Practical advice on leaving a gift to the Irish Red Cross
Coping with the death of a loved one is never an easy task. Not leaving behind a valid Will can cause even more stress as your family have to work out how best to divide your assets. Making a Will, and keeping it up to date, ensures that your estate is distributed the way you intend and that your family is taken care of. But your Will is also a unique chance to leave a lasting gift to others in need.
You can word your Will in several different ways: leaving a fixed amount, a bequest in kind or the residue of your estate. If you have already made a Will you can make a simple addition to your existing will called a codicil. You may add more than one codicil to your will.
It is always advisable, however, to seek professional advice from your legal advisor and we would urge you to do so, in order to ensure that your wishes are complied with.
Types of Gifts
Pecuniary Will
A pecuniary legacy is a gift of a fixed amount of money.
Suggested wording: 'I bequeath to the Irish Red Cross, recognised as a charity by the Irish Charity Commission, Registered Charity Number CHY 3950, the sum of €... for its general charitable purposes '
A Bequest in Kind
A bequest in kind is a gift of something specific which you own, such as shares in a company, a book collection, a house or some land.
Suggested wording: 'I bequeath to the Irish Red Cross recognised as a charity by the Irish Charity Commission, Registered Charity Number CHY 3950, the gift of €... for its general charitable purposes'
Residuary Will
The residue of your estate after specific bequests to family and friends. This may be in the form of a percentage of your estate and may not need updating unlike a pecuniary will where you have bequeathed a fixed sum. You may wish to allocate a percentage of your estate to more than one charity.
Suggested wording: 'I bequeath to The Irish Red Cross recognised as a charity by the Irish Charity Commission, Registered Charity Number CHY 3950, the residue of my estate.'
or
'I bequeath to The Irish Red Cross recognised as a charity by the Irish Charity Commission, Registered Charity Number CHY 3950, ...% of the residue of my estate.'
For more information on writing your Will please request a copy of our Guide to Wills and Legacies.