Charity coins a new term to describe giving to charity in your will

Familiar with the term ‘Willanthropy?’ If not, you soon will be if a new campaign from Remember A Charity is successful.

The legacy consortium, which is part of the Chartered Institute of Fundraising, coined the term to celebrate the generous acts of everyday people writing charitable gifts into their wills.

Defined as ‘the act of giving to charity in your Will, the group’s #Willanthropy campaign aims to challenge the misconception that you need to be wealthy to leave a gift.

As per the campaign’s webpage, “Willanthropy comes in all shapes and sizes. From small but no less meaningful donations to sizeable gifts, anyone can be a Willanthropist.”

To showcase the diversity of the UK’s growing community of Willanthropists, Remember A Charity is inviting charities and members of the public to share their stories of Willanthropy on social media, using the hashtag #Willanthropy.

The consortium is also attempting to bring the term into common usage by calling on dictionaries to include it as an official term.

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Lucinda Frostick, Director of Remember A Charity said of the campaign, “our focus is on opening up conversation about legacy giving and inspiring people to share their own stories. We want to highlight 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 have a huge impact for charities. We hope to get people talking and acting to make a difference.”  

Remember A Charity Week

The #Willanthropy campaign comes a month before Remember A Charity Week, which takes place from 11th-17th September.

The annual campaign creates an opportunity for charities to raise awareness of legacy giving, by bringing together Remember A Charity member charities and their network of over 800 solicitors and Will-writers, to encourage people to consider leaving a gift in their Will.

Customisable legacy marketing assets  

To support their marketing efforts, Remember A Charity is releasing a new suite of customisable digital legacy marketing assets, including social posts, banner website banners, GIFs, bookmarks, posters, and coat hanger cards, which member charities can personalise with their own messaging, imagery and branding.  

Linda Frostick said of the suite of tools, “in the current economic environment, with even more pressure on budgets, prioritising legacy fundraising and securing sufficient resource isn’t easy. So, this year, we’re providing new resources for charities to use internally, as well as customisable legacy materials that charities can use to start their own legacy conversations with supporters – and build on throughout the year.” 

Final Word

Want to join the consortium and get involved in Remember A Charity Week?

You can get the lowdown on the cost, benefits of becoming a member, and the application process here.

In the meantime, if you’re looking for a legacy fundraiser to implement a Willanthropy campaign, you’ve clicked on the right website. Give us a call on 0203 750 3111 to get the conversation started.