"As my parents planted before I was born, so do I plant for those who come after me" - the CMS legacy campaign
(Image: © CMS)
Why don't more people leave gifts to charity in their will? A consortium of Christian charities, including CMS, has launched a survey to get to the bottom of the issue
Statistics show only five per cent of the population leave a gift to charity when they die.
Anecdotal evidence further suggests that few church leaders talk about leaving gifts in wills, even though Christian charities rely heavily on gifts in wills to fund their projects.
Under the banner of Christian Legacy, the consortium of charities, of which CMS is a founder member, has joined forces to launch a survey to find out more.
Related links
Help by taking the survey at
www.christianlegacy.org.uk
CMS legacies
“We’re interested in finding out whether ‘legacy’ is a taboo word in the Church – and what we can do about it,” said John Ranford of Bible Society, speaking on behalf of the consortium.
“Legacies enable fantastic work to happen around the world. Each of our charities can point to many vital projects that would have to be cancelled if people didn’t leave gifts in their wills.”
Questions will look at whether the credit crunch is affecting churchgoers’ attitudes to giving to charity, and whether the importance of leaving a legacy has been taught in their church.
“At the moment it’s too early to say whether legacies are being affected by the economic downturn,” says Ranford, “but this survey should help us discern future trends.”
The results, due out in June, will give a fresh picture of giving patterns in the church – and the size of the funding gap that charities may face in the future.
The survey can be completed online at
www.christianlegacy.org.uk
Questionnaires are also being inserted in nine Christian newspapers and magazines.
The members of Christian Legacy are Bible Society, Care for the Family, CMS, The Leprosy Mission, Livability and The Mission to Seafarers. Their aim is to increase legacy gifts to Christian charities.