Who May Benefit From A Will? – Charities
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Want to make a start on your will?
Making a Will is not about wealth it is about making sure that what you want to happen to your estate does happen. It gives you the opportunity to specify such things as who will administer your estate, who will care for your children and who will receive specific items of your property.
Charities and similar organisations may benefit from your will.
It is important to specify the charity’s details correctly as there are many organisations with similar names or areas of operation. Ideally you should specify the name, address and registered charity number.These details can be obtained from the charity’s literature or from the Charity Commission’s website. This is one of the areas where a few minutes spent checking the details can save hours of work, argument and expense after your death.
Some of the national charities have separately registered branches and it is usually the rule that the funds are left to the head office with a specification that the funds are used for your local branch. Check the rules with your local branch so that you can be sure your wishes are achievable. A lot of charities produce literature with specimen clauses for wills.
Due to the way charity law in England works there are many worthy organisations that are not registered as charities.This may not always be apparent as their literature, campaigns and activities will not necessarily be any different from those of a registered charity. Frequently the only difference is in the ability to lobby for actual changes in the law.
Examples of this include anti-vivisection organisations, groups such as the League Against Cruel Sports and groups campaigning for the rights of the unborn child. Conversely, some groups with controversial aims are registered charities as they have managed to bring themselves within the necessary statutory definitions.