Your guide to supporting the next generation with a gift in your will.
Our Company has articulated its purpose with clarity: to empower young people from every background to fulfil their potential through our schools and by supporting their communities.
This builds on 700 years of history, standing on the shoulders of visionary Haberdashers. Yet we are not here merely to preserve their legacy—we are actively shaping the world of tomorrow.
Today’s world presents unprecedented challenges for young people preparing for their futures. Economic uncertainty, technological disruption, and social inequality mean the gap between aspiration and opportunity continues to widen.
Legacy gifts offer something uniquely powerful—the ability to create lasting, transformational change. A bequest to the Haberdashers’ Foundation is an investment in perpetuity, generating income year after year to support young people for generations to come.
Leaving a future gift to the Foundation means that your legacy becomes part of the Foundation’s ongoing story. Legacy planning is deeply personal, involving careful consideration of family circumstances and charitable commitments. We only ask that you give serious thought to the role the Haberdashers’ Foundation might play in your philanthropic legacy.
As Haberdashers’ we share a commitment to values that have endured for centuries and a collective responsibility to ensure they endure for centuries more. We invite you to join us.
Why leave a gift in your will?
A legacy gift, or future gift, is a powerful way to reflect your values, make a lasting difference to young people and ensure your loyal commitment to the Company continues beyond your death.
The Haberdashers’ Foundation funds work with some of the most vulnerable young people in our schools and their communities. It will be used to help transform their future opportunities.
We’ve partnered with expert estate planners, Octopus Legacy, so you can write or update your will for free*.
The cost of your will is covered by us up to £150 – so you can write or update a simple will for free or get a will with trust at a discounted rate.
While many supporters choose to include a gift in their will to the Haberdashers’ Company, there’s no obligation to do so when using this service.
How to write or update your will: Find the right will for you.
You can write your will:
- Online
- Over the phone/video call
- In-person (At home or in-branch)
Or call Octopus Legacy directly on 020 4525 3605 and quote The Haberdashers’ Company
*Applies to simple wills only. Discounts are applicable for wills with trusts.
HABS STORIES
Transforming lives
CASE STUDY
Transforming lives through mentoring
The Haberdashers’ Foundation’s three-year seed investment helped launch Habs Aspire, an innovative mentoring programme that connects sixth form students with accomplished professionals from our extensive membership and alumni networks.
This strategic investment creates a powerful bridge between education and career success, building student confidence while opening doors to opportunities they might never have discovered alone.
Creating Life-Changing Connections
Habs Aspire addresses a critical gap many young people face as they transition from education to careers. Students gain invaluable insights into different career paths, receive practical guidance on university applications and job searches, and develop the professional networks that can transform their futures. The programme’s impact extends far beyond career advice—mentors become trusted advocates who help students believe in their own potential and navigate challenges with confidence.
CASE STUDY
Transforming lives through education
The ADAPT and THRIVE programme at Haberdashers’ Abraham Darby was funded for five years by the Haberdashers’ Foundation, providing vital seed funding for its growth as well as staffing of the project.
It was designed specifically to unlock the potential of disadvantaged young people who need additional support to thrive in their education. The innovative programmes provide intensive, personalised interventions for students with complex social, emotional, and mental health needs, creating nurturing environments where every pupil flourishes.
Proven, Life-Changing Results:
The impact of ADAPT and THRIVE has been extraordinary. Students who have otherwise been at risk of exclusion are experiencing dramatic academic transformation—one young person soared from just 15% to an impressive 87% in English, demonstrating what becomes possible when the right support meets determined effort.
Planning your will.
A solicitor can assist you in creating or updating your will to ensure that your wishes are fulfilled after your death.
1. Essential information needed
Your assets and debts
List what you own (property, savings, pensions, investments, valuable items) and what you owe (mortgage, loans, debts). This determines your net estate value.
Your beneficiaries
Decide who should inherit from your Will and what they should receive. Your solicitor will need their full names, addresses, and relationship to you.
Charitable gifts
Consider whether you’d like to support causes you care about.
For gifts to the Haberdashers’ Foundation, your solicitor will need our charity details (found in the sample wording on Page 7).
Special wishes
Think about any specific requests, such as funeral preferences, or instructions for sentimental items.
2. Types of gift you can leave
Residuary gifts
A percentage of your estate after all debts, taxes, and specific bequests are paid. This is often the most valuable type of gift and grows with your estate’s value.
Example: “I give 10% of the residue of my estate to Haberdashers’ Foundation.”
Pecuniary gifts
A fixed sum of money that maintains its specified value regardless of your estate’s total worth.
Example: “I give £5,000 to the Haberdashers’ Foundation.”
Specific gifts
Particular items such as property, investments, or valuable possessions.
Example: “I give my shares in [Company Name] to the Haberdashers’ Foundation.”
You don’t have to be wealthy to leave a legacy—every gift, no matter the size, has a lasting impact.
3. Sample wording
“I give to the Haberdashers’ Foundation, a charity registered in England and Wales under charity number 275067, whose registered office is at Haberdashers’ Hall, 18 West Smithfield, London EC1A 9HX, the sum of £[Amount]/[Percentage]% of the residue of my estate, for its general charitable purposes”
4. Tax benefits of charitable gifts
Leaving gifts to registered charities can provide significant tax advantages: Inheritance Tax Relief
- Charitable gifts are exempt from inheritance tax
If you leave 10% or more of your net estate to charity, the inheritance tax rate on the remainder reduces from 40% to 36%
This can result in substantial savings for your other beneficiaries - Example Tax Calculation
- Estate value: £500,000
- Gift to Haberdashers’ Foundation: £50,000 (10%)
- Taxable estate: £450,000
- Tax at standard rate (40%): £180,000
- Tax at reduced rate (36%): £162,000: Saving: £18,000
5. Free will writing service to members
The Company is partnering with Octopus Legacy to offer a free Will writing service for all members. This includes the opportunity to leave a gift to the Haberdashers’ Foundation
Our commitment to you
We completely understand that loved ones are your priority and will never pressure you to include us in your Will or ask you to share your intentions.
- Your family comes first
- Your privacy matters
- Life changes, and that’s okay
- We respect your right to keep your plans private and will only discuss what you’re comfortable sharing. All conversations remain strictly confidential.
- We recognise that circumstances evolve, and you may need to alter your Will in the future. We fully support whatever decision is right for you.
- Should you choose to leave us a gift, we pledge to use it thoughtfully and effectively to support the next generation. You can trust the Haberdashers’ to do that
- We will work with your executors with understanding, patience, and respect during what can be a difficult time.
- Every penny counts
- Compassionate support always
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