Gifts in wills FAQs

Find the answers to some of the most common questions we receive about leaving a gift to the NSPCC

If you can't find the answer you're looking for here, you can get in touch by filling out our online contact form.

You can also email or call us directly at legacyinfo@nspcc.org.uk or 020 7825 2939.

Frequently asked questions

Isn't this a private matter?

How will my family feel about it?

I'm not wealthy, would anything I leave be helpful?

Will my money be put to good use?

How does the NSPCC help children?

Wouldn't it be better to help now rather than later?

What if I need to change my will?

I've decided to leave a gift to the NSPCC. What do I need to tell my solicitor?

Can I choose what my gift is spent on?

Isn't this a private matter?

Absolutely. We believe that the only way anyone should find out about the contents of your will during your lifetime is if you choose to tell them, and we will never ask you to tell us your wishes.

Of course, if you do want to let us know that you have remembered the NSPCC in your will, we naturally welcome the opportunity to thank you. We may also be able to discuss whether you'd like your gift to go to a particular project or region and we will try to fulfill such wishes wherever possible. You can let us know how often you want to hear from us, and whether you'd prefer we write, or phone, or maybe meet up for a project visit.

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How will my family feel about it?

As a children's charity, we believe completely in the importance of family and we understand that your loved ones come first. That's why we would always encourage anyone considering leaving a gift to leave a small percentage of whatever's left after those close to them have been taken care of.

A small percentage gift will ensure that, even if your circumstances change, your loved ones will not be affected by any gift you choose to leave to the NSPCC. And a percentage gift will ensure that whatever you leave has the biggest impact for children, because it retains its value better than a specified sum of money.

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I'm not a wealthy person, would anything I leave be helpful?

We're profoundly grateful to anyone who chooses to protect vulnerable children with a gift in their will, no matter how big or small. And, when you consider that it costs just £4 for one of our ChildLine counsellors to respond to a child's call for help, you realise that even a small gift could be enough to transform many children's lives.

You can also ensure that the value of your gift is not reduced by inflation over time, by leaving a gift as a small percentage rather than a fixed amount.

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Will my money be put to good use?

The NSPCC strives to use every gift in a way which will have the greatest impact for children. In 2011-12, over 78p in every pound donated was spent on our direct charitable activities including running 40 NSPCC service centres around the UK and providing ChildLine and our adult helpline.

Find out more about some of our life-changing projects your gift could help us to fund

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How does the NSPCC help children?

Through our local projects, national services like ChildLine and our campaigning and public awareness work, the NSPCC provides help, support and protection to hundreds of thousands of vulnerable children every year. Find out more about what we do.

View our Annual Report to learn more about what we've achieved for children over the last year.

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Wouldn't it be better to help now rather than later?

Gifts in wills are crucial to the NSPCC, funding around one sixth of our work for children each year. We simply wouldn't be able to provide all the services we do without these very special gifts.

Of course, we are immensely grateful to everyone who supports our work, whenever and however they choose to do so. We value gifts in wills so much because they help to ensure that the NSPCC will continue to be there in the future, protecting children from tomorrow's challenges, whatever these may be.

By remembering the causes you care about in your will, your generosity can last beyond your own lifetime, and will help the NSPCC to ensure the ongoing protection of every precious child. Whether your gift is large or small, it can really make a big difference to our future, and more importantly, children's futures.

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What if I need to change my will?

We understand that your situation could change in the future and of course, you can always change the contents of your will at any time and for any reason, regardless of any gifts you had originally decided to leave. We will never ask you to tell us if you have remembered the NSPCC in your will.

Of course, if you do choose to do so, we would welcome the opportunity to thank you for your generosity and discuss how you would like to be updated on our work, and whether you might like to attend a project visit.

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I've decided to leave a gift to the NSPCC. What do I need to tell my solicitor?

Thank you very much for your generous support. If you have decided to leave a gift to the NSPCC, the words you will need to add to your will are:

"I leave ____________ to the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children of Weston House, 42 Curtain Road, London EC2A 3NH, registered charity numbers 216401 and SCO37717."

Download our Legacy Charter (PDF, 96KB) to see our promises to anyone considering leaving a gift to the NSPCC in their will.

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Can I choose what my gift is spent on?

The NSPCC will always strive to use every gift left to us in the way that has the greatest impact for children. We welcome gifts that are made unconditionally, because this allows us to direct gifts to the areas of greatest need, which will change on a continual basis.

Of course, we do understand that a particular region or service may have a special significance for you, and if this is the case we are very happy to discuss the different options available. If possible, we would always recommend that such preferences be expressed as wish, rather than as a condition. This is because we can't foresee now how our services might be different in five, ten or twenty years' time, and an expression of wishes in your will gives us the flexibility to transfer your gift to a similar area of work, if it is no longer possible to fund the area or project you requested.
The wording we would recommend for supporters who would like their gift to be used in a particular region or service area is:

I leave ____________ to the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, of Weston House, 42 Curtain Road, London EC2A 3NH, registered charity numbers 216401 and SCO37717, with the wish, but without imposing any binding obligation, that these funds be allocated to ____________

If you would like to discuss your gift being spent on a certain area of our work, please get in touch by filling out our online contact form or you can email or call us directly on legacyinfo@nspcc.org.uk or 020 7825 2939.

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