OUR SHARED PLANET, YOUR LEGACY


How would you like to be remembered?
Video title © Narayanan Iyer (Naresh)/WWF

WHY LEGACY GIVING IS ESSENTIAL

Today there is a growing understanding that human health and wellbeing are inextricably linked to the health of our planet. We have grown and thrived because of the services provided by nature. From fresh air, clean water, food to energy, and medicines, it is clear that nature is vital to our survival. Unfortunately, our natural world is fading at an alarming rate!

Leaving behind a gift in your will is an investment for the future. Your support will fund critical conservation projects in India – safeguarding our country’s rich biodiversity. We are on a mission to build a harmonious world where people and nature co-exist peacefully.

Your lasting gift can make a formidable difference for future generations.

Video title © Gerald S. Cubitt / WWF

OUR PROMISE TO YOU

We will continue to work towards implementing robust conservation actions on-ground. But we cannot do it alone. Your generous legacy gift will have a lasting impact on our planet that will help:

  • Reduce carbon emissions
  • Secure long term protection of India’s threatened wildlife and their habitat
  • Keep our freshwater ecosystem clean and free flowing
  • To find out more about our Legacy Circle programme, please refer to our booklet.

Video title © Simon Rawles/WWF

LEAVING BEHIND A GIFT THAT LASTS

Once you have provided for your family and loved ones, consider WWF India in your Will.

Your gift will :

  • protect our wildlife and their habitats;
  • conserve our rivers, wetlands, and oceans
  • help support our work with local communities
Together it is possible to build a thriving and sustainable world. Your commitment to saving our planet with pride will assure a better future for our posterity!

Get in touch with us

Please be free to connect with our team. For more information, you can contact :

For further assistance in preparing a Will and related advice, you may contact :

Frequently Asked Questions

A Will is a legal document that sets out how your wealth and personal assets will be distributed after your death. 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’ (expanded name of 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 this 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 gift that you can leave in your Will in favour of WWF India:

(i) You can leave a monetary gift – which is a fixed sum of money e.g. Rs. 1 Lakh to WWF India;
(ii) You could leave a specific asset – such as a piece of jewellery to WWF India; or
(iii) 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 program 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 of 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 and around the world.
If you decide to leave a gift in your Will to WWF India, you 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 in the same way as a Will, as outlined above. 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 legal 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 is not able to 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 to WWF India instead. 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 Pirojsha Godrej 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.”