Bequests in solidarity, when inheritance becomes hope

Awareness of solidarity bequests continues to grow in Italy (+12% in 5 years): in 2024 84% of people over 50 were aware of what a bequest in support of charitable causes is - it was 72% in 2020 - and 24%, around 6.3 million people, have a decidedly positive attitude towards solidarity bequests. More than half a million individuals have already made provision for it in their dispositions, but above all, the percentage of those who say they are inclined to consider it is growing significantly (from 19% to 22%, or more than 5.7 million people). Among them, 7 out of 10 Italians would involve their closest relatives in the choice (68%) and only 18% declare that they would take this decision alone.
The picture emerges from the recent survey 'Values, donations and solidarity bequests' carried out by Walden Lab-Eumetra for the Testamento Solidale Committee of which Lega del Filo d'Oro is one of the promoters. A survey that also gives an account of the very high esteem in which the Third Sector is held in a society where it seems to be uncertainty that shapes future scenarios. For 77% of the sample, ETSs are considered the actors that are already doing the most to improve the quality of life. Already in 2018, a paper by the Italia Sociale Foundation noted a 32% increase, compared to three years earlier, in the total value of solidarity bequests, € 137 million relating to 149 organisations.

Leavings in wills are acts of generosity that make it possible to support solidarity causes in the long term even after one's death, helping to transmit one's values by providing fundamental resources for the mission of non-profit organisations, such as the Lega del Filo d'Oro, which since 1964 has been the "precious thread" that unites deafblind people to the outside world, one of the most important points of reference in Italy for deafblindness and psychosensory multi-disability, a condition that affects over 360 thousand people, 0.5% of the population. The Lega del Filo d'Oro supports the path towards autonomy for those who cannot see or hear and takes care of about 1,250 people every year thanks to the work of over 750 professionals - educational-rehabilitation operators, therapists, psychologists, doctors, nurses and social workers - and numerous volunteers, qualified through specific training courses.
In essence, a testamentary bequest is a donation made explicit in the will, drawn up by any adult able to understand and intend. It is an altruistic gesture that guarantees a lasting impact, without any tax being levied and without affecting the legitimate shares of loved ones. It is possible to go to a notary to draft your public will or you can choose to make a holographic will yourself, written and signed in your own hand, showing the date and place.

To ensure that the values that inspired your existence live on in the work of Lega del Filo d'Oro, you can nominate the organisation as your heir or you can choose to leave money, your share of severance pay, securities, shares, investment funds, movable property (jewellery or works of art) or real estate (flats, land, offices).
Choosing to leave a part of your assets to a non-profit organisation is a legacy of hope that allows you to continue to support a cause you believe in for a long time.
Bequests in wills can make a difference to realities such as the Lega del Filo d'Oro, which every day strives to lead deafblind people beyond darkness and silence. Bequests are already one of the main forms of support for the organisation: 130 bequests were received in 2024, proving the trust in the work of the Foundation which, thanks to the testators, has been able to strengthen its services to users and implement its structures.
To find out more about a solidarity bequest and to visit the Lega del Filo d'Oro, you can contact Alessandra Carancini confidentially by writing to lasciti@legadelfilodoro.it or calling 071 7245328.