# Legacy Giving | Leave a Gift in Your Will | WAN > Source: https://worldaidnetwork.org/legacy-giving > Legacy giving lets you fund eye surgery, cancer treatment or relief for years to come, free of inheritance tax. Learn how a gift in your will works. Gifts in wills # Leave a Lasting Legacy A gift in your will to World Aid Network is one of the most powerful things you can do to restore sight, treat cancer and protect disaster-affected families — long after you are gone. Legacy gifts are exempt from inheritance tax, and even a modest bequest can fund life-changing care for years to come. [ Talk to Us in Confidence ](/contact) Quick answer To leave a gift in your will to World Aid Network, ask your solicitor to add a pecuniary legacy (a fixed sum, such as £2,000) or a residuary legacy (a percentage of what remains of your estate). There is no minimum: a £500 legacy funds two complete sight-restoring cataract operations at £200 each. Your lasting impact ## Why Leave a Gift in Your Will? A legacy gift allows you to make a difference that reaches far beyond your lifetime. Unlike a one-off donation, a gift in your will can fund an entire programme of eye surgery, support a cancer patient's treatment, or keep our emergency fund ready to respond for years to come. Gifts to registered charities are completely exempt from inheritance tax Leaving 10%+ of your estate to charity reduces the rate of IHT on the remainder from 40% to 36% You retain full control of your estate during your lifetime — your will can be updated at any time No minimum gift — every bequest, large or small, makes a real difference ### What a legacy could fund £500 Funds a full cataract operation that restores a patient's sight permanently £1,000 Funds two eye operations or covers a course of cancer chemotherapy for one patient £5,000 Funds a full surgical list — sight-restoring operations for approximately ten patients £10,000 Funds an entire month of emergency food and water for displaced families after a disaster Types of gift ## Three Ways to Leave a Legacy ### Specific (Particular) Legacy You leave a named item — a painting, a piece of jewellery, shares in a company — to World Aid Network. The charity receives that specific asset directly. Example: 'I give my 500 shares in \[Company\] to World Aid Network absolutely.' ### Pecuniary Legacy You leave a fixed sum of money — for example £500, £2,000 or £10,000\. The amount is fixed at the time you write your will; it does not change with inflation. Example: 'I give the sum of £2,000 to World Aid Network absolutely.' ### Residuary Legacy After all your other gifts and expenses have been settled, you leave all — or a percentage — of whatever remains in your estate to World Aid Network. A residuary gift is the most valuable form of legacy for any charity. Example: 'I give 10% of my residuary estate to World Aid Network absolutely for its general charitable purposes.' Common questions ## Frequently Asked Questions Do I need to use a solicitor to leave a gift in my will? It is strongly recommended to use a qualified solicitor or licensed will-writer when making or updating your will. A professionally drawn will is far less likely to be challenged or to contain errors that reduce or invalidate your gift. Can I leave a gift even if my estate is not large? Absolutely. Any amount is welcome and impactful. Even a small residuary percentage or a modest pecuniary legacy of £100 or £500 can fund eye surgery or emergency relief for families in need. There is no minimum gift. What if I already have a will? You can add a gift to an existing will by asking your solicitor to add a simple codicil — a short addition that does not require you to rewrite your entire will. This is usually quick and inexpensive. Is a legacy gift subject to inheritance tax? Gifts to registered charities are exempt from inheritance tax. If your estate is above the nil-rate band (currently £325,000), a charitable legacy reduces the taxable value of your estate. If you leave 10% or more of your net estate to charity, the rate of inheritance tax on the rest of your estate falls from 40% to 36%. Does World Aid Network need to know about my gift? You are not obligated to tell us, but we would love to hear from you if you are considering a gift. It helps us plan long-term and gives us the opportunity to thank you personally. Please email info@worldaidnetwork.org in complete confidence — there is no obligation. Can I specify what my legacy is used for? Yes. You can designate your gift to our eye surgery programme, our cancer treatment programme or our emergency disaster relief work. However, many legacy donors prefer to leave their gift unrestricted — this gives our trustees the flexibility to direct funds where they can do the most good at the time the gift is received. What wording should I use in my will? Our suggested wording is: 'I give \[the sum of £X / X% of my residuary estate\] to World Aid Network, a charity registered in England and Wales, of International House, 51 Borough High Street, London SE1 1NB, for its general charitable purposes absolutely.' Please share this with your solicitor. ## Ready to Leave a Legacy? Contact us in complete confidence to discuss a gift in your will. There is no obligation whatsoever — we simply want to answer any questions you may have and thank you personally. [ Get in Touch ](/contact) --- World Aid Network is a UK Charitable Incorporated Organisation (charity registration in progress; application ref 5290505, ICO ref ZC156579).