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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Are you leaving money to charity in your will?

179 replies

TheRebel · 01/06/2018 21:54

I work for a solicitor so I see a fair few wills as part of my job, and the majority of the charities that people leave gifts to are animal charities and churches, I don’t think I’ve ever seen money being left to children’s charities or charities that help vulnerable people.

I just wondered if it’s just to do with the local area we’re in or is this the norm?

OP posts:
Mum2jenny · 01/06/2018 22:49

Just no.

stripes1 · 01/06/2018 22:52

Our solicitor recommended not naming a specific charity for the reasons PP have been talking about. We have left 10% to charities but rather than naming specific ones it is worded so that our executor chooses the charities (it is my brother and we trust him to give it to the charities we support).

ThePinkOcelot · 01/06/2018 22:53

No. Never crossed my mind tbh.

ToadsforJustice · 01/06/2018 22:53

I won't be leaving a penny. My poor DM was targeted by many many charities after she was left a considerable amount of money by her Uncle. I presume the will was published somewhere. Her landline wasn't ex-directory. I was especially pissed off with Great Ormond Street Hospital that preyed upon her vulnerability with awful stories about dying children.

Hohofortherobbers · 01/06/2018 22:55

I've heard how they hassle the grieving relatives too and decided not to bequeath anything in my will, advised my dm accordingly. She can leave a letter with her wishes for me to carry out if she wants but don't make it something they can litigate

categed · 01/06/2018 22:56

My dsil had to deal with a friends estate where half was left to charity and it was a nightmare. The soliciters had to step in and explain my dail was the executer no one else. But they wanted more and were really disrespectful of all the friends peraonal belongings. Leave money to charity but perhaps writw in a set amount and that they have no say in the estate. They can seem a bit parasitic 😯

Thehop · 01/06/2018 23:00

This has been a real eye opener!!!

SluttyButty · 01/06/2018 23:01

No I give to charity by dd whilst I'm alive. When I'm gone it's between my children.

Original poster
TheRebel · 01/06/2018 23:01

Personally I’m not likely to have much to leave so it will all be going to my kids, but if I did leave it to charity it would be a set amount rather than a percentage, it just makes things simpler.

OP posts:
GreyhoundzRool · 01/06/2018 23:01

I have no close family, so have the majority of anything I leave left to charity. My mum has left some amounts to charity. However the solicitor said that charities can be grabby and pushy, so for this reason have named the solicitor as joint executor of mum's will. I know they will need to be paid but they can deal with any pushy charities !

llangennith · 01/06/2018 23:02

No. What little I have goes to family.

Helloflamingogo · 01/06/2018 23:05

Most likely, however it will be a pecuniary legacy to avoid difficulties.

AvocadosBeforeMortgages · 01/06/2018 23:17

I haven't written a will, but if I had and I did include money for charity, it would probably go to a mixture of animal charities and developing nation poverty reduction or health improvement charities

TheMadGardener · 01/06/2018 23:17

In my will I have left £1000 each to two small local animal charities. My husband is leaving a £2000 legacy to Community Action Nepal which he supports from his climbing days.

I wouldn't leave a percentage of my estate to charity as I've heard it can get v. messy.

Babynut1 · 01/06/2018 23:26

No way would I leave money to charity.
I donate regularly and raise money here and there but I would never ever ever leave anything to them in my will.
My family will have enough to deal with if I die without being hassled by charities.
Everything of mine will be left to my husband and our children. It’s how it should be.

Original poster
TheRebel · 01/06/2018 23:30

I must admit it was the fact that it’s mostly animal charities that shocked me, I really would have thought that children’s charities would be more popular but in my limited experience they definitely aren’t.

OP posts:
TheSplash · 01/06/2018 23:36

My will states my daughter will inherit everything I have. I have given enough money to various charities over the years. The more I gave them, the more they wanted from me. I rarely give to charities now apart from one homeless charity and to be honest their days are numbered if they continue to pester me asking me to increase my contribution.

CatLadyToddlerMother · 01/06/2018 23:41

I hope to. I want to leave money to Women's Aid who've helped me tremendously the last few months when I've needed them.

Also a charity closely related to DDs disability as they've also been helpful.

Nevth · 01/06/2018 23:48

Definitely. I'm leaving 50% to friends/family, but the remainder is going to a specific fund at my local tennis club (v deprived area) to subsidise lessons for kids when needed. That club saved my sanity when I was going through some stuff and I will do whatever I can for them to do the same thing for others.

paintinspiration · 01/06/2018 23:52

No it will all be for my dc.

travailtotravel · 02/06/2018 00:04

I work for a charity and am sorry to hear some of these tales. For balance, the vast majority of wills are not controlled by charities. Most if us are grateful for anything people chose to leave to help make a difference. We don't want legal bills either. But we are legally obliged at the same time to ensure the charity gets best possible value.

Sparklesocks · 02/06/2018 00:07

I work for a charity and ‘restricted invome’ Is something all charities must follow - so if a donor/legacy donor leaves money to charity in their will and specifies how they want it spent (ie for cancer research - if you said you wanted it to go to children’s cancer only) the charity has to honour this and wouldn’t be able to use it for other funds.

Sparklesocks · 02/06/2018 00:10

I will most likely leave a chunk to great ormond st as my sister had a very rare disease as a kid and they cured her, and gave her aftercare even into her 20s.

Ariela · 02/06/2018 02:09

I am enjoying giving small sums of money away to charities and individuals I think will appreciate it. I'm not leaving a penny in my will. Why? I take great pleasure in my secret hobby, because I do make a difference. (It's only small sums, I'm not a secret millionaire). I enjoy making a difference.

I've given to a variety of causes over recent years from training people to help in local reading schemes in schools to the Air Ambulance, and also enjoy suprising people with things when life doesn't quite go their way.

In the past couple of weeks, for example, I've helped a friend send her son on a great trip that he'd not afford to go on otherwise - and I think it'll help him in the long run, as life's circumstances have not been kind to him. I have also replaced a lady's microwave where I know she was struggling to replace it (I overhead the conversation and ordered online for delivery directly to her). She doesn't have a clue who sent it, but is absolutley delighted and as a consequence she is determined to pay it forward and thus is doing some gardening for her elderly NDN (she suspects its her I think, tho how her NDN would order online I haven't a clue because she's been saying for 20 years that computers are beyond her and no point in learning as likely she'll die any day ) So that in turn will have helped her 96 year old NDN who really struggles with the watering and weeding (has a chap mows and hacks the shrubs back).
For those that don't give, I can recommend trying it, it's great fun and very rewarding, & doesn't have to cost a lot - when I am poorer I might bake a cake or make something for someone else for example. The best ones are the secret surprises though!

emmyrose2000 · 02/06/2018 05:04

DH and I are leaving our money and assets to be divided equally amongst our children.

I'd rather throw my money in the rubbish than leave anything to a church or religious affiliated organisation.

If, in some bizarre alternate universe, a law came in saying that people HAD to leave some money to charity, I'd pick an animal one. This would come with the specific instructions that it had to go towards usable items such as bedding or food for the animals, or for vet care.