Who leaves legacy donations to charity?

Christien PhebyContent Manager
September 10, 2020, 8:18 AM GMT+0

YouGov data looks at the 5% of Brits who intend to leave money to charity in their will after they die

According to data from YouGov Profiles, 5% of Brits want to leave a legacy donation – a charitable gift from their estates – after they die. But who are these Brits, and how much money do they have to donate?

Our research shows that most people (62%) in this group belong to the ABC1 social grades versus 53% of the public, with 34% saying they fit into the “AB” category – compared to just a quarter (25%) of Brits overall. They’re also more likely to own property outright (41% vs. 33%) and a second home (5% vs. 2%). Four in ten (43%) have a gross household income under £30,000, suggesting that a number may be relying on pension income.

What’s more, seven out of ten (71%) don’t have any children. A lack of expectant kids and grandkids would certainly make a donation more practically possible for these Brits – though of course, three in ten (29%) do have children and will either intend to offer a legacy gift alongside any inheritance or instead of one. How these would-be heirs feel about their parents’ money going to charity instead of their bank accounts is an open question.

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