My Legacy was established by a small group of Irish charities who knew the great impact a legacy gift can have on the future work of a charity. They also realised that, unlike other countries, many Irish people do not make a will despite how vital a life document it is.

My Legacy has grown to an umbrella group of over 70 Irish charities working together to promote the importance of making a will and to ask people to consider leaving a legacy gift to a favourite charity, once family and friends have been taken care of and all other important personal decisions have been made.

My Legacy provides unbiased, useful information to individuals, charities and solicitors about leaving legacies to charities. My Legacy does not solicit specific gifts or legacies for individual organisations.

Governance

My Legacy is governed by a volunteer Board of Trustees mainly drawn from our member charities.

We always welcome enquiries from registered Irish charities to join their fellow charities in our organisation and to help them on their legacy journey.

Our Trustees

Bernadette Parte

Bernadette established her own solicitor practice in 2009 and is a member of the Solicitors for the Elderly in Ireland, the Irish Mental Health Lawyers Association and the Dublin Solicitors and Bar Association. She is also a consultant for the Retirement Planning Council.

Aoife Garvey

Aoife is our current Chairperson. She is Head of Acquisition at Concern Worldwide. Since joining the sector in 2010, she has worked across donor acquisition, development and legacy fundraising streams. Aoife has tutored on the Charities’ Institute of Ireland’s Certificate in Fundraising and is a mentor to other fundraisers.

Eoin McBennet

Eoin joined Quilter Cheviot Investment Management in 2007 and has over ten years’ experience working with charities and private clients. Prior to joining Quilter Cheviot, Eoin worked in Allied Irish Banks. Eoin is Quilter Cheviot’s lead charity specialist in Ireland.

Frances Haworth

Frances is Senior Philanthropy and Development Advisor at the Community Foundation for Ireland
She previously served as head of Major Gifts at Trócaire and before that, as a philanthropy advisor to various organisations including the Union for International Cancer Control in Geneva. She also spent many years working in the disability sector in Moldova and Romania. Frances’ passion is in collaboration and bringing together the resources needed to affect positive change in the world around us, with a particular focus on equality and protection for the most vulnerable.

Niall O’Sullivan

Having worked for two decades directly, and as a consultant to many charitable organisations, Niall has a deep insight into the not for profit sector. He provides fundraising and legacy planning advice, prospect research, coaching and mentoring to the not for profit sector through his consultancy, Campaign Solutions. He also works in philanthropy, supporting individuals and families on their philanthropy journey through his sister consultancy philanthropadviser.ie.

Ann Howgego

Ann worked for twenty years in the corporate sector before bringing her expertise to the non-profit sector. She has worked with DEBRA Ireland, Business in the Community, the Community Foundation for Ireland, ISPCA, the Mater Foundation, Sensational Kids and is currently the Grants and Corporate Relationship Manager with ARC Cancer Support Centres.

Susan Murphy

Susan is a solicitor who left general practice in 2014 to set up her own business, Make My Will Solicitors. She had noted a real need to make the process of will-making easier and more accessible for people. She specialises in drafting Wills remotely; by phone or online through her website www.makemywill.ie. During the will-making process, Susan always informs her clients of the benefits of leaving a charitable legacy gift.

Sarah O’Callaghan

Sarah has been Head of Marketing & Communications with LauraLynn Children’s Hospice since 2016. She has more than 20 years’ experience in the not-for-profit sector, working across fundraising, marketing, communications, lobbying and grassroots advocacy roles. Sarah previously held the role of Head of Public Affairs and Advocacy for The Alzheimer Society of Ireland, successfully leading a campaign to have dementia recognised as a national health priority in Ireland.