Legacy and Funeral Planning for Websites and a Church Near You

Sep 15, 2026

Guidance for parishes on presenting legacy giving and funeral planning information for a church website. Explains the purpose of leaving gifts in Wills, how legacy policies allow funding for church development, maintenance, equipment, and people, and encourages general-purpose legacy giving. Provides practical steps for leaving a legacy through free online Will writing, downloading a Letter of Wishes and Codicil templates, and using a funeral wishes planner leaflet to record day-of and later arrangements safely in advance.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLetters

FormatPDF

Pages3

Reading Time1 min

AccessFree to download

Legacy pages for websites and a church near you

Our legacy policy

How to leave a legacy gift

Funeral planning

Your Funeral Wishes Planner

LEGACY PAGES FOR WEBSITES AND A CHURCH NEAR YOU Leaving a gift if your Will is an amazing opportunity to make a final gift to God. This will make a lasting difference to the future of (insert name of church), and its ministry and mission in our local community. No matter how big or small, every gift in every Will can make a significant impact. Gifts in Wills are an important part of Christian giving, and leaving a gift to your church is away to thank God for all the blessings you have received in your lifetime. Legacy gifts can be used to fund mission and ministry projects, help to maintain church buildings, and ensure faithful people can be at the heart of this community for years to come. Parishes in the Church of England benefit from over 5,000 people each year who have decided to leave a gift in their Wills. This means over £50 million in legacy gifts is left to the church each year. At (insert name of church) we welcome all legacy gifts, and we promise to use them to make a difference. Our legacy policy The Parochial Church Council’s (PCC) policy is to use legacy gifts to fund development projects inside our church buildings and wider parish. This could be building maintenance and improvements, purchasing new equipment, or investing in people.(amend as required, once your church has written its own legacy policy) It is a great help if legacy gifts are left for general purposes, and not for a specific appeal or project which may have ended by the time you have died. The PCC can discuss with the executors of your Will how your gifts can be utilised at that time. This can be a wonderful experience, as both parties can discuss areas of the church’s work that interested you. For example, this could be music, buildings and facilities, or children’s work. How to leave a legacy gift • Write your Will for free online Will writing can often seem like a time consuming and expensive thing to do – and that’sa big reason why many people put it off. The Church of England has partnered with award-winning online Will-writing company Farewill to offer a free online Will writing service (RRP £90) . You can complete from the comfort of your home in less than 30 minutes. This is being piloted for the first time in 2021 in Manchester and Winchester dioceses to help the church to understand whether a national Will-writing scheme would be a useful resource in the future. Making a Will and keeping it updated is the only way to make sure your wishes are carried out after your death, giving you peace of mind that you can continue to support the family, friends, and charities you love. If you live in England or Wales, you can redeem your free online Will by clicking the link below: [https://farewill.com/manchesterchurches](https://farewill.com/manchesterchurches) Disclaimer: by participating in this Will writing scheme, your details will not be shared with the Church of England. If you use the Church of England Will writing scheme, thereis no obligation to leave a gift to a church in your Will. Your loved ones should always come first. If you do choose to remember your local or a favourite church, thank you. Every gift, great or small will make a real difference to that church and its mission and ministry in your community for future generations. • Need to write a Will? We strongly advise you to seek professional advice and to see a solicitor when making or revising your Will. If you need help finding a local Solicitor, please click here. You may wish to write a Letter of Wishes to sit alongside your Will. Click here to download the Church of England's Letter of Wishes template. A standard Will costs around £199 + VAT, and the Solicitor should outline the cost upfront before you visit them. You may find the Church of England’s 'Preparing to visit your Solicitor document helpful. • Made a Will already? It is a simple process to make an amendment to an existing Will to leave a legacy to our church. This is don

FAQs

How can legacy gifts be used by a parish?

Legacy gifts can fund development projects within church buildings and the wider parish, including building maintenance and improvements, new equipment, and investing in people.

What is the recommended approach for leaving a legacy gift?

It is helpful to leave gifts for general purposes rather than a specific appeal that may have ended. The parochial church council can discuss how the gifts can be utilised with the executors of the Will.

How should funeral wishes be recorded and stored?

Use the Your Funeral Wishes Planner leaflet to record what will happen on the day and what might happen later. Keep the wishes somewhere safe and do not store them with the Will, while informing close family and friends where to find them.

Sep 15, 2026

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