U.K. Budget 2011: Tax breaks for charities are designed to encourage lifetime giving and the leaving of legacies

The chancellor announced £540m worth of tax breaks for charitiesin his budget, including inheritance tax reforms to encourage everyone to leave a charitable legacy when they die.

The changes are designed to boost the government's faltering "big society" scheme and offer alternative funding after charities have been hit by big cuts in local government grants. Charity bosses and some leaders from the arts world welcomed the new drive for philanthropy, but others gave warning that it would not make up for cuts being made elsewhere.