© Shivang Mehta / shutterstock.comWhy leave a legacy with WWF-India?
India is a mega biodiverse country. It is home to a rich variety of wildlife that thrives in diverse natural systems. However, these stunning landscapes and ecosystems require support to thrive – support that comes from individuals like you.
Including WWF-India in your legacy plans opens new opportunities to prevent extinction of threatened species, address climate challenges and protect the natural world.
Our connection to nature is a gift and your support can help sustain it.
Ways to give in your Will
Honour a loved one
Commemorate a milestone
Support a sustainable future
Frequently Asked Questions
A Will is a legal document that sets out how your wealth and personal assets will be distributed after your passing. It does not need to be compulsorily registered. It only needs to be signed by you, in the presence of 2 witnesses. The document can be revoked, modified or substituted by you at any point during your lifetime. It only comes into effect after your death, and not before. A recipient of your assets under your Will is called a ‘legatee’. You can name any person or any organization (such as WWF-India) as a legatee of your assets, or any part of the same. We recommend you contact your legal attorney for further guidance.
Yes, you can. You can simply name the ‘World Wide Fund for Nature-India’ (WWF-India) as a recipient of an asset under your Will. You will need to state the amount you are bequeathing to WWF-India. Alternatively, if you are not leaving cash directly to WWF-India, you can identify the relevant asset from your estate you wish to gift to the organization e.g. investments. We have provided sample wording at the end of these questions to assist you in making this choice. The type of gifts WWF-India can receive are set out in our response to question 3 below.
There are three main types of gifts that you can leave in your Will in favour of WWF-India:
- ou can leave a monetary gift – which is a fixed sum of money e.g. Rs. 1 Lakh to WWF-India;
- You could leave a specific asset – such as a piece of jewellery to WWF-India; or
- You can also leave a percentage of your ‘residuary estate’. Your residuary estate refers to the remaining assets in your estate, after all gifts are bequeathed to loved ones and debts, taxes, court costs, etc. are paid. In simple terms, these are ‘leftover’ assets.
Your legacy will help us continue our vital work to protect our coasts and oceans, our forests and rivers and the species that depend on these habitats. A gift in your Will can help build a world where people and nature thrive. (If you have a specific programme run by WWF-India in mind, do mention your preference. We will strive to assign your gift towards such specific program, subject to requirements).
We are very grateful for every gift we receive, no matter how large or small. All the legacies we receive are used to help protect our incredible planet so even a small percentage of your estate would mean a lot to WWF-India. Gifts in Wills help fund our vital work in India.
If you decide to leave a gift in your Will to WWF-India, you do not need to make a new one. You can simply supplement your current Will by adding this new bequest. This can be done via a legal document called a ‘codicil’, which is read in conjunction with your Will. It needs to be signed the same way as a Will. We recommend you contact your legal attorney at the earliest for further guidance.
Whilst not strictly necessary in all cases, we would encourage you to discuss your Will with your attorney to ensure that all legal requirements are met and that your Will is valid. A properly prepared Will can help reduce any legal challenges to your estate and increase the value of the assets that you pass on to the people and the causes you care about.
WWF-India cannot offer legal advice on how to go about making a Will, or succession laws etc. However, we would be happy to answer any questions on how your bequests would be used by WWF-India. If you require assistance in preparing a Will and in relation to succession advice etc., you may contact our Philanthropy Ambassador for Mumbai, Mr. Rishabh Shroff. Rishabh is a Partner at India’s largest and most prestigious law firm, Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas (www.cyrilshroff.com). He can be reached at rishabh.shroff@cyrilshroff.com / +91 22 24964455.
Yes, you may use the following wording. As mentioned earlier, to leave a monetary gift, choose a specific sum of money that you would like to leave. To leave a residuary gift, choose the percentage of your estate that you would like to leave for WWF-India. The suggested wording is:
Cash bequest:
“I hereby devise and bequeath [a sum of [________] / [● percentage of my residual estate] to the World Wide Fund for Nature-India, being a Public Charitable Trust, having its principal offices at PirojshaGodrej Building, 172 B Lodhi Estate, New Delhi 110 003, for its general purposes to save life on Earth."
Non-cash bequest:
“I hereby devise and bequeath all my right, title and interest in [description of the asset] to the World Wide Fund for Nature-India, being a Public Charitable Trust, having its principal offices at Pirojsha Godrej Building, 172 B Lodhi Estate, New Delhi 110 003, for its general purposes to save life on Earth. At [his / her / their] discretion, my Executor[(s)] shall be authorized to arrange for the transfer of the said asset in specie to the World Wide Fund for Nature- India, or convert the same to cash / monies at the very earliest, and then arrange for the said amount to be paid accordingly.”
Residuary bequest:
“I hereby devise and bequeath ____% of my residuary estate to the World Wide Fund for Nature-India, being a Public Charitable Trust, having its principal offices at Pirojsha Godrej Building, 172 B Lodhi Estate, New Delhi 110 003, for its general purposes to save life on Earth.”
Cash bequest:
“I hereby devise and bequeath [a sum of [________] / [● percentage of my residual estate] to the World Wide Fund for Nature-India, being a Public Charitable Trust, having its principal offices at PirojshaGodrej Building, 172 B Lodhi Estate, New Delhi 110 003, for its general purposes to save life on Earth."
Non-cash bequest:
“I hereby devise and bequeath all my right, title and interest in [description of the asset] to the World Wide Fund for Nature-India, being a Public Charitable Trust, having its principal offices at Pirojsha Godrej Building, 172 B Lodhi Estate, New Delhi 110 003, for its general purposes to save life on Earth. At [his / her / their] discretion, my Executor[(s)] shall be authorized to arrange for the transfer of the said asset in specie to the World Wide Fund for Nature- India, or convert the same to cash / monies at the very earliest, and then arrange for the said amount to be paid accordingly.”
Residuary bequest:
“I hereby devise and bequeath ____% of my residuary estate to the World Wide Fund for Nature-India, being a Public Charitable Trust, having its principal offices at Pirojsha Godrej Building, 172 B Lodhi Estate, New Delhi 110 003, for its general purposes to save life on Earth.”
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