# Legacy Giving > Source: World Aid Network — https://worldaidnetwork.org/legacy-giving > Last reviewed: 2026-08-24 ## In short Legacy giving means leaving a gift in your will to charity. Ask a solicitor to add a residuary, pecuniary or specific legacy to World Aid Network. We are a UK CIO with Charity Commission registration in progress (application 5290505). Qualifying charity gifts are exempt from inheritance tax. Email info@worldaidnetwork.org in confidence. Leave a gift in your will — after the people you love are provided for — so eye surgery, cancer treatment and emergency relief can continue. Talk in confidence: https://worldaidnetwork.org/contact or info@worldaidnetwork.org. Free will writing: https://worldaidnetwork.org/legacy-giving/free-will-writing. Online will (England and Wales example): https://swiftwill.co.uk/. Card donations (not a will gift): https://worldaidnetwork.org/donate. ## At a glance - £4.5bn: Left to UK charities in wills in 2024 (Smee & Ford / Legacy Futures — sector figure, not WAN income) - 40% → 36%: Inheritance Tax reduced rate if 10% or more of the net estate goes to qualifying charities - £200: Typical partner cost of one complete cataract operation funded from a legacy - No minimum: Any pecuniary, residuary or specific gift is welcome — provide for your family first ## How to leave a gift in your will to World Aid Network Ask a solicitor to add a residuary, pecuniary or specific legacy naming World Aid Network. Provide for your family first. Optional: tell us in confidence. - Provide for the people you love: Decide who should inherit first. A charitable gift sits after that, not instead of it. - Choose the type of legacy: Pick a residuary percentage, a pecuniary cash sum, a specific asset, or a mix. - Instruct a solicitor: Give them our legal name, address (International House, 51 Borough High Street, London SE1 1NB), and Charity Commission application 5290505. Use the suggested wording on this page as a starting point. - Optional: tell us in confidence: Email info@worldaidnetwork.org. There is no obligation. We will send the charity number when it is granted so the clause can be updated. ## Suggested will wording I give [the sum of £X / X percent of my residuary estate] to World Aid Network, a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (England and Wales), of International House, 51 Borough High Street, London SE1 1NB, Charity Commission application 5290505, for its general charitable purposes absolutely. My executors may add the registered charity number when it is granted. ## What is legacy giving? Legacy giving is leaving a gift in your will to a charity. It is also called a charitable bequest, a charitable legacy, a gift in a will, or gifts in wills. The gift takes effect after you die. It costs nothing during your lifetime. There is no minimum amount. A will already names who you love. A legacy clause is simply one more instruction: after those people are provided for, a share, a sum, or a named asset goes to a cause you believe in. You can change that instruction at any time while you have testamentary capacity. UK charities received about £4.5 billion in gifts in wills in 2024, according to the Legacy Giving Report from Smee & Ford and Legacy Futures. That is a published sector figure, not World Aid Network income. We have not invented a WAN caseload of estates received. This page is World Aid Network’s gifts-in-wills guide. For how to write a will step by step, read our UK will-writing guide. For free will-writing schemes, use the free will writing page. For a gift made by others after someone has died, use in-memory giving. ## Why leave a gift in your will to charity? A gift in your will can fund work that a weekly donation cannot stretch to — a run of cataract operations, cancer treatment for patients who cannot pay, or emergency food, water and shelter when the next flood or quake hits. Provide for your family first. Then, if you wish, leave a lasting gift. World Aid Network funds partner hospitals and local relief partners in Pakistan, Indonesia and Malaysia. A legacy is restricted to our charitable Objects: sight-restoring eye surgery, cancer treatment, and emergency food, clean water and temporary shelter. We do not send cash to individuals. We do not rebuild cities from disaster gifts. Unlike a card donation, a will gift is not paid now. Your home, savings and pension stay yours. The clause is only an instruction for later. That is why many people find it the gentlest way to give a larger amount than they could spare today. You do not need a large estate. A modest pecuniary legacy, or a small residuary percentage, still becomes real help. Please talk to a solicitor