How to include a gift in your will

The importance of a will

Having a will gives you peace of mind for the future. It gives you the opportunity to provide for your family and loved ones, and to support the causes you care about. As personal circumstances change, it is important that you review your will to make sure it still accurately reflects your wishes. For example, if your financial situation has changed, or if you have children or grandchildren.

Getting started

Writing a will doesn’t have to be difficult – here are some details to help you get started. If you would like to receive this information in the post, as well as details of how leaving a legacy gift to Tearfund will make a difference, you can request our free legacy pack here.

There are three main types of gifts that you can leave in your will:

• Residuary legacy: a share or percentage of your estate after other specific gifts and expenses have been made.
• Pecuniary legacy: a specific sum of money, which you can ask your solicitor to index-link. This means that the number will then increase with inflation and cost of living changes, so that it remains an accurate representation of what you would like to give.
• Specific legacy: a particular item such as a property, shares or jewellery.

Once you have ensured that your loved ones have been cared for, you might choose to include a gift to Tearfund in your will, which is really easy to do.

We are so grateful to each person who chooses to include a gift in their will to Tearfund. A gift in your will could be the gift of life where the need is greatest, equipping communities to lift themselves out of poverty and reach their God-given potential. 

We suggest the following wording for a pecuniary or specific legacy:

I GIVE to Tearfund, Reg. Charity no: 265464 of 100 Church Road, Teddington, TW11 8QE the sum of £_/specific asset or item for its charitable purposes. I further direct that the receipt of the Honorary Treasurer or other proper officer of Tearfund for the time being shall be a full and final sufficient discharge for the said legacy.

We suggest the following wording for a residuary legacy:

I GIVE _% of the residue of my estate to Tearfund, Reg. Charity no: 265464 of 100 Church Road, Teddington, TW11 8QE, for its charitable purposes. I further direct that the receipt of the Honorary Treasurer or other proper officer of Tearfund for the time being shall be a full and final sufficient discharge for the said legacy.

Finding a solicitor

We would always recommend you speak to a qualified professional, such as a solicitor, when making or changing your will.

While we cannot recommend individual solicitors, should you need assistance in finding a local solicitor to write your will, here are a few options:

• If you’d like to find a Christian solicitor, The Lawyers' Christian Fellowship has a useful directory of its members. You can also email [email protected] or call 020 7407 6157.
• The Goodwill Partnership is the largest distributor of home-visit solicitor-provided wills in England and Wales. To arrange an appointment with them, please complete this form. You can also email [email protected] or call 0844 669 6148.
• To find a local solicitor, The Law Society has a database of national firms, partners and sole practitioners across the UK. To search for: services in England and Wales click here, or call 020 7320 5650; services in Scotland, email [email protected] or call 0131 226 7411; services in Northern Ireland, email [email protected] or call 028 9023 1614.

Once you have decided which type of legacy you would like to leave and have found a solicitor, we recommend sharing our suggested wording with them, as well as Tearfund’s address and charity number.

Name and address: Tearfund, 100 Church Road, Teddington, TW11 8QE
Registered charity number: 265464

While meeting with your solicitor, they will be able to advise you on how to make your will as tax efficient as possible. This includes laws that reduce the rate of inheritance tax for people who leave at least ten per cent of their estate to charity. Remember, all legacy gifts to charities are completely free from inheritance tax.

The difference you will make

Every gift we receive, no matter how big or small, can transform people’s lives around the world. For example, just a small percentage of an estate will make a huge difference to some of the world’s poorest communities. It enables Tearfund to respond when disasters such as earthquakes and hurricanes hit, meaning even more people are reached with life-saving support.

Each and every gift to Tearfund is incredibly valuable and is used to help those in desperate need. Every penny of your legacy gift will be invested wisely so that we can best serve wherever the need is greatest around the world.

Use our free will-writing service

Tearfund has partnered with expert will-writing services Octopus Legacy and the National Free Will Network to offer you the opportunity to make a will for free either online, by phone, or face to face with a solicitor.

• If you live in England or Wales, the entire process can be done online by visiting the Octopus Legacy website.
• If you live in Scotland or Northern Ireland, or would prefer to talk directly with a solicitor, you can call 0800 773 4014. Just quote ‘Tearfund Free’ over the phone.
• If you would prefer to meet with a solicitor, register for our Free Will pack to be sent details of solicitors in your area.