The NSPCA is highlighting how legacy donations are helping it provide a brighter future for animals as part of a campaign to mark My Legacy Month this September.
According to the NSPCA, so far this year, legacy donations received by the NSPCA are equivalent to almost 18% of its annual operating costs, which are approximately €8 million. This vital source of funding helps the charity meet the cost of animal rescue, veterinary care, rehabilitation, rehoming and education, while continuing to invest in its animal care facilities.
Speaking about the importance of legacy giving to the national animal charity, head of fundraising at the NSPCA Gráinne O’Kelly, said: “Legacy gifts are a vital source of funding for the NSPCA, helping us continue our work across Ireland as we expand to meet a growing demand for our services. Only three in ten adults in Ireland have made a Will and as part of our campaign highlighting My Legacy Month, we are encouraging more people to make a Will and after considering their family, to consider leaving a gift so they can help ensure that animals in need continue to receive care, protection and compassion for generations to come.”
Leaving a Legacy Gift to the NSPCA – Real Stories
As part of the NSPCA’s campaign to mark My Legacy Month, the national charity is highlighting the real-life legacy giving story of Brian Dowling, aged 80, from Ballinteer, Dublin, who has chosen to leave a gift to the NSPCA in his Will.
Since retiring, Brian has been volunteering at the NSPCA’s animal shelter in Rathfarnham, Co Dublin for the past 15 years. Brian’s love of cats has led him to focus his volunteering in the NSPCA’s Rathfarnham cattery, which has undergone significant improvements funded by a €4 million legacy donation made to the charity in 2021.
Seeing first-hand the impact of the NSPCA’s work in protecting animal welfare and preventing animal cruelty in Ireland inspired Brian’s decision to leave a gift to the charity in his Will.
Brian Dowling and NSPCA Dublin cat rehoming manager Christina Cullen feature in a new short video highlighting the impact of legacy donations on the NSPCA’s Rathfarnham cattery, as well as Brian’s decision to leave a gift to the NSPCA in his Will, which can be watched below.
Brian is following a long tradition, as one of the earliest recorded benefactors of the NSPCA (then Dublin Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) was Miss Alice Mary Swifte, who passed away in 1909 at the age of 85. A passionate advocate for animal welfare, she left £4,000 in her Will, equivalent to approximately €630,000 today, specifically to help protect cats, in line with her belief that cats deserved the same care and protection as dogs.
For more information on how to go about including a gift in your Will for the NSPCA, visit www.nspca.ie/ways-to-help/gift-in-a-will/.
