A campaign has urged dictionaries to include “willanthropy”, meaning the act of leaving a gift to charity in your will, as an official term.
Remember A Charity, an association of almost 200 charities, is leading the campaign, which aims to dispel the notion that people must be wealthy to leave a financial gift to charity and provides examples of legacy gifts.
Anyone can be a “willanthropist”, the consortium said in its campaign.
“With this campaign, our focus is on opening up conversation about legacy giving and inspiring people to share their own stories,” said Lucinda Frostick, director of Remember A Charity.
“We’re highlighting gifts in wills of all sizes and are seeking to dispel the misconception that you need to be wealthy to leave a legacy. Leaving even a small gift in a will can help make a huge impact for charities and we hope to get people talking and acting to make a difference.”
Frostick: ‘Prioritising legacy fundraising isn’t always easy’
It comes in the lead-up to Remember A Charity Week, which begins on 11 September. The annual campaign aims to create an opportunity for charities to raise awareness of legacy giving.
This year’s week-long event will focus on the characteristics we remember about our loved ones.
The Be Remembered For campaign will look to celebrate loved ones and be used as a spring board to also remember a charity in a will, the association said.
Alongside the new campaign, the consortium will issue customisable digital legacy marketing assets like banner ads and posters, which member charities can personalise with their own branding and messaging.
“In the current economic environment, with even more pressure on budgets, prioritising legacy fundraising and securing sufficient resource isn’t always easy,” Frostick said.
“So, this year, we’re providing new resources for charities to use internally, as well as customisable legacy materials that help charities start their own legacy conversations with supporters – and to build on that momentum and dialogue throughout the year.”
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