A bequest to the Association ensures that our positive actions continue after our life
Arranging what happens to our property after death is possible through our last will and testament in which we can make our wishes known. Writing a will is not complex and only requires that we comply with certain guidelines provided by law.
A LEGACY IN FAVOUR OF THE ASSOCIATION
To leave assets to the Association after your death, indicate the beneficiary:
Fondazione Lama Gangchen Help in Action Onlus
with registered office in Milan (Italy) at via Marco Polo n. 13
Fiscal code: 97197120153
email: helpinaction@gangchen.it or lgkt_it@yahoo.com – tel. 0323 569645
The legacy can be indicated in one of the clauses of the will.
DONATIONS IN MEMORY OF A LOVED ONE
Such a donation represents the possibility of generating positive energy in memory of a loved one.
The donation can be aimed at a specific purpose – one or more long distance adoptions, a humanitarian project of choice – or destined for the most urgent activities of the Association.
The Association will inform you of the use of the sum received and will send a letter to the family of the person remembered, to share the generous gesture of solidarity.
For further information or clarifications contact us by email: helpinaction@gangchen.it – lgkt_it@yahoo.com or call us on: +39 0323 569645
Thank you, on behalf of all those who will be helped
by your act of generosity
It is important when writing a will that you follow the laws of your own country:
In the UK
If you don’t make a will, your estate will be divided according to the law. This is not necessarily what you would want. To make sure your last wishes are met it is necessary that make a will with the help of a solicitor. In the UK there are three types of gifts you can leave in your will:
- A share of your estate which is also known as a residuary legacy. This simply means a percentage of your estate after all other gifts and expenses have been paid.
- A specific sum of money also known as a pecuniary legacy.
- A specific item – such as an antique, a valuable painting, a property or shares.
Any legacy you leave to a charity is not included when your estate is valued for Inheritance Tax purposes. The gift is deducted from your estate before Tax is applied.
If you want to leave a legacy to Help in Action, when you write your will you must state clearly the address and charity number (as above).
If you would like to change a will that you have already made, it is not necessary to make a new will. You can add a ‘codicil’ to your will and simply send it to your solicitor. A codicil allows you to make changes or additio.s to your will and must be read in together with it.
You can easily find examples and information on writing wills and codicils on the internet:
https://www.gov.uk/make-will/overview
In Italy
A will allows you to identify, within the law, the person who after your death takes over all your legal responsibilities. However when you make a will, the law obliges you to leave a certain percentage of your patrimony to your so-called “legitimate” heirs, that is your spouse, children or, in the absence of these, your parents. If there are no legitimate heirs you can leave your own patrimony as you wish: but, in the absence of a will the inheritance will go to your distant relatives (or, in the absence of relatives, to the state).
The Association can be indicated as a simple beneficiary – to whom is destined a sum of money, goods or other – or as a universal heir (it is important to remember that in this case acceptance of the legacy would be with the more complicated procedure of “acceptance with benefit of inventory” in order for the Association to check if there any debts it would be responsible for).
It would be advisable to inform the Association if you decide to mention it in your will. Testamentary provisions in favour of a charity (onlus) are excluded from tax.
Please note that according to Italian law, there are three types of wills:
1. Holographic will: this is the simplest, most economic and practical form of will and has the basic requirements:
- it must be handwritten, dated (dd/mm/yyyy) and signed (name and surname) at the end of your stipulations;
- it is void if written by a computer or written, even in part, by others;
- any changes must be written, dated and signed by hand and placed at the end of the will;
- it must be kept in a safe place or delivered to a trusted person or to a notary.
- the notary only receives and keeps the will. The executor must make public and implement the will once the person who has written it dies.
2. Public will
This is a formal will drawn up by a notary who, once it is written, gives it to the person in the presence of witnesses. The will is then signed by the person, the notary and witnesses. It is kept by the notary, who is also responsible for ensuring that the person making the will is of sound mind.
3. Secret will
This kind of will is now practically disused. The content of the will remains unknown even to the notary who merely receives and keeps it. It can be written by computer. It must be dated and signed, placed in a closed envelope and is then sealed directly by the notary who receives it in the presence of two witnesses.
What can be left to the Association:
- A sum of money (that can be destined for a specific purpose: such as long distance adoptions or one of our humanitarian projects), stocks, shares, post office bonds, investment funds or our severance pay;
- Goods such as works of art, jewellery, furnishings;
- Real estate such as apartments, land, buildings etc.
- Life insurance policies: these are not part of the hereditary estate; the insured person can decide who will be the beneficiary without any restriction. The holder of a policy can express their wishes at any time by giving notice to the issuing agency so that it can be included in the policy or in a will. (To avoid red tape it would be better if those nominating the Association as the beneficiary of their life insurance policy would either inform the Association or send a copy of the policy itself.)