New GfK NOP research , released today by Remember A Charity reveals that 68% of UK adults would choose to 'leave their mark' on the world by making a donation to their favourite charity when writing a will. When asked how they would like to 'leave their mark' on the world, a donation to charity topped the list but the research also revealed some of the more unusual selections:
- Donation made to your favourite charity (68%)
- Planting of a tree in your name (58%)
- Donation of your body to medical research (38%)
- Publication of your memoirs (17%)
- To become cryogenically frozen (8%)
When asked whether they would include a charity in their will if writing one today, as many as 62% of the general public stated that they would leave a donation to charity. Women were more likely (66%) than men (59%) to choose to donate to charity. Jonathan Parris, Director of Remember A Charity, says: "Charitable legacies are the largest single source of voluntary income to UK charities, raising over £1.3 billion of vital income for good causes each year. Allowing donors to provide for their family and friends and to support the good causes they care about, including a charity in your also benefits your estate with generous tax relief . And yet, currently, only one in seven wills includes a charitable donation. This research highlights public goodwill towards charities and recognises donations as the most popular way to 'leave your mark' on the world. By increasing awareness around just how easy it is to support your favourite charity in this way, we hope to see this figure rise substantially over the coming years." This news comes at the same time as Remember A Charity's national awareness campaign which aims to raise awareness about the importance of charitable legacies. The Campaign has issued the first ever multi-charity interactive TV ad - now playing on Channel 4 and More 4. The 'I will. Will you?' campaign, fronted by Michael Buerk, highlights the importance of charitable legacies, enabling TV viewers to click on the 'red button' to request more information about charitable legacies and to find out about any of the 140 charities behind the consortium. The TV campaign is complemented by targeted press advertising throughout March. Remember A Charity is a consortium of over 140 charities working to encourage more people to leave a charitable gift when writing a will and to increase.
