Legacies

Legacies are a lifeline for our parishes.  Church of England parishes receive over 5000 legacies each year.  These include gifts to finance mission projects, maintain our church buildings, and to enable us to grow faithful communities.  Whereas regular giving often concentrates on maintaining existing mission and ministry, legacies can make a real difference to the future work of the church.  Leaving a legacy is a final opportunity for many people to make a lasting gift to God and to their church family. 

  • Legacies are gifts that a person has chosen to leave in their will. 
  • Gifts in Memoriam (Giving in Memory) are gifts that a person has chosen to give on behalf of someone else in their memory. 

If your church receives a legacy, it will be considered a charitable legacy and there are some helpful resources below for handling them appropriately. 

So, how do we get started as a church?

Firstly, download a copy of the PCC Guide “Encouraging Giving Through Legacies here and work through the actions highlighted in it. 
 
Secondly, make and communicate a Legacy Policy.  This is an important document that all parishes should have in place because it allows the PCC to prepare and discuss how they would wish to see a gift used.  It can also help to reassure those interested that the PCC has a policy in place.  A sample legacy policy can be downloaded here. 
 
Thirdly, have literature about legacies available in your church, and online.  Your legacy policy should be readily available as part of this.  There are lots of customisable resources available here, including Why every Christian should have a will.
 
Lastly, talk about the impact of legacies so that people can really see the difference they can make.  It might just encourage someone else to consider leaving one too. 
 

Who to contact

To speak to a member of the team, you can book a call here or email givingteam@bathwells.anglican.org and someone will be in touch. 

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