Ask Sarah Anderson from Cancer Research UK your questions about leaving legacy gifts in your Will

What happens if the charity named in my will changes it’s name

I would like to leave something in my will for CRUK although it may not be a large sum. My question for you is this, whenever money is left in anyone’s will and they leave specific instructions as to what they would like it to be used for, do you use it for what they have requested you to use it for. My reason for wanting to leave a gift for you is that I have in the past needed to use your services, thank you for being there for me and hundreds of others as well.

Are there any agencies/advocates which will help you write a will, I want to put one together, and put my affairs in order, but do not want any conflict with my siblings (a live in the family home - which I bought from my parents) and my children and grandchildren.
I want the wording to be clear, everything to be thought of, but I don't have the words, so is there an advocate which will hold the will which can be acted on upon by death - if I don't get around to writing one will it automatically go to my NOK - I have a son and daughter - the daughter is older, so will she the the first beneficiary. (I really cannot afford solicitors fees)

How long do you normally take to acknowledge money left in a person's will and do you state how that particular amount will specifically be used?

Like many others I would be interested to know:
1: How much is the annual salary of the CRUK directors, board members and anyone in 'top' position? Is this information available to the public?
2: What percentage of any donation and/or legacy actually goes towards research, research projects or research scientists?
3: What percentage of any donation and/or legacy goes towards salaries for those high up in the CRUK organisation?

The answers to these would influence any decisions I made about whether or not to leave anything to CRUK.

Do legacies have to be for a specific amount, or could they be a %, or what's left when other specific bequests have been paid? And are they liable to inheritance tax?

Would my donation be taxed? I would hate to see it all eaten up by HMRC

i wouldnt give to a government funded charity.yes to a small one that doesnt get any government aided money. i work for a charity and yes the managers do get quite a big salary. then there are area managers and then shop managers. this year for the first time we did get a £25 giftcard.i been there 8 years and before this all we got was a christmas card.. i know as a volunteer its about giving and not asking for any reward(prayer) but all the hours volunteers ut in ,we deserve a little something .most shops give their volunteers a 25% discount.we dont take things home for free/ or the best things.....if its chucked in the bin as we are unable to sell some items i always give a donation for it.

I've heard that there is already a cure for cancer but the pharmaceuticals don't want to lose their income by making this available. What are the facts behind this?

I am updating my will and would like to leave something to a charity that has offered me support at a difficult time in my life. On the basis of what I have now it would be easy to name a specific amount that I would like them to have. But if I end up having to pay for care in some form, what I have will be greatly reduced and so this legacy would impact on what I’d like to leave my family. What’s the best way round this?

We made our mirror wills over a year ago at a cost, so wont be making another one, but my uncle who died of prostrate cancer had the McMillian nurses in daily so he left £5,000 to them from his bank account, not from his house sale as he told his daughter to do this transaction. My mother in law has had treatment at the Christy Hospital in Manchester last year and she will do the same thing, but as shes in sheltered housing she has no property herself to leave to anyone. I would myself put in any loose change in the tubs that you see in various shops/charity shops for this charity you mention, and at Xmas maybe would give a one off donation like we do to the Salavation Army and Rethink (mental health charity who help people settle into their own flats). But also know that Cancer Research does such brilliant work.

I used to work for a large, national charity and we received legacies frequently.
The money went into the melting pot and could be allocated to anything.
If the person had stipulated it be used for a particular project or something they had an interest in, then every endeavour was made to do this but there was no guarantees.
Not really a question but can you make it clear to donators that they should qualify how they would like the money allocated rather than it just go into general funds
Having said that, a charity cannot run on goodwill alone and needs money to pay staff and running costs.

My question echoes that of others. What percentage of charitable donations goes to actual research and not admin/ salaries/ offices etc

Can I stipulate that no part of my donation is to be used for animal research?

Is it true that if you leave part of your estate to a charity the inheritance Tax will be reduced or even eliminated? I give to different charities at the moment & also volunteer, but I am horrified how much money is wasted. High salaries and the bad press regarding volunteers recently is really concerning too.

I regularly support charities close to my heart both financially and with my time (including cancer charities). I have decided against leaving a legacy in my will though, anything I leave will stay with family, then it will be their decision on which charities they support.

I would consider leaving a small donation to charity in my will, but would want some idea of the percentage of donations which are spent on research and percentage spent on administration, including the salaries of top management and executives employed.
I would also like to know whether they use animals in research, and how they fundraise.
It would also be important to know what the charity has achieved so far.
All important considerations.

What is the tax position of gifts left to charity - does this increase the inheritance tax that other beneficiaries must pay ?

Always leave money to charities as a percentage. In my opinion all bequests should be done in percentages. I have heard of charities chasing their inheritance when things were going through slow.

I've not made a will, I have family members I who would need any money, I live in rented and live off the significant proceeds from the sale of my home, I would like to leave all of my estate to CRUK, can I make them executors and sole beneficiaries of my cash (family will get my heirlooms and jewellery etc) TIA

Like others I’m concerned about ANY charities spending more on top level staff and new buildings than on the research or the support of those in need. When I think of money raised by a PTA, the whole of which goes to buy things for the school and an account of how much was raised and how the money is spent is published, it makes me wonder how much the school would get if a) there was no accounting and b) we had to pay for those generous members who organise the fund-raising events.
Let’s see public accounting for charities-how much is paid to CEO’s, how much their new office +furnishings cost, exactly how the money is spent in the charity.

There are common threads here - how much is spent on "admin" / high salaries and will there be "assertive follow-up". I think a lot of people have every sympathy for research funding but not for high salaries, advertising and leaf-letting and the "can you give a bit more" calling.

Hi. I think it is a great idea in general to leave something to charity in your will but I think I would prefer to give money to something local like the Maggie's centre in my own town. I too would like to give to a uk wide charity but as a few people on this thread have already said, perhaps a lot of my donation would go on admin. Does cancer uk have any local or community based projects that they help?

I wonder whether it is worth leaving what would be a relatively small sum - say a thousand or so - or is it more beneficial to regularly donate to a cancer charity during my lifetime?