For professionals
Help your clients make informed legacy choices
Help your clients make informed legacy choices
Charitable giving often comes up in general terms during Will writing, but one question rarely gets asked: Does this client want their gift to benefit Wales or their local community specifically?
It’s an easy thing to miss, even with the best intentions, and it can mean a client’s wishes aren’t as clearly reflected as they could be.
The issue
Legacy gifts intended to benefit Wales can end up supporting causes elsewhere in the UK instead.
This isn’t usually deliberate. It can happen through unclear wording, confusion between similarly named charities, or simply because the question was never raised.
Cancer Research Wales, for instance, is entirely separate from Cancer Research UK. Without a precisely worded gift, a client’s intentions for one may not reach the other.
Why this matters for you and your practice
You’re already discussing charitable giving in general terms; this is simply one more specific, natural question to weave in.
Helping someone’s legacy reflect what matters to them is part of thoughtful, thorough advice.
Clients want to know where their gift goes, who it helps and what difference it can make. Being able to help them make that choice clearly is valuable.
How to raise it naturally
A simple prompt is often all it takes:
“Would you like any charitable gift in your Will to benefit Wales or your local community specifically?”
From there, you can
- Help clients name the exact cause, organisation or type of place in Wales they want to support.
- Flag the risk of similarly named charities where relevant, such as Cancer Research Wales and Cancer Research UK.
- Encourage clients revisiting existing Wills to check that the current wording still reflects their wishes.
Resources for you
The professional toolkit provides:
- Conversation prompts and guidance for raising the question with clients.
- Wording examples to help ensure gifts are directed clearly.
- Information on our founding partner charities, for reference when clients ask about causes in Wales.
