About ILM

Established in June 1999, ILM promotes professional standards in legacy administration and provides consultancy, training and support services to its members. Currently, we enjoy nearly 500 Members who represent over 270 UK charities, receiving 2/3 of the £1, 6 billion bequeathed to voluntary organisations every year. ILM welcomes an increasing number of non-profit organisations in the UK. Benefits of Membership include:

• Practical, relevant training courses at discounted rates
• An accredited, distance-learning qualification in association with the College of Law
• Guidance and support from experienced charity Legacy Officers
• Helpful Manuals and Factsheets on a range of specific issues
• A newsletter to keep you up to date with news and developments, for members only
• A directory of useful resources
• A Jobs section
• The Member's section of this website - access to all the above on-line plus a Members' Bulletin Board, and an on-line database of members

Click on the Application Form button for a printable form and further information.

For non-members

Executors can access a number of useful factsheets and a database of former charity names to assist the administration of those estates which include charitable beneficiaries. We also have helpful guidance notes for charities when dealing with Lay Executors. Please click the 'Solicitors' or 'Executors' options for further information.

In addition to the wealth of helpful information in the members’ section of our website, the updated Charities as Beneficiaries 2008 booklet which ILM published in association with the Probate Section of The Law Society is also available on our website. Please click on the Guidance Booklet icon on the left of this homepage.

This useful publication was designed to provide a reference for solicitors both where their clients are considering charities to benefit under a will and in the administration of estates involving charitable beneficiaries, and is intended as a guide to best practice both for solicitors and charities. We are confident that it will assist in better understanding of the roles and requirements of Charity Legacy Officers and Estate Administrators.

The booklet is an essential item not only for the Legacy Officer but the Legacy Fundraiser, as it covers good practice for solicitors writing Wills as well as those administering estates. It is a must-have part of the Legacy Officer's toolkit, as it clearly sets out what is regarded by the Law Society as good practice.

This publication is not just a reference, but a way of helpfully informing others of best practice. Please take time to read through the booklet, and do keep it to hand at work. Whilst copyright remains with the Probate Section of The Law Society and ILM, it is quite permissible to quote in part from the booklet, and we encourage reference to the booklet in correspondence with Estate Administrators.

ILM welcomes comment and suggestions - please click on Contact us to e-mail the Institute.