Donations in memory and gifts in wills

Asking for donations in someone’s memory turns grief into something lasting — a treatment funded, a hospice kept running, an animal rescued. It’s also a practical choice when the family would rather not have lots of flowers. This guide explains how to set it up, how to word it and how to choose where the money goes.

Key points

• Name one or two causes in the funeral notice and the order of service.
• Make giving easy: an online tribute page, a collection at the service or your funeral director’s collection service.
• Check the organisation before you promote it — its status affects Gift Aid and tax relief.
• “Family flowers only” is a kind, common way to say you’d prefer donations.
• Gifts in wills to qualifying charities are normally free of Inheritance Tax.

How to set up donations in memory

1. Choose the cause. It might be a hospice that cared for them, a charity linked to their illness, their faith community, or something they cared about all their life.
2. Decide how people will give. Most families use one of these:
   • an online tribute or giving page in the person’s name, which also lets people share memories;
   • a collection at the funeral, which your funeral director can arrange and pass on;
   • asking people to give directly to the charity and mention the person’s name.
3. Put it in writing. Add the details to the death notice, the order of service and any social media posts. Our guides to funeral flowers and the order of service include wording ideas.
4. Tell the charity. Many will send the family a list of who gave and a total, and some set up a lasting tribute fund.

Wording examples

• “Family flowers only, please. Donations, if desired, to St Michael’s Hospice in memory of Margaret.”
• “No flowers by request. Donations to World Aid Network’s gift of sight appeal, which Ahmed supported for many years, can be made online or at the service.”
• “In lieu of flowers, David asked that you give to an animal rescue in memory of his dogs, Bramble and Scout.”

Choosing a cause and checking it

Before you promote a cause, check what kind of organisation it is. A registered charity appears on the Charity Commission register (England and Wales), the OSCR register (Scotland) or the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland’s register, and can usually claim Gift Aid, adding 25% to UK taxpayers’ donations. Other not-for-profit bodies, such as community interest companies, do valuable work too, but gifts to them don’t attract charity tax reliefs.

Charity Compare lets you look up UK charities and compare how they spend their money. Popular choices for funeral donations include hospices, cancer and dementia charities, and faith-based charities — for example Muslim charities for sadaqah given on someone’s behalf, or Christian charities.

Causes we support

If you’re looking for a cause that makes a practical difference, these are two organisations FuneralFinder is happy to support:

• World Aid Network funds cataract surgery, cancer treatment and emergency food, water and shelter in Pakistan, Indonesia and Malaysia. It offers in-memory giving and gifts in wills, so a donation can restore someone’s sight in your loved one’s name. It’s a UK charitable incorporated organisation whose Charity Commission registration is in progress, so Gift Aid isn’t available yet.
• World Animal Rescue Network supports animal rescue and wildlife protection, with in-memory giving for people and pets and gifts in wills. It’s a community interest company rather than a registered charity, so gifts don’t attract Gift Aid or charity tax reliefs.

Leaving a gift in your will

A gift in your will lets you support a cause you care about without affecting your finances during your lifetime. Gifts to qualifying charities are normally free of Inheritance Tax, and if you leave 10% or more of your estate’s net value to charity, GOV.UK says the tax on some assets can drop from 40% to 36%.

In England and Wales, this explainer on leaving money to charity in your will covers how to word a charitable gift. Always make sure your family is provided for first, and get legal advice if your estate is complex. See also how to record your funeral wishes.

Remembering a pet

Losing a pet is a real bereavement. Many people mark it with a donation to an animal rescue in their pet’s name, and some organisations run memorial walls or tribute pages. See our guide to pet cremation and WARN’s pet loss support.

Where to get help

• Funeral flowers and card messages
• Condolence messages
• Bereavement support services