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Leave a gift to charity in your will

Remembering Sightsavers in your will means you can achieve incredible things after you’re gone.

Legacy gifts have enabled us to transform millions of lives for the past 70 years. Together, we can do even more.

Ten-year-old Mary from Malawi after cataract surgery. © Jason J Mulikita

Your will is more than just a legal document. As well as providing for your loved ones after you’re gone, it’s an opportunity to leave a tax-efficient charitable gift to causes you care about.

This is known as planned giving, and it’s vital so we can continue our work. By leaving money to charity, your kindness and generosity can have a positive impact on generations to come.

When making your will, we’d be delighted if you would consider leaving a gift to Sightsavers. Your legacy can change lives: read on to learn how.

Any questions?

If you want to discuss leaving a bequest to Sightsavers, please call us on +1 (800) 707-9746 or email [email protected]

A black and white image of children having their eyes checked, in front of a van labelled Mobile Eye Unit.
A black and white image of children having their eyes checked, in front of a van labelled Mobile Eye Unit.

You may not know much about Sightsavers’ history, but you’ll be amazed at what you’ve helped us to achieve in the past 70 years. See what we do

Malawi, 1965: local children have their eyes checked as part of our outreach work in the country.

Why leave a legacy to Sightsavers?

Since 1950, we’ve been giving our all to protect sight, battle debilitating diseases and uphold the rights of people with disabilities. We don’t always shout about it, but that’s because we’re busy getting the job done.

As a renowned international charity, we’re proud to be a leader in our field. With the support of our partners, we’ve restored the sight of more than 8 million people with cataracts, and have given out more than 1.5 billion doses of medication to protect people from diseases that can cause blindness and disability.

But we can’t do it alone. We rely on legacies from generous supporters such as you to ensure our work is able to continue, long into the future.

Together, we can create a future in which the diseases that cause sight loss are eliminated from whole communities. By leaving a gift to us in your will, think how many more lives could be transformed after you’re gone.

We’re called Sightsavers, but we’re also disease-fighters, advocates, disability rights campaigners, researchers – and world-changers.

How your gift can make a difference

Sanjit smiles with his mother. He's wearing dark glasses. She's wearing a dark green headscarf.

Your gift could fund vital surgery to stop children losing their sight

Thanks to funding from legacies like yours, children such as eight-year-old Sanjit can have vital eye surgery. Without treatment, cataracts could so easily have stolen his sight.
Read Sanjit’s story

Jeremiah, an ophthalmic nurse, holds up a vial of medication. He's smiling and wearing specialist eye health equipment around his neck.

Your gift could train health staff to treat people for blinding eye conditions

With your help, we could train more eye specialists such as Jeremiah, who travels to remote communities in Zimbabwe to treat patients who have no way to get to hospital.
Read Jeremiah’s story

Young children sit together outside eating porridge

Your gift could ensure children with disabilities are able to go to school

Your legacy could fund work such as our inclusive education project in Malawi, which is challenging stigma by enabling young children with disabilities to attend pre-school.
Read about the project

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Frequently asked questions

Why should I make a will?

Leaving a will can make a difficult time that much easier. Finalising the affairs of someone who has passed away without a will causes delays and complications. During this time, your loved ones will be unable to access the money you intended for them, and legal costs could reduce the value of your estate. Making a will also enables you to leave a bequest to other causes, such as Sightsavers.

How much does a will cost?

There is no standard cost for a will, but it is often less than you’d think, and money well spent to ensure your wishes are followed and your loved ones are protected from distress. You will also need to keep your will up to date as your circumstances and family situation can change over the years. Minor additions can be made using a document called a codicil, and this is also an easy way to leave a bequest to support a charity.

How do I know what to leave?

Once you have calculated your estate, you can draw up a list of people you wish to benefit, by how much and in what way. At this point, you may also consider leaving Sightsavers a share of the assets that are left over. A residuary gift is by far the most effective form of planned giving, as the value tends to adjust in line with inflation, meaning we receive the level of support you intended.

Mary looking happy to see more clearly again.

How can my gift help?

Before having cataract surgery, Mary struggled at school, couldn’t help at home and missed out on playing with her friends and siblings.

Thanks to our supporters, Mary’s life has been transformed. She is no longer shy and withdrawn, but beaming and full of energy.

Read Mary’s story

You can leave a lasting legacy

Add a beneficiary

Including Sightsavers in your will, retirement account, life insurance plan or in a trust will help us continue our work to improve lives and transform communities.

Fulfil your goals

Investing in Charitable Gift Annuities, donating stocks or giving through Charitable Gift Funds can be an effective way to achieve your philanthropic and financial goals.

Get the right advice

We recommend consulting your financial adviser for more information about how to make a will, and to decide the best method of legacy giving for your needs.

Contact us for more on leaving a life-changing gift

Omm and his mother smile widely after his cataract operation.
© Sightsavers/Jason J Mulikita

We know writing a will is a big decision, so please do get in touch if you have any questions – we’d love to hear from you.

Email [email protected]
Phone +1 (800) 707-9746