A GUIDE TO LEAVING A GIFT IN YOUR WILL Thank you

Thank you for considering a gift in your will to The education of future the University of . Gifts and legacies of all generations is our responsibility. Talent and sizes are helping to transform our University. education are the best With your support, we can encourage our guarantees against the widening of inequality across the globe. The world talented students and world-class researchers needs the wealth of talent that York to change the world for the better. graduates bring to it. A gift in your will – your legacy – can help extend the reach and the impact of the . Together we will make more We need to extend the advantages of discoveries and improve lives. a university education to all who are capable of benefiting from it, and to Together we will be unlimited. conduct world-leading research and share the knowledge that is generated here for the good of all society.” Professor Sir Malcolm Grant CBE, Chancellor of the University of York

CONTENTS Thank You 02 The Chancellor, Professor Sir Malcolm Grant CBE 03 Heslington Circle 04 Why a gift in your will matters 06 The impact of legacy giving 14 Which type of gift? 16 Tax benefits and other things to consider 17 Understanding the problems of today’s world is a challenge; Is the University of York in your will? 18 Tackling them is a responsibility. You are the key.

P / 2 york.ac.uk/york-unlimited P / 3 Join the HESLINGTON CIRCLE

e are delighted to recognise the generosity of those who pledge their support to Wthe University in their will, through membership of the Heslington Circle. As a member of the Circle you will be invited to an annual reception and other events and be kept informed of developments within the University.

I see a university such as ours As one of the first as a lifeline to the undergraduates, I am future. The brightest greatly appreciative students from all of the opportunities over the world will that I was afforded come to York long and concerned about the costs after I’m gone to for present-day students. I would study subjects we like to think that a modest legacy, haven’t yet dreamed combined with some regular giving of in ways we can’t in the meantime, might go some even imagine. It is for way to repaying the debt I feel I owe these students that the University and help the present I’ve made a bequest generation of students.” to York in my will.”

David Jennings, English and Social Felicity Riddy, Science, Heslington Circle Member Former Deputy Vice- Chancellor, Heslington Circle Member

P / 4 york.ac.uk/york-unlimited P / 5 I look back on my time at York with Why a gift in great affection. For over 15 years I have been trying to give YOUR WILL something back. I recently remade my will to share 10% of my estate MATTERS with York and three other charities. I know this gift will be used to give future generations of students the same wonderful experience I enjoyed.”

Jocelyn Abbey, Language, and Linguistics, Heslington Circle Member

ou can make sure that your family and friends are the primary beneficiaries of your will HOW YOUR GIFT Yand still make an impact with your legacy gift. CAN BE USED

Leaving a gift in your will, large Gifts that allow the flexibility to be used or small, to a charity such as the where the need is greatest and are University of York will make an unrestricted, are especially valuable. incredible difference. Just about They allow us to support areas such as: anyone can give in this way and it is often the greatest donation  Cr eating a campus for the future anyone can make.  E nsuring opportunities are open to every student A gift in your will can make a lasting contribution for  T ransforming research generations – whatever area of the University you are most Wherever your passions lie, you can passionate about supporting. choose how your gift will be used to create your lasting legacy.

P / 6 york.ac.uk/york-unlimited P / 7 UNLIMITED INNOVATORS

Creating a campus We choose to give to the University for the future both as alumni and current staff members because rom those early days of we’ve seen the impact that it college buildings in a makes to the lives of students green field in Heslington, receiving scholarships. We also we have grown to a witness some of the exciting Fglobally connected community of more than 130,000 alumni, things they can do to personally students and staff. We will grow and develop through alumni- connect our campus physically supported societies. We met at and digitally, blending York and so even if we hadn’t technologies with the physical returned to work here, it’s clear environment and enhancing the spaces in which our teaching the experience would have made and research takes place. a lifelong impact on both of us!” Sam Bayley, Management Charley Bayley, Biology You are the key. Heslington Circle Members Leave a gift in your will.

P / 8 york.ac.uk/york-unlimited P / 9 UNLIMITED AMBITION

Ensuring opportunities are open to every student

hrough supporting I was extremely fortunate scholarships you that my job brought me can help students to , and that the overcome barriers to Texcel academically and grasp University allowed me to every opportunity offered at the research my D.Phil on a part- University of York. time basis over several years. By leaving a legacy gift to the University, I want to open the door for students in science, mathematics, You are the key. and engineering to study in the USA. I am especially keen to support those who may Leave a gift in not have considered looking that far over the horizon. I benefited immensely from your will. my studies at York, and hope to pass on some small portion of that good fortune to generations of students yet to come.”

Dr Alan Eynon, Electronics, Heslington Circle Member

P / 10 york.ac.uk/york-unlimited P / 11 The main highlights of my university experience were being awarded this scholarship and receiving an offer letter for my PhD. Both of the stand-out UNLIMITED moments of my year are strongly connected to each other, as the scholarship enabled me to focus on my research and to develop RESEARCHERS further research ideas. Being awarded the Maria Bourboulis Scholarship is a great Transforming honour. I am grateful for the financial support, for the precious time I was able research to spend studying and engaging in the course, and with the postgraduate community. Thank you for this hrough a gift in extraordinary experience!” your will you can drive research either MARIA Isabelle Schmuck, MA in Social by creating a PhD BOURBOULIS, Policy and recipient of the Maria Tscholarship or supporting Bourboulis scholarship academic researchers to make SOCIOLOGY AND new discoveries and uncover SOCIAL POLICY new opportunities. AND SOCIAL WORK DEPARTMENTS Having studied Social Work at York, Maria Bourboulis left a legacy You are the key. gift in her will to support talented postgraduate students in the Leave a gift in Department of Sociology or the your will. Department of Social Policy and Social Work.

Originally from Greece, Maria graduated in 1989. She felt strongly that the University gave her a great foundation for the rest of her professional life.

Maria’s gift allows many more students to benefit from the opportunities that she had.

P / 12 york.ac.uk/york-unlimited P / 13 The Impact UNLIMITED INNOVATORS UNLIMITED RESEARCHERS OF LEGACY UNLIMITED AMBITION GIVING You are the key. Leave a gift in your will.

I would just like to say a huge thank you; the act of donating such a significant sum of your own earnings to help someone you may never even meet is incredibly kind and appreciated. It has really helped boost my experience at university and I hope to be in such a position to do the Gifts in wills have helped Peter Venables, same in the future. Department of Psychology Thank you so much for to transform our university A legacy gift from the estate your support. My university and support our students of Professor Peter H. Venables, experience would not have founder of the Department been the same without it.” and researchers. of Psychology and former Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the Sherry Amponsem, University, has enabled more York Futures Scholarship, Psychology students to receive Wendy Severs, Department of Biology the York Futures scholarships. BSc Psychology, Third Year The Cancer Research Unit in the Department of Biology These scholarships enable received a gift from the estate of Wendy Severs. This undergraduate students to gift will make a difference to solving the complexities of seize career and volunteering human cancer. Direct donations such as this incur no opportunities by bridging the administrative costs, therefore every penny goes towards gap between student loans the purpose defined by the donor. and the cost of living.

P / 14 york.ac.uk/york-unlimited P / 15 Which Tax Benefits TYPE OF GIFT? AND OTHER There are a number of ways in which THINGS TO you can leave a gift in your will. CONSIDER

our solicitor can These are the most common types of gifts advise you on the most appropriate that you can leave in your will: type of gift and Ythe wording of your will. A percentage of your remaining estate, : The United States: The Canada: If you are a We can provide you with after fees, outstanding costs and other gifts University of York is an University of York in resident in Canada your example wording to review Residuary gift have been taