I am delighted to announce that MakeMyWill Solicitors has teamed up with the Irish Cancer Society in an effort to promote leaving a legacy, however big or small, to charity when you are making your Will.

In my experience taking instructions for drafting Wills, many people have not considered leaving a small gift, a legacy, to charity. I find that people often feel a charity would only be interested in a large donation (e.g. a house, or a percentage of the Estate) People also feel they need to look after their loved ones first; I’ve often heard the phrase “Charity begins at home.”  This is absolutely true; of course you should look after your family first.

However, I know for a fact that charities are delighted to receive any amounts left to them in a Will. You only have to look at various charities’ websites to get an indication of how much a particular sum is used towards making the world a better place. To use the Irish Cancer Society as an example:

€1,000 will help provide cancer support and information to 50 people through their helpline or website;

€3,500 can provide 10 nights of Night Nursing Care to a patient whose wish it is to die in the comfort of their own home;

€10,000 can contribute to ongoing essential collaborative cancer research;

€50,000 can contribute to a year’s funding for a Scholar’s research to help find a cure for cancer; and

€100,000 can assist funding to open a dedicated Daffodil Centre.

                                                                                                                                              “Something to consider”

Having administered numerous Estates over the years, I can tell you now that most beneficiaries would not miss €1,000 from an Estate they are about to receive an inheritance from.

[To give a quick example:  Ann leaves her Estate to her five children, but for a charitable legacy of €3,500 to the Irish Cancer Society. Ann’s net Estate is valued at €250,000. Each of the children receive €49,300. If Ann hadn’t left the  gift to charity, they would each get an additional €700, less than 1.5% extra. The €3,500 makes a huge difference to the charity, but very little to the family.]

I do not want people to feel under any pressure whatsoever to leave a gift to Charity, but I just ask that they consider it. If this promotion led to twenty people leaving €500 to the Irish Cancer Society, think of what it can do for Cancer Research, and it is a very small amount to take from your family and friends’ inheritance.

If you would like to know more about leaving a charitable legacy, please contact me and I would be happy to discuss it with you (no obligation to proceed). Also, please take a moment to visit the Irish Cancer Society’s website to find out more about the amazing work they are doing: www.cancer.ie/legacy 

Thank you, Susan

* For every Will referred to us by the Irish Cancer Society, we will donate 4% of our fee to the Society.