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Future fund
Leaving a legacy to us means including our organisation in your will. It ensures your support for centrist politics continues and helps secure our long-term sustainability.
Eligibility
Anyone can give money through a will if they are registered to vote in the UK at a UK address and are over the legal age to create a will.
To create a will, you need to be 18 years old in England or Wales, 13 years old in Northern Ireland and 12 years old in Scotland. Members of the military can create a will regardless of their age, and there are special rules that apply to them called a Privileged Will.
There is no amount too big or too small. You can also choose what you leave to us, including money, stocks and shares.
All donations, including the value of any non-cash based, are publicly listed on our website, including your name and the amount you donated. You can object using the email in our privacy policy.
Types of gifts
An amount of money
Leaving a certain amount of money (cash) is known as leaving a Pecuniary gift. This means you can choose how much money to leave and it does not matter if it is a large or smaller amount.
A percentage of your estate
A percentage of your estate means leaving part of your estate to us which is known as a residuary gift. This happens only after expenses, costs, other gifts and debts have all been settled. This gift will automatically keep up with inflation and you can leave us any percentage of the property from 1% to 100%.
Leave an item or asset
Leaving an item or asset is known as a particular gift. This includes property, jewellery, stocks and shares.
Reversionary gift
A reversionary gift is a gift of property or assets that is passed to a named individual for enjoyment in their lifetime. On their death, the whole or a portion of these assets reverts to the beneficiary of the reversionary legacy. This ensures your family and loved ones are looked after first before we receive anything.
An amount of money
Leaving a certain amount of money (cash) is known as leaving a Pecuniary gift. This means you can choose how much money to leave and it does not matter if it is a large or smaller amount.
A percentage of your estate
A percentage of your estate means leaving part of your estate to us which is known as a residuary gift. This happens only after expenses, costs, other gifts and debts have all been settled. This gift will automatically keep up with inflation and you can leave us any percentage of the property from 1% to 100%.
Leave an item or asset
Leaving an item or asset is known as a particular gift. This includes property, jewellery, stocks and shares.
Reversionary gift
A reversionary gift is a gift of property or assets that is passed to a named individual for enjoyment in their lifetime. On their death, the whole or a portion of these assets reverts to the beneficiary of the reversionary legacy. This ensures your family and loved ones are looked after first before we receive anything.
Amending or creating a will
Finding a solicitor
When creating a will or changing an existing one, it is good to seek professional advice from a solicitor. You can find advice from the law societies across the UK:
- Law Society England and Wales: https://www.lawsociety.org.uk/en
- Law Society Scotland: https://www.lawscot.org.uk/
- Law Society Northern Ireland: https://www.lawsoc-ni.org/
Create a will
Forms for amending or creating a will
Will Planner
Codicil Form
Will Planner
Codicil Form
Frequently asked questions
As the individual giving the gift, you should not need to pay any tax on it during your lifetime directly as a result of leaving money in your will to us. As the recipient, we may need to pay Inheritance Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax. You can find more information on the HMRC website.
If you would like to support a specific area of our work, you can contact us to discuss the specific area. We will then be able to discuss whether it is an area you can leave money for specifically in your will.
Administrator
A person is appointed when either no will can be found or there is no executor to carry out the intentions of the will.
Assets
Generally, the property is owned by the person who died. For example, a house, household goods, savings, investments, a car, etc.
Beneficiary
Someone who is entitled to receive a specific gift, sum of money or share of the estate.
Bequest
A gift left in a will.
Chargeable gift
A gift on which Inheritance Tax may be payable.
Chattels
Any item of personal property that can be moved from place to place. This includes the contents of a house, furniture, belongings or a car.
Codicil
A document that amends (rather than replaces) a will. Codicils can adversely affect a will, altering, cancelling or adding provisions to it. It is more common to rewrite the whole will. It must abide by the same legal requirements as the original will (such as the signature of the testator). And it must also have two witnesses who do not benefit from the will in any way.
