A few days ago we received a phone call from someone asking for our VAT number and all of Scooby's details. To start with, we were a bit puzzled by the request, but soon after, the man on the other side of the phone, without any kind of self-flattery, told us that he was writing his will and that he was leaving a part of his legacy to Scooby's residents.
It is not every day that we receive phone calls like
this, even less so in Spain, where these types of donations are not very
widespread. A recent study shows that 50% of the Spanish population is unaware
of the existence of this possibility. However, in Europe, legacy donations make
up a big part of NGOs income. It's an alternative that some, normally people
with no progeny, adopt as they would rather choose who their assets go to
rather than see them end up in the hands of the state.
In Spain, the only established legal limitation where
successors might exist is to respect the shares corresponding to the legitimate
successors. You can choose to leave specific material assets such as money,
real estate and cars or more generic ones such as a percentage of shares,
assets and even royalties.
In order to make a donation of this sort you must see a
notary and write a will including all the relevant information reflecting the organization's complete identification details. To this end,
you will need the VAT number of the organization, the address and the deeds by
which the NGO was created.
Never before has Scooby been on the receiving end of a
legacy of this kind and we hope a long time passes before we receive the one
left by this generous man.
Any help, big or small is welcome. As you know, we
currently look after approximately 1500 animals in our premises and resources are always
scarce. Here is an example to show you how the money would be spent: 1500 € would pay a vet's monthly wages, 5000 € would
secure food for all the animals in our care for a month and 50,000 € would
allow us to build a new part of a shelter in Zamora which is currently in a
very run down state.
Thank you all for your contributions and a huge thank you to that man
who decided to help us by including Scooby in his will. Many lives will
appreciate it. A heartfelt THANK YOU.
