For years, the question of charitable giving has occupied an awkward corner of the estate planning conversation. Tucked in at the end of a Will questionnaire, after property, portfolios and executors have all been settled, advisers have typically asked a single closed question: do you want to leave a legacy to charity? More often than not, the answer has been no — and the conversation has moved swiftly on.

But that approach is being reconsidered. Speaking on our recent podcast to mark the launch of Remember A Charity's Good Practice Guide for wealth advisers, Clare Stirzaker, Private Wealth Partner at Boodle Hatfield, and Sianne Haldane, Founder of Boon Philanthropy Consulting, made the case for a fundamentally different starting point — one that treats philanthropy not as a footnote to the Will, but as part of a much broader conversation about purpose, values and legacy.

A Gap Between Intention and Advice

The numbers suggest the opportunity is significant. According to Remember A Charity and Savanta research, half of UK millionaires have already included a charitable gift in their Will, and 46% of all legacy income now comes from estates valued at over £1 million. Separately, CAF research found that nine out of ten wealthy individuals in the UK already give to charity — yet fewer than one in ten receive any professional advice on their giving. It is, as Haldane put it, “a bit of a mismatch”: clients are engaged with the idea of giving, but the conversations that could help them give more effectively, and with greater confidence, simply aren't happening.

Part of the issue, Stirzaker suggested, lies in sequencing. Asking about charitable legacies as the final item in a Wills meeting — after the client has already worked through the mechanics of property, executors and beneficiaries — rarely produces a meaningful discussion. That larger conversation might explore what a client sees as the purpose of the wealth they've built, what values they want to pass on, and how they want that wealth — and their charitable intentions — to be reflected across the next generation. Approached this way, philanthropy becomes not an isolated add-on but a natural extension of succession planning.

Philanthropy in the Family Business Context

This shift is increasingly visible in the family business context, too. Stirzaker noted a growing number of clients exploring whether shares in a family business might be directed into a philanthropic structure — a move that can align business profits with family values, support succession planning, and help address some of the more difficult questions that arise when a business changes hands. It's not without complexity — diversification issues can arise when charities hold shares in private companies — but it reflects a broader shift: philanthropy is moving from the periphery of wealth planning into its core.

The Case for Donor-Advised Funds

Structuring flexibility matters too. One recurring hesitation among clients, Haldane and Stirzaker noted, is the fear of committing to a specific cause too early. A client naming an individual charity in their Will today may reasonably wonder whether they'll feel the same way about that cause in ten or twenty years' time — or whether the charity will still exist. Donor-Advised Funds have emerged as an effective answer to this. Rather than naming a charity directly, a client can direct a fixed sum or percentage of their estate into a DAF account, accompanied by a letter of wishes that can be updated over time. It offers clients the ability to act on their charitable intentions now, while preserving the flexibility to change course later — without needing to revisit the Will itself.

A Legacy Worth Talking About

Perhaps the most striking theme from the discussion, though, was emotional rather than technical. Haldane shared the story of a philanthropist who had long put off writing her Will, only to find that including a charitable gift became one of the most rewarding parts of the process. Having also sold her business, she chose to direct much of the proceeds to charity rather than retain them — a decision that left those around her, in Haldane's words, “really inspired.” It is a reminder that for many clients, legacy giving isn't simply a tax-efficient planning tool. It can be a genuinely meaningful way of reflecting on a life's work and its lasting impact.

For advisers, the message from the guide is a simple one: don't be afraid to open the conversation, and don't assume it belongs only at the end of the meeting. Clients are ready to talk about giving — the opportunity now is for advisers to be ready too.

Remember A Charity's Good Practice Guide, along with its free Legacy Academy training resources, is available now via the Remember A Charity website.

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