Culture Secretary backs charitable giving report

Culture Secretary Maria Miller has welcomed a report making recommendations on how to boost the number of charity donations left in wills. She commended arts organisations that already have strong relationships with donors but said that more could be done, as only seven per cent of people currently leave a legacy in their will: “…too many companies and organisations in the arts and heritage world still have no legacy giving scheme in place. So, they need to get better at asking for this kind of support. I want many more cultural organisations to benefit from legacies, and we will be happy to help make this a core element of greater giving to culture across society as a whole.”

The report was commissioned by the Government and carried out by Roland Rudd, Chairman of the Legacy 10 campaign, which was set up last year to encourage charitable giving in the UK. It recommends that all registered charities should provide evidence of a legacy giving strategy in their annual reports, and that Arts Council England’s portfolio organisations should be able to demonstrate philanthropic and legacy fundraising. It encourages new innovations in legacy giving, suggesting that “a new award should be created and supported by the Government recognising the contribution of individuals who have shown exceptional innovation in the field of legacy giving.” It also advises that rewards for those who do donate, such as awards and tax breaks, would help increase giving.

Miller’s comments follow in the wake of a change in the rules surrounding charitable giving in wills, meaning that those eligible for inheritance tax who give more than 10% of their whole estate to charity pay a reduced rate: 36% rather than the standard 40%. This means that part of the amount of the donation given is recouped to the individual’s estate by the tax break.