Once you have provided for your loved ones in your will, you may also want to consider leaving a gift to a cause that is important to you to ensure that your beliefs live on.

A gift in your will to Friends of the Earth Scotland will enable us to campaign on the most pressing environmental issues for as long as it is needed. The issues that we are tackling today will enable future generations to enjoy a cleaner, healthier and safer environment.

Types of Legacy

There are a few different kinds of gift you can leave in your will. The most common are described below:

RESIDUARY BEQUEST

A gift of the remainder of the estate after all other bequests have been made and debts cleared is called a residuary bequest.

PECUNIARY BEQUEST

A gift of a fixed sum of money in your will is called a pecuniary bequest. The value of pecuniary legacies will decrease over time, as the cost of living increases.

SPECIFIC BEQUESTS

A particular named item left as a gift in your will is known as a specific bequest - for example, antiques, jewellery, land or buildings.

CONTINGENT BEQUEST

A gift in your will that depends upon the occurrence of an event which may or may not happen is known legally as a contingent bequest. An example is a bequest to a charity which applies only if other beneficiaries named in the will die before the testator (person who made the will).

Amending an existing will

If you would like to amend your existing will to include Friends of the Earth Scotland, please download and complete a codicil form and return it to your solicitor. 

The form includes our full address and charity number which you will need to give to your solicitor. Please ensure that you make it clear that you wish to remember Friends of the Earth Scotland, rather than Friends of the Earth (as this only benefits England, Wales and Northern Ireland).

Informing us about your will

If you have decided to leave a gift to Friends of the Earth Scotland in your will, please let us know by completing our legacy pledge form online. Our legacy pledgers are very special to us as we receive much smaller amounts in legacies than other organisations do and we would like to have the opportunity to thank you.

Inheritance tax

After your death, your estate is subject to inheritance tax if it's value is above £325,000. In the latest budget, the Chancellor announced a cut in the rate of inheritance tax from 40 per cent to 36 per cent from April 2012 for those who left at least 10 per cent of their estate to a good cause.

Calculating your financial worth

If you would like to estimate your current legacy value and see if you are eligible for inheritance tax, please visit the Remember a Charity website.

Don't have a solicitor?

Visit the Will Site for an online will writing service.

Further information

If you would like to receive further information about leaving a legacy please complete the form below and we will send you a booklet with more details about writing a will and leaving a gift to charity.