Leave a gift in your Will
Thank you for kindly considering a gift in your Will to The Royal Society of Chemistry. Your gift, no matter what size, will make an important and lasting contribution to our work.
Whether you have a Will already, or you are planning to write your first Will, it is advisable to visit your legal advisor, to make sure your wishes for your family and any charities can’t be misunderstood later on.
If you have any specific requests, we encourage you to get in touch with us prior to making your Will so we can work with you to maximise the impact of your gift.
To make a gift in your Will, you may need either to create a new Will, or add a Codicil to your present Will. A Codicil is a legal document which adds to or changes an existing Will.
Seeking independent legal advice
If you decide to make a new Will or a Codicil, we strongly recommend that you seek independent legal advice. If you reside outside of the United Kingdom (UK), it may still be possible for you to include The Royal Society of Chemistry in your Will, however, we strongly recommend that you seek legal and financial advice in this regard.
Types of gift
The most common types of gift you may wish to consider making in your Will are listed below.
Pecuniary or Specific
The simplest gift is often a straightforward gift of money, the value of which can be protected from inflation by linking it to an inflation index. You can also give specific gifts-in-kind, such as property, jewellery, works of art, collections of books or papers, intellectual property rights, stocks, shares and even share options.
Residuary
This is a gift of all, or a share of your estate (including your money, property and personal possessions which you own as at the date of your death) following the distribution of any pecuniary, or specific gifts and payment of any debts and expenses.
Suggested wording
We ask that gifts to support our general charitable purposes are donated to:
'The Royal Society of Chemistry of Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BA, UK (Registered Charity Number 207890)'.
You may also find it helpful to share the suggested wording below with your legal adviser who is preparing your Will (or your Codicil if you decide to change your present Will). In each case, the suggested wording is intended only as a guide.
Pecuniary legacy
'I give free of tax to The Royal Society of Chemistry of Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BA, UK (Registered Charity Number 207890), the sum of [enter currency and amount] for its general purposes and I declare that the receipt of the Chief Executive Officer for the time being or other duly authorised officer of The Royal Society of Chemistry shall be a full and sufficient discharge to my Executor(s).'
Index-linked Pecuniary legacy
'I give free of tax to The Royal Society of Chemistry of Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BA, UK (Registered Charity Number 207890) the sum of money produced by dividing the sum of [enter currency and amount] by the index figure in the Index of Retail Prices ('the Index') for the month in which this Will is executed and (having made allowance for any re-basing of the Index which may have occurred in the meantime) multiplying it by the index figure in the Index for the month in which my death occurs, for its general purposes and I declare that the receipt of the Chief Executive Officer for the time being or other duly authorised officer of The Royal Society of Chemistry shall be a full and sufficient discharge to my Executor(s).'
Specific item of value
'I give to The Royal Society of Chemistry of Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BA, UK (Registered Charity Number 207890), free of tax and other fiscal impositions and costs of transfer, my [item description] for its general purposes and I declare that the receipt of the Chief Executive Officer for the time being or other duly authorised officer of The Royal Society of Chemistry shall be a full and sufficient discharge to my Executor(s).'
Gift of property
'I give to The Royal Society of Chemistry of Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BA, UK (Registered Charity Number 207890) free of tax and other fiscal impositions and costs of transfer all my interest in my property known as [item description] for its general purposes and I declare that the receipt of the Chief Executive Officer for the time being or other duly authorised officer of The Royal Society of Chemistry shall be a full and sufficient discharge to my Executor(s).'
Residuary legacy (all, or a share of your Estate)
'I give [the whole, or state percentage] of the residue of my Estate to The Royal Society of Chemistry of Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BA (Registered Charity Number 207890) for its general purposes and I declare that the receipt of the Chief Executive Officer for the time being or other duly authorised officer of The Royal Society of Chemistry shall be a full and sufficient discharge to my Executor(s).'
For donations in lieu of floral tributes
Finally, you may wish to request donations be made to The Royal Society of Chemistry in lieu of floral tributes. If this is clearly stated in your Will, your Executors can ensure that your wishes are made known using the following suggested wording:
'I direct my Executor to ensure that in lieu of flowers at my funeral, donations are made to The Royal Society Chemistry of Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BA, UK (Registered Charity Number 207890).'