so the people you love are looked after first. ## What types of charitable legacy can I leave? The three usual gifts in wills are a residuary legacy (a share of what remains), a pecuniary legacy (a fixed cash sum), and a specific legacy (a named item or asset). Residuary gifts are usually the most valuable to charities. You can combine types in one will. A residuary legacy is a percentage of the residue — everything left after debts, inheritance tax, funeral and legal costs, and your other gifts. If the estate grows, the gift grows. If it shrinks, the gift shrinks with it, which is often fairer to the family than a large frozen cash sum. A pecuniary legacy is a number: £500, £2,000, £10,000. It is easy to understand. Over a long life its buying power can fall, so some people review the figure when they update the will. A specific legacy is a particular asset. Listed shares left in a will are not the same as donating shares during your lifetime — donate shares covers the lifetime route. A house can be left to charity; a solicitor should advise on how that sits with anyone who lives there. Some wills also use a reversionary or life-interest gift: a spouse or partner has the use of property or income for life, then the capital passes to charity. That needs specialist drafting. This page is general information, not legal advice. - Residuary legacy — a percentage of what remains; usually the most useful to a charity - Pecuniary legacy — a fixed cash sum, simple to write - Specific legacy — named shares, property or an item - Reversionary / life interest — family first for life, then charity; solicitor essential ## How do I leave a gift in my will to World Aid Network? Provide for the people you love first. Then ask a solicitor or licensed will-writer to add a clause naming World Aid Network, with our London address. Choose residuary, pecuniary or specific. Email info@worldaidnetwork.org if you would like us to know — there is no obligation. Our legal name is World Aid Network. We are a UK Charitable Incorporated Organisation (charity registration in progress). Our address is International House, 51 Borough High Street, London SE1 1NB. Charity Commission application 5290505. We do not yet have a registered charity number. When registration is granted we will publish it on our registration status page and send it to anyone who has told us they are considering a gift. Use a solicitor who knows wills in the country where you live. England and Wales require your signature in the presence of two independent adult witnesses who are not beneficiaries and not married to a beneficiary. Scotland and Northern Ireland have different formalities. If you already have a will, a short codicil can add a charitable gift without rewriting the whole document. Substantial changes are often cleaner as a new will. Marriage in England and Wales usually revokes a previous will. - Decide what the people you love should receive first - Choose residuary, pecuniary, specific — or a mix - Ask a solicitor to use our legal name and address - Optional: tell us in confidence at info@worldaidnetwork.org - When we have a charity number, ask your solicitor to add it ## What wording should I use in my will? Give this suggested clause to your solicitor. It is a starting point, not a DIY will. Do not write that World Aid Network is a registered charity until a charity number is granted. Executors can add the number later. Unrestricted wording — “for its general charitable purposes” — lets trustees send the gift where it is most needed when it arrives, still inside our Objects. If you want the gift marked for eye surgery, cancer treatment, or emergency relief only, say so in the clause. We will honour a clear restriction. A solicitor may also add a fallback if, at the date of death, we were not a qualifying charity for Inheritance Tax. That is a technical point. It is why we ask you not to copy a clause from a website into a homemade will. ## Does a gift in my will reduce inheritance tax? Gifts to qualifying UK charities are exempt from Inheritance Tax. They come off the taxable estate before tax is worked out. World Aid Network will be a qualifying charity once Charity Commission registration is granted. Until then, ask a solicitor how to draft the clause. The standard Inheritance Tax rate is 40% on the value of an estate above the nil-rate band, which is £325,000. An extra residence nil-rate band of £175,000 can apply when a home passes to direct descendants. These are HMRC figures; they can change, and they do not replace advice on your estate. Because a qualifying charitable gift is exempt, the tax calculation ignores that slice of the estate. That is different