Researchers are urging children’s charities to take advantage of their strong brand recognition amid growing interest in legacy giving to ensure they are being remembered by those writing their wills.

nfpResearch warns that despite strong brand recognition children’s charities are underrepresented in legacy giving.

It is calling for children’s charities to mirror strategies adopted by some of the most successful charities in ensuring their supporters leave them a gift in wills, especially in the health and animal welfare sectors.

Almost two fifths of all legacy income goes to health charities, a sixth goes to animal welfare charities, while just 3% is given to children’s charities, according to data released earlier this year by legacy giving organisation Smee & Ford.

This is despite almost three in ten people say their favourite charity works with children and young people.

There is also strong brand recognition among the public for specific children’s charities, with Barnardo’s ranked eighth in nfpResearch's spontaneous recall data.

Advice on improving legacy giving

Advice includes embedding legacy giving across children’s charities’ organisation. Researchers highlight the success of Cancer Research UK in doing this “with all departments trained to mention it and with high-value donors invited to see first-hand the impact of their support”.

“This kind of integration and stewardship takes time and investment, but it pays off,” adds nfpResearch.

It also urges children’s charities to mirror work by animal charities in successfully using emotive storytelling “to bring legacy giving to life” and show how a gift can protect vulnerable animals.

Other advice is to “make the ask early” and not wait until supporters are older. It points out that children and young people’s charities are particularly popular among 25–34-year-olds but less so among over-55s.

Children’s charities also need to invest in partnerships with solicitors and free will-writing services.

“Legacy giving is no longer a niche or uncomfortable topic – it’s increasingly recognised as a meaningful and generous way to support causes people care about,” said nfpResearch.

“Charities that invest in long-term legacy strategies and who communicate the impact of legacy gifts clearly, are likely to benefit in the years ahead.”

Increasing interest in legacy giving

NfpResearch’s call to children’s charities comes amid increasing interest in legacy giving. According to its public polling, over the last five years public awareness that they can leave a gift to a charity in their will has increased from just over four in five to more than nine in ten.

Also, over the last five years the proportion of those with a will who have included a charitable gift has risen from a quarter to a third of people. Meanwhile, more than two in five say they would consider leaving a gift in their will, compared to just over a third five years ago, nfpResearch found.

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