+ I’m interested in leaving Make Votes Matter a gift in my will. How do I do that?

Making a will is simple and easy. The best thing to do is to speak to a solicitor or other professional will writer, who will be able to guide you through the process.

Your solicitor or will writer will ask you a few questions, such as a rough idea of what you own and who you’d like to leave gifts to. To help prepare and save time at the appointment, you might like to look through the sample will planners from Will Aid or Free Wills Month, or take a look through the comprehensive guide from Remember a Charity. You will need to give our name and registered address (see below) to the person who writes your will.

+ Our full name and address

Your solicitor will need our full name and address to ensure that it’s clear who the gift is for. You can find those details below. Our campaigning to fix the political system means that we are ineligible to be a registered charity, so Make Votes Matter is legally registered at Companies House as a company limited by guarantee.

Make Votes Matter
Registered office address: 27 Old Gloucester Street, London, United Kingdom, WC1N 3AX.
Company number: 10352176

+ Do I need to find a solicitor, and if so, how do I find a good one?

You could try asking friends or family for recommendations. Or take a look at the lists below:

• Solicitors in England and Wales
• Solicitors in Scotland
• Solicitors in Northern Ireland

Many trade unions provide free will writing services to their members. If you’re a trade union member, ask your union about this. Your employer may also offer a free or discounted will-writing service. Some insurance policies include legal cover which might include will writing.

There are also schemes where solicitors offer wills for free or for a discount in the hope that you will leave a gift to charity, such as Will Aid, Free Wills Month, and Will Relief Scotland.

You could speak to a professional will writer who isn’t a solicitor. These are often cheaper, but they aren’t regulated in the same way that solicitors are, so you may have less protection if something goes wrong.

You could also get a DIY write-at-home will kit. But if later there is any confusion about what exactly you meant by something in the will, you won’t be around to explain what you meant, so it helps to have a professional who knows how to make sure that your intentions are translated into the correct legal language. This can help protect against technical mistakes that might invalidate your will or be the cause of a dispute.

+ What if I already have a will?

You have two options.

• If the changes you’re planning are minor, you can amend your will by adding an extra document called a “codicil”.
• Alternatively, you can also draw up a completely new will to reflect the changes.

Speak to your solicitor or professional will writer about which option is best for you.

+ Types of gift

You can choose to leave a gift in a number of different ways:

• you could leave a specific amount of money. The value of this type of gift will go down over time as the cost of living increases.
• or you could donate a proportion of the total value of your estate, after you've properly provided for your friends and loved ones. Many people choose this option, because it means that the value automatically keeps up with inflation and any changes to the size of your estate.

We are grateful for all gifts, regardless of what you choose.

You can also give specific items, such as property, jewellery or investments.

+ Where will my money go?

Your gift will go directly to the campaign to win PR. Make Votes Matter prides itself on punching above its weight, so you can be sure that your gift will go far. If you would like to learn more about the Make Votes Matter strategy, you can see our Path to PR page. You can also see our annual reports here.

+ Do I have to tell MVM if I leave you a gift?

No, but we would be delighted to hear from you if you decide to leave a legacy to the movement, and, if you’re not already, include you in exclusive updates and events for donors. We won’t tell anyone else that you intend to leave a gift to us and we’ll never ask you how much you have left.

+ What if I change my mind?

That’s OK - just speak to your solicitor or will writer about amending your will. If you have told us that you are leaving a gift to MVM, we would appreciate it if you would let us know if you subsequently change your mind, but this isn’t mandatory.

+ What if we have already won PR before I die?

When we win PR for the House of Commons, we will have a massive celebration! And if you have shared your legacy plans with us, we will contact you, to remind you of your legacy, discuss our plans and let you decide what you would like to do next. You can always amend your will at any time.

+ Who can leave a gift to Make Votes Matter?

Almost any UK voter. It doesn’t matter whether you are rich or poor, young or old. Wills are for everyone, as long as you are over 18 and have the mental capacity to do so. There is no minimum or maximum gift size. All gifts are gratefully received, and every pound will help the UK take another step closer to equal votes.

In some circumstances, we can only accept donations from people who were on the UK electoral register at some point in the last 5 years before their death. If you are not registered to vote in the UK but would like to leave a gift in your will to the campaign, please get in touch.

+ Is a gift to Make Votes Matter exempt from Inheritance Tax?

No. Gifts to registered charities and most political parties are exempt from inheritance tax. Our political campaigning means that MVM is ineligible to be a registered charity. And unlike bequests to political parties, there is no tax exemption for cross-party campaigns like ours. This means that we really do appreciate every piece of support.

+ Can I make an anonymous gift?

We treat any information that you wish to share with us in the strictest confidence during your lifetime. But after you die, there are three reasons why the donation may be published:

• After you die, in many cases your will can become a public document. If there are things which you’d like to say which you don’t want to be public, you can write a private, non legally binding Letter of Wishes to be stored alongside your will. For example, these letters can explain the reasons why certain people have been included or excluded in the will, or you might want to leave a parting message to your loved ones. A Letter of Wishes will be kept private to the people who it’s addressed to.
• People rightly want to make sure that there’s open and transparent information available on how campaigns like ours are funded. All gifts over a set threshold (currently £7,500) are published by the Electoral Commission.
• Make Votes Matter is also currently developing a Donation Transparency Policy, which may go further than legal requirements.

+ I have more questions

If you are considering a legacy gift and would like to speak to a member of the team, you can get in touch at projects@makevotesmatter.org.uk.