from Gift Aid, which is a lifetime income-tax relief on donations you make while you are alive. Gift Aid does not apply to a gift in a will. This is general information, not tax advice. A solicitor or independent financial adviser can model your estate, including pensions that often pass outside the will. ## What is the 10% Inheritance Tax charity rule? If you leave 10% or more of the net estate — HMRC’s baseline amount — to qualifying charities, the Inheritance Tax rate on the rest can fall from 40% to 36%. Whether that helps your family depends on the size and shape of the estate. Ask a solicitor to run the numbers. The reduced rate is a statutory incentive, not a World Aid Network scheme. It only applies to gifts that qualify as charitable for Inheritance Tax. That is another reason to wait for our charity number before locking a large residuary percentage, or to have the solicitor write a clause that can take the number when it exists. For some estates the 4-point drop means the people you love and the charity can both be better off than a will with no charitable gift. For others, a smaller pecuniary legacy is the better fit. We will not pretend there is one right percentage. ## Can I restrict my legacy to eye surgery, cancer or emergency relief? Yes. You can mark a gift for the Gift of Sight Appeal, the Cancer Emergency Appeal, or emergency relief — food, water, hygiene kits and shelter. An unrestricted gift is often more useful, because trustees can meet the greatest need when the estate is paid. If you restrict to eye surgery, typical partner cost is about £200 for one complete cataract operation. If you restrict to cancer treatment, the gift funds imaging, surgery or chemotherapy for patients who cannot pay — all types of cancer, not research, not NHS care. If you restrict to emergency relief, the gift is food, clean water and temporary shelter in Pakistan, Indonesia and Malaysia, not reconstruction or cash. A restriction must still sit inside our Objects. We cannot accept a will gift for work we do not do. If you are unsure, leave the gift unrestricted or email us before you instruct the solicitor. ## What could a legacy gift to World Aid Network fund? Typical partner costs: £200 funds one cataract operation. £400 funds two. £2,000 funds ten. Larger residuary gifts can fund a surgical list, cancer treatment, or emergency kits after a flood or earthquake. Figures are typical costs, not a promise about one named patient. A will gift is paid years later, so we describe what those amounts fund at today’s partner prices. Trustees will apply the money, when it arrives, to the same Objects. We will not invent how many estates we have already received. If you would rather give something now, card donations are open. That is a lifetime gift, not a legacy. You can do both: a donation today, and a clause in your will for later. ## Do I need a solicitor to leave a charitable bequest? You are not legally required to use a solicitor, but a professionally drawn will is far less likely to fail. A homemade error can invalidate a gift or the whole will. A codicil can add World Aid Network to a will you already have. Instructing a solicitor is strongly recommended if you own a home, have children from more than one relationship, own assets abroad, or want Inheritance Tax planning. The Law Society’s find-a-solicitor tool can help you find a wills and probate specialist. Online will services and free will writing schemes can produce a valid will if they are correctly signed and witnessed. One paid online option for a straightforward England and Wales estate is SwiftWill (https://swiftwill.co.uk/). It is not a World Aid Network product. There is never any obligation to leave a charity gift when you use a free service. Our free will writing page explains how those schemes work. A DIY template from the internet is the riskiest route. Witnesses who are beneficiaries, a missing revocation clause, or unclear residue wording are common ways a charitable gift is lost. ## Should I tell World Aid Network about a gift in my will? You do not have to tell us. If you would like to, email info@worldaidnetwork.org in confidence. It helps us say thank you and to send you the charity number when it is granted. Telling us does not lock the gift; you can change your will at any time. We will not put you on a public list. We will not visit you unless you ask. After you die, your executor is the person who deals with the estate, obtains probate, and pays gifts in the will — including any gift to us. If you would like a conversation first, use the contact page or write to us at our London address. There is no obligation and no minimum pledge. ## How is a gift