Conditional gift/legacy
A gift which only takes effect if a specific condition is met on your death. For example, "If my brother is married at the time of my death, my house should go to him. If he is unmarried, it should instead go to my sister."
Confirmation of the Estate (Scotland)
This document validates a Will and confirms to executors that they have the authority to act.
Devise
A gift by Will of freehold property.
Disbursement
A payment made to a third party.
Estate
All the assets you own, minus the value of any debts that you owe.
Executor
A person or persons appointed in the Will to administer the estate.
Grant of probate (England, Wales and Northern Ireland)
This is the legal document that may be required to administer the Estate of someone who has died. With this document, the Executors of the estate can then deal with all their legal, tax and administrative duties.
Guardian
Someone appointed to look after the interests of a child under the age of 18 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland or 16 in Scotland.
Inheritance Tax
Tax payable when the estate is over the current inheritance threshold (currently £325,000).
Intestate
A person who has died and not left a legally valid will.
Legacy
A gift of a specific item or cash sum left in a Will (except property).
Legator
Someone who has left a legacy in their Will.
Letters of administration
A document is given by the Registrar to appoint people to handle a persons estate. This document is used when:
- There is no Will
- No executors were appointed in the Will
- No executors are still living
- No executors are willing to carry out the executors duties
Liabilities
Financial obligations (such as debts or tax bills) may need to be settled by your estate after your death.
Life interest
The right to enjoy for life (or until a specified period has elapsed or an event has occurred). This can be either money or property which will eventually revert to the original estate in some way on death. Instructions are usually included in the original Will of the deceased as to what should happen to the gift when the life interest ends.
Living Wills
This type of Will would allow you to express your wishes to refuse medical treatment in the future. They would become relevant if there came a time when you were unable to make or communicate your own decisions. Living Wills are separate from the type of Will written to express your wishes for your estate after you pass away. Living Wills are also known as an ‘Advance Decision’.
Mirror Will
This is when a husband, wife or partner makes almost identical Wills. For example, leaving everything to each other should one partner die. Or, if both die together, to another agreed beneficiary.
Moveable property
Anything other than buildings or land.
Pecuniary gift/legacy
A gift of money under a Will.
Personal representative
A personal representative is the executor or administrator managing the deceaseds estate.
Potentially exempt transfer (PET)
A gift in a Will that is exempt from Inheritance Tax if the donor lives for another seven years after making the gift.
Predeceased
Someone who dies before the person who has made the Will.
Probate
Probate is the entire process of administering a da deceased persons estate. It involves paying any taxes and debts, as well as organising their assets and distributing them as inheritance.
Residuary gift/legacy
A share, percentage or sometimes all, of an estate after all the other payments have been made. One of the advantages of a residuary gift is that it does not lose value over time. If you leave a proportion to us, you can still ensure other beneficiaries are provided for first.
Residue
Everything that is left in the estate after all the liabilities, taxes, costs and legacies have been paid.
Residuary beneficiary
A person is entitled to the residue.
Reversionary interest
Benefit from a trust property.
Single Will
This type of Will is written for just one person. But you can write a Single Will if you are in a relationship, married or in a civil partnership. If your partner already has a Will or their wishes differ from yours, then a Single Will is often your best option.
Specific gift/legacy
A gift of a particular item, such as property, antiques, jewellery and shares.
Testator/testatrix
The person (male/female) who makes the Will.
Trust
Trusts are legal entities that allow someone to benefit from an asset without being the legal owner.
Trustee
The trustee manages the trust on behalf of the ‘beneficiaries’ - those who receive the income of the trust.
Variation, deed of
A legal document that allows the beneficiaries to change the terms of a Will, even after the persons death.
Will
A legal document by which a person states what they want to happen to their estate following their death.
If they are in immediate danger, then call 999; if not, then you can use our safeguarding form here: https://centrethinktank.co.uk/report-a-safeguarding-concern/
Contact us
Contact our team, and we can answer your questions about supporting us by leaving a legacy.