Legacies - Frequently Asked Questions

1. How will my gift be used?
2. Can I decide how I want my legacy to be spent?
3. Is a legacy the same as a gift in a Will?
4. Why would I want to leave a gift to the Wildlife Trust in my Will?
5. What wording should I use to designate a gift to the Trust?
6. Should I leave an amount of money or a percentage of my estate?
7. What effect will my gift have on my inheritance tax status?
8. I’ve already made my Will. How can I change it to include a gift to the Trust?
9. Will people know I’ve left you a gift?
10. Can I leave land or property to the Trust?
11. Can you recommend a solicitor?
12. Can the Trust act as Executors of my Will?
13. I'm the executor of a Will that includes the Hampshire & IOW Wildlife Trust. What should I do?

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

1. How will my gift be used?

Your gift will be used to support conservation and education projects across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. When we receive your gift, it will be used wherever the need is greatest at that time.

Alternatively, you can specify that you would like to contribute towards the future purchase and management of land where wildlife is threatened. We have two established funds for this purpose; the ‘Hampshire Nature Fund’ and the ‘Wight Wildlife Fund’.

2. Can I decide how I want my legacy to be spent?

Yes. You can tell us that you would prefer your gift to be directed towards a certain area of our work – perhaps for the maintenance of a reserve local to you, or protection of a certain species. However we cannot predict what our future needs will be. For this reason, most people choose to leave an ‘unrestricted’ gift. This is put towards the greatest need at the time your gift is received.

3. Is a legacy the same as a gift in a Will?

Yes, both terms refer to any gift made in your Will.

4. Why would I want to leave a gift to the Wildlife Trust in my Will?

There are many answers to this question, since making a Will is highly personal. Common reasons include:

a desire to preserve wild places for future generations
a way of giving more generously than possible in your lifetime
reducing or eliminating inheritance tax liability

5. What wording should I use to designate a gift to the Trust?

We recommend the following wording:

“I give the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust [the sum of £x /a x% share of my residuary estate] for its [general charitable purposes/Hampshire Nature Fund/Wight Wildlife Fund] and I declare that the receipt of the treasurer or other proper officer shall be full and sufficient discharge for the said legacy.”

Or, if you would like to donate the value of your estate above the Inheritance Tax threshold:

“I wish to pay no inheritance tax and would like any money left above the ‘nil rate band’ for inheritance tax, after my assets have been divided, to be given to the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust and I declare that the receipt of the treasurer or other proper officer shall be full and sufficient discharge for the said legacy.”

6. Should I leave an amount of money or a percentage of my estate?

It’s your choice. Any gift is welcome, and even a small share of your residuary estate can have a great impact on our conservation or education work. If you choose to leave a sum of money to the Trust, do bear in mind that inflation may decrease its value over time.

7. What effect will my gift have on my inheritance tax status?

Any gift you give to charity in your Will is deducted before your estate is valued for tax purposes. This means that a gift to the Trust will reduce the amount of inheritance tax your beneficiaries will need to pay. Some people even choose to donate the value of their estate above the inheritance tax threshold to charity – meaning that no inheritance tax at all is payable.

8. I’ve already made my Will. How can I change it to include a gift to the Trust?

You won’t need to rewrite your Will unless you want to. A qualified solicitor can draft an amendment (called a codicil) for a minimal cost.

9. Will people know I’ve left you a gift?

We keep a record of people who have been kind enough to remember us in their Will, and acknowledge them in a remembrance book. We sometimes also tell our members about people who have left us gifts by writing about them in ‘Wildlife’ magazine. You can of course choose to remain anonymous if you prefer.

10. Can I leave land or property to the Trust?

Yes. Some of the land we manage was bequeathed to us in a Will, but if we are to look after the land properly there is a management cost to consider. For this reason it is best to also include an endowment in your Will. If you leave us land with accompanying property, the property will most likely to sold to pay for the conservation of the land.

11. Can you recommend a solicitor?

So that we remain impartial, we are not able to recommend a solicitor. For help finding a local solicitor please refer to the following organisations: