Anna Terry, CEO Jersey Community Foundation
(Article written for the Jersey Evening post in September 2023)
As we get caught up in the minutiae of the everyday, rarely do we pause to consider what impact we will leave behind in this world. This oversight can be attributed to the discomfort that accompanies thoughts of mortality. And yet it holds significant importance because, beyond our own lifetime, our capacity to shape and improve the world lives on. From our DNA to our carbon footprint, and from our personal life choices to our professional endeavours, each of us will leave an imprint on the world, shaping the world that awaits those who will walk in our steps.
This week (11-17 September) is Legacy Week, prompting us to consider what ‘legacy’ we will leave behind when we are gone. Legacy giving, often overlooked in the rush of the present, is not merely about writing a will or ensuring the transfer of assets; it’s a profound act that transcends your lifetime leaving a lasting impact that echoes your values, passions and commitment to making a difference across generations to come. It’s a way of giving back to the communities we have lived, loved and thrived in and an opportunity to do real good for years to come.
What is legacy giving?
Legacy gifts are a way to support the causes you love, help your community for generations to come and create a lasting memory of your generosity.
Legacy giving is when an individual includes one or more charitable organisations or causes in their will to receive a portion of their assets, finances or property after they die. It’s a method used to ensure a meaningful contribution to, and lasting impact on, causes that individuals care about such as charities, educational institutions or research organisations, after their lifetime. Legacy giving plays a crucial role in supporting the sustainability and growth of non-profits and charitable initiatives. New data estimates that charity income from UK legacy giving reached £3.85bn in 2022 (source: Third Force News (2023)).
Legacy giving with Jersey Community Foundation (JCF)
JCF understands that the decision to leave a legacy is a big one. That’s why we ensure every penny you give goes as far as possible. By offering a bespoke tailored service to individuals we can work with you or your loved ones to ensure your wishes are fulfilled.
Leaving a gift in your will is a great way to create a legacy of your generosity and give back to the community that has been a significant part of your life.
Many individuals generously include a gift to their local community foundation in their will, sometimes alongside a living gift. Such gifts are essential fuel for our beneficial work in our Island community, both now and in future.
Your legacy gift can:
support causes you are most interested in or concerned about, or be allocated to the Island’s most pressing current needs (using our in-depth community knowledge and connections), depending on your preference;
be small or large, as a percentage of your Estate or a fixed sum gift;
be distributed to local causes quickly and/or invested in an endowment fund with the income used for grant-making to local causes year-on-year, in perpetuity, in both cases through our well-established channels and procedures;
involve setting up a Personal Named Fund, potentially with a living gift (enabling you to see the immediate impact) alongside a legacy gift;
be allocated to one or more of our existing themed funds, allowing JCF to respond to urgent community needs and to emerging opportunities for projects, programmes and services across a broad range of charitable organisations; and,
make a tangible difference: we allocate your gift to specific causes, guided by your expressed preferences, and ensure these are as impactful as possible.
Along with your solicitor or another professional advisor, we can support you in reviewing the above options and making the choices you are happiest with.
When considering legacy giving, it’s worth noting that while specific local charities may evolve over time, community foundations offer enduring relevance by supporting a range of charities and causes that consistently align with the ever-changing and evolving needs within a community. Contributing to JCF empowers individuals to make a broader impact across various needs within our Island community – from education to the environment, science to sport, and poverty to public health (and everything in between). This inclusive approach promotes unity and collaboration among charitable organisations, as well as strength and resilience in Jersey, amplifying the overall positive effect on our Island community.
There is a network of over 1,800 community foundations operating across the globe. Like all community foundations, JCF is a non-profit organisation that serves as a platform for charitable giving, connecting donors with local causes and needs in Jersey. As a trusted expert in charitable giving with an understanding of Jersey’s greatest needs, JCF ensures that funds are effectively and efficiently managed and distributed according to donors' wishes via their specialist, bespoke donor service and due diligence procedures.
Giving while living
A growing global trend is the concept of giving while living. It’s an idea championed by some of the most high-impact, high-net donors of the modern era, and championed by the entrepreneur and philanthropist Chuck Feeney, who was famously quoted as saying: “It’s a lot more fun to give while you’re alive, than to give when you’re dead” The need is now so why wait?”
One donor currently working with JCF has chosen to set up a ‘living legacy’ fund, so they can see the impact of their giving while they are alive, whilst also laying the foundations for their fund after they have passed. Like many donors, giving anonymously, especially in a small community like Jersey, can be important, and setting up a fund with JCF allows this.
“Given the huge and varied needs in our communities today, the impact of funding now will address some of the issues of today, and help prevent some of the problems of tomorrow.
“Legacy giving isn’t just about leaving a financial contribution. It's about ensuring that my values and passions continue to make a difference long after I'm gone. JCF’s ability to address a wide spectrum of needs, adapt to changing times and collaborate with diverse causes resonated with my desire for enduring impact in Jersey, the Island that I care about and call my home. By contributing to a collective pool of resources, I feel part of something larger than myself where my legacy is woven into a tapestry of positive change.
“JCF’s approach enables me to support causes close to my heart while embracing the unpredictability of the future. It's a reassuring thought that my contribution will remain relevant, evolving with the community's needs. Setting up legacy giving with JCF feels like investing in the future, one where my influence lives on, making a tangible difference in countless Islanders’ lives.
-(Anonymous female legacy donor, age 53, recently retired from a career in Finance in Jersey)
Final thoughts
Legacy giving and living legacies reverberate through time, carrying the tangible promise of meaningful and lasting impact by contributing to a brighter future for those who live in our community now and those to come long after us.
As we live our day-to-day lives, the timing of our passing usually (and thankfully) remains unknown. But when legacy giving is channelled through a community foundation like JCF, they act as a ‘pragmatic bridge’ between the present and unknown future. They guarantee that your money will be put to good use based on the current needs of the community – be that in one year, 20 years or 50 years from now.
By considering legacy giving and living legacies with JCF, individuals can contribute to a shared vision of improving our Island community based on the certainty of support, empowerment and positive change relating to our Island’s most pressing needs.
Leave your own lasting legacy for our Island community. To find out more, visit
www.jerseycommunityfoundation.org/giving/legacy-memory-funds/ or email Anna Terry at anna@jerseycommunityfoundation.org.
The Greville Bathe Fund: a legacy fund that changes lives
Greville Inverness Bathe was the son of Inverness John Bathe, who was the first Director and Chairman of Ann Street Brewery. On his death in 1927, Inverness John Bathe left a large proportion of his shares in the Brewery to his son Greville Bathe. Despite living outside of Jersey all of his life, Greville Bathe maintained a close interest in the brewery and on his death in 1961, bequest two thirds of his estate to create “The Greville Bathe Fund”.
With an initial investment of less than £4 million*, the fund’s value is over £20 million today, having distributed over £10 million to charitable causes since its establishment. In 2022 alone, over 60 years after his death, The Greville Bathe Fund distributed almost £650,000 in grants to charitable causes and individuals living in Jersey, demonstrating the huge legacy that Greville Bathe established.
The will stated that the income from the fund was to be distributed in grants to support sick and elderly individuals living in Jersey.
For more information on applying to the fund, visit: https://www.jerseycommunityfou...;
*The exact amount that established the Greville Bathe Fund is unknown; this value is sourced from the earliest available records.