The Scottish Legacy Market Report 2023*, produced in partnership between Remember a Charity and Legacy Foresight, highlights the growth and breadth of the Scottish legacy market for charities and underlines the importance of investing long-term in this fundraising stream.
The report brings together key statistics on the Scottish legacy market, as well as insights and recommendations from legacy experts at charities, such as CHAS, Worldwide Cancer Research, Children in Scotland, Cancer Support Scotland and SCOTLAND: The Big Picture, to help those at the start of their legacy fundraising journey.
The report shows:
- The connection supporters feel to good causes continues to grow along with a rising interest in legacy giving.
- 42% of Scots aged 40 and above say they would be happy to give in this way and 21% have already done so****.
- Legacy giving to Scottish charities is showing a year-on-year rise, with the latest data from SCVO showing that it reached £136m in 2020/2021**.
- Legacy income accounts for one fifth of all money donated to Scottish charities annually**.
- Almost half of all Scottish charities’ legacy income goes to Scotland’s top 50 charities, who received £66m in 2020/21, with the biggest share going to health causes****.
- Some 500 Scottish charities of all sizes are named in Wills each year*****.
Lucinda Frostick, Director at Remember A Charity, says: “In the cost-of-living crisis, money is tight for charities and supporters alike. But in many ways, this brings us all closer together, with people being acutely aware of the need for charitable services and wanting to support the causes they care about. As legacy giving has little or no upfront cost while offering the potential to achieve a better future, we’re seeing appetite for giving in this way reach record levels. Legacies offer a huge growth opportunity for Scottish charities.”
Kath Horsley, Director of Insight at Legacy Foresight added: “The fundraising market is becoming increasingly challenging and competitive but for those charities who continue to invest in legacy fundraising it remains resilient and we continue to see legacy income on an upward trajectory. Whilst the Scottish market is relatively small, it is clear that Scotland is on a similar trend to that of the UK as a whole, and the forecast for charity legacies remains promising.”
Mark Docherty, Legacy Manager at Worldwide Cancer Research, added: “Legacy income is really crucial for us, accounting for about 20 per cent of our income and the majority is unrestricted. Whilst some other income sources have gone down over recent years, legacies have remained resilient, boosted by the housing market. Legacy fundraising is such a good investment that it’s critical to keep going – working in today’s storm will enable us to take care of those that follow.”
Gifts in Wills are the largest single source of voluntary income for charities in the UK, raising almost £3.9 billion** for good causes annually and funding vital charitable services. Whilst Scotland’s legacy market is younger than that of England and Wales, it is seeing considerable long-term growth, with hundreds of charities of all sizes now being named in Wills each year, funding vital services across Scotland.
The Scottish Legacy Market Report 2023 includes data, insights and top tips for charities embarking on legacy fundraising and is available to download here.
*Scottish Legacy Market Report, 2023
Produced by Remember A Charity and Legacy Foresight, this report summarises market data, trends and includes information compiled through in-depth qualitative interviews with those in the charity sector in Scotland.
**SCVO 2022
***Legacy Foresight 2023
**** OKO/Remember A Charity 2022
*****Smee & Ford 2021
