Why other people have left a gift to WWF

If people did not remember WWF in their will, we would have to abandon a fifth of our conservation work. Legacies provide crucial long-term funding which allows us to plan and be strategic about what we do.

We recognise leaving a legacy as a supreme act of commitment to the environmental cause, and a statement of trust in our work. Making the most of this to benefit the natural world is a responsibility we take very seriously.

Pauline from Reading told us why she chose to leave a gift in her will to WWF.

"I am extremely concerned about the state of the planet and what is happening to it," she said. "And your organisation is doing a splendid thing trying to stop species becoming extinct. To think that in 10 years time it may be that the only way a child will know about tigers in the wild is from a book, that's horrible."

Another supporter, Frances, has a long standing love for nature which was nurtured by her father. His enthusiasm for boating meant the family spent many happy summers on England's inland waterways in the 1940s. A friend recommended WWF to her as a way to channel the environmental concerns these experiences created.

Both have a passion for endangered species, and a commitment to WWF's wider environmental work.

"Habitat is part of the whole concept - environmental regeneration, economic growth, sustainable communities, it's all part of the same thing," Frances explained.

She chaired Sheffield's WWF supporters' group from 1978-1989, giving many hours of service alongside her will gift.

"I make contributions to various other organisations, but this is one I wanted to leave a legacy to," she said. "The more I got involved, the more I felt it to be a good thing to be involved in."

Many of our supporters who have left a legacy keep a keen eye on the charity sector and may reconsider giving if salaries and administration costs become disproportionate.

"But I have always been impressed with how much of the money goes to the cause," said Pauline.

It is heartening to know that this trust extends to recommending a WWF legacy to friends and family, ensuring the conservation of the natural world continues, now and in the future.