to raise money for. If you already give monthly, a legacy can simply continue that habit. Our piece on monthly donations or one gift a year explains why steady, predictable money is so useful to small charities, and the same thinking applies here.

A practical approach: pick one charity, choose a share of the residue between 1 and 10 percent, and write its legal name and number down today. That is the whole job.

Frequently asked questions

How much should I leave to charity in my will?

There is no right figure. Many people leave between 1 and 10 percent of the residue, which keeps family first while still giving a real sum. If your estate may pay inheritance tax, check whether reaching 10 percent lowers the rate on the rest.

Can I change a charity gift in my will later?

Yes. You can add, change, or remove a gift with a codicil or a new will at any time while you have capacity. Review your will after big life events and roughly every five years.

Do I have to tell a charity I have left it a gift?

No, it is optional. Telling them can help them plan and lets them thank you, but you are under no obligation. Your executor will contact the charity after your death either way.