Philanthropists can be individuals, families, trusts, foundations or companies. Philanthropy is often motivated by the desire to "give back". There are many ways in which you can achieve this. 

VWV has a long tradition of working in the charitable sector, both acting for charities and individuals wishing to set up charitable structures. A number of our partners act as charitable trustees. If you or your family are considering setting aside a substantial sum with a view to providing to a charity, establishing your own charitable trust, or make the best option. This is a tax efficient way to give and can be very easy to set up.

You may also consider leaving a gift to charities on your death as part of your Will. Any bequest to a UK charity will be deducted from the value of your estate before calculating an inheritance tax liability. There are also important inheritance tax reliefs which will be introduced in 2013 for those leaving more than 10% of the residue of their estate to charity. Our Wills and Estates Teams will discuss these matters with you when preparing your Will.

For individuals wishing to donate to charity but not wishing to create trusts, we can advise on Gift Aid and the tax benefits of gifting assets such as shares.

For more information on philanthropy and our Education department, please click here.