in a will different from in-memory giving or a donation today? A legacy is your instruction, in your will, for after you die. An in-memory gift is given by other people after someone has died. A card donation is money you give now. Gift Aid can apply to eligible lifetime gifts once we are registered; it does not apply to gifts in wills. Many families do both: a will gift from the person themselves, and later in-memory donations from friends. They are not substitutes. If you want to honour someone who has already died, use in-memory giving. If you want to give from income this month, use ways to donate. Lifetime tax relief — Gift Aid, payroll giving, donate shares — sits on those pages. This page is only about testamentary gifts and Inheritance Tax on death. ## Is legacy giving the same as free will writing? No. Free will writing is a way to make or update a will at no charge. Legacy giving is the charitable gift inside a will. You can use a free scheme and leave nothing to charity. You can pay a solicitor and still leave a gift to World Aid Network. We keep those topics on separate URLs so searchers are not sent to the wrong page. If you need a will written, start with free will writing. If you already have a will and want the clause and the tax rules, you are on the right page. ## What happens until Charity Commission registration is granted? World Aid Network is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation. Registration is in progress (application 5290505). We cannot give a registered charity number today. Card donations are already open. Gift Aid starts when registration is granted. Gifts in wills should use our legal name and address, then add the number. Inheritance Tax exemption for charity gifts normally depends on the organisation being a qualifying charity at the date of death. A solicitor can draft a clause that names us now and takes the charity number when it exists, and can add a fallback if needed. When registration is granted we will update this page, the registration status page, and anyone who has written to us. We will never invent a charity number. ## Types of charitable legacy - Residuary legacy (Share of what is left): A percentage of whatever remains after debts, tax, costs and other gifts. This is usually the most useful gift to a charity because it keeps pace with the size of the estate. Example: I give 10% of my residuary estate to World Aid Network absolutely for its general charitable purposes. - Pecuniary legacy (Fixed cash sum): A named amount of money. Simple to write. Its real value can fall with inflation if many years pass before the will takes effect. Example: I give the sum of £2,000 to World Aid Network absolutely. - Specific legacy (Named item or asset): A particular asset — listed shares, a property, or a named item — left to the charity. Lifetime share gifts are a different route; see donate shares. Example: I give my 500 shares in [Company] to World Aid Network absolutely. ## What could a legacy fund? - £200: One complete cataract operation — surgeon, lens, consumables and follow-up - £400: Two sight-restoring cataract operations - £1,000: Five cataract operations, or a mix of cancer treatment sessions - £2,000: A typical pecuniary legacy — ten cataract operations at partner prices - £5,000: A surgical list of about 25 cataract operations - £10,000: A substantial package of emergency food, water, hygiene kits and shelter ## Related pages - Free will writing — How no-obligation will schemes work. https://worldaidnetwork.org/legacy-giving/free-will-writing - UK will-writing guide — Seven steps, executors and witnessing. https://worldaidnetwork.org/blog/making-a-will-legacy-giving-uk-guide - SwiftWill — Paid online will for England and Wales. Not a WAN product. https://worldaidnetwork.orghttps://swiftwill.co.uk/ - In-memory giving — Gifts other people make after a death. https://worldaidnetwork.org/in-memory-giving - Gift Aid — Lifetime 25% top-up — not for gifts in wills. https://worldaidnetwork.org/gift-aid - Tax-efficient giving — Lifetime income tax, payroll and shares. https://worldaidnetwork.org/tax-efficient-giving - Donate shares — Give listed shares during your lifetime. https://worldaidnetwork.org/donate-shares - Ways to donate — Card, monthly, payroll, crypto and more. https://worldaidnetwork.org/ways-to-donate - Registration status — Charity Commission application 5290505. https://worldaidnetwork.org/about/registration-status - Gift of Sight Appeal — Typically £200 for one cataract operation. https://worldaidnetwork.org/appeal/gift-of-sight - Cancer Emergency Appeal — Treatment for patients who cannot pay. https://worldaidnetwork.org/appeal/cancer-emergency - Emergency relief — Food, water and shelter after disaster. https://worldaidnetwork.org/emergency-relief - Contact us — Talk about a will gift in confidence. https://worldaidnetwork.org/contact ## Frequently asked questions ### What is a gift in a will? A gift in a will — also called legacy giving, a charitable bequest or gifts in wills — is an instruction that a charity receives money or an asset after you die. It costs nothing during your lifetime. ### What is a residuary legacy? A residuary legacy is a share or percentage of whatever remains in your estate after debts, tax, costs and other gifts. It usually keeps pace with the estate and is often the most useful gift to a charity. ### What is a pecuniary legacy? A pecuniary legacy is a fixed cash sum written into the will, for example £2,000 to World Aid Network. It is simple, but inflation can reduce its real value over time. ### What is a specific legacy? A specific legacy is a named item or asset — listed shares, a property, or an object — left to a person or a charity. Lifetime share giving is a different, tax-efficient route described on our donate shares page. ### Can I leave money to charity in my will if my estate is small? Yes. There is no minimum gift. A small pecuniary sum or a small residuary percentage is welcome. Provide for your family first. ### Do I need a solicitor? Not legally, but it is strongly recommended for anything that is not simple. A professionally drawn will is less likely to be challenged or to contain an error that loses the gift. A codicil can add a charity to an existing will. One paid online option for a straightforward England and Wales estate is SwiftWill (https://swiftwill.co.uk/). ### What wording should I use for World Aid Network? Give your solicitor this starting point: “I give [the sum of £X / X percent of my residuary estate] to World Aid Network, a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (England and Wales), of International House, 51 Borough High Street, London SE1 1NB, Charity Commission application 5290505, for its general charitable purposes absolutely. My executors may add the registered charity number when it is granted.” Do not describe us as a registered charity until a number is granted. ### Is a charitable legacy exempt from Inheritance Tax? Gifts to qualifying UK charities are IHT-exempt. The rate on the rest of the estate can fall from 40% to 36% if 10% or more of the net estate goes to qualifying charities. World Aid Network’s registration is in progress (application 5290505). ### Does Gift Aid apply to a gift in my will? No. Gift Aid is a lifetime relief on donations you make while you are alive. It does not apply to testamentary gifts. Gift Aid on card donations starts when Charity Commission registration is granted. ### Can I change my mind? Yes. You can change or revoke your will at any time while you have testamentary capacity. Telling us about a planned gift does not lock it in. ### Can I leave my house or shares to World Aid Network? Yes, as a specific legacy, with solicitor advice — especially if someone lives in the house. Listed shares can also be given during your lifetime; that route is on the donate shares page. ### How is this different from in-memory giving? A legacy is your own will. In-memory giving is a donation other people make after someone has died, including funeral collections and tribute funds. ### How is this different from free will writing? Free will writing is a way to make a will, often at no charge. Legacy giving is the charitable gift inside a will. There is never an obligation to leave a charity gift when you use a free will service. ### Can I leave a gift before you have a charity number? You can name World Aid Network with our legal name, address and application 5290505. Ask a solicitor to add the registered number when it is granted, and to consider a fallback for Inheritance Tax. Email info@worldaidnetwork.org and we will write when the number exists. ### Who deals with the gift after I die? Your executor. They obtain probate, pay debts and tax, and distribute the estate, including any gift to World Aid Network. Choose someone you trust; they can instruct a solicitor to help. ### Does this page give legal advice? No. It is general information about gifts in wills to World Aid Network. Use a solicitor for your circumstances. Rules differ in Scotland and Northern Ireland. ## How you can help Email info@worldaidnetwork.org in confidence, or write via https://worldaidnetwork.org/contact. This is general information, not legal advice. --- This is general information, not medical advice, published by World Aid Network. Always consult a qualified clinician about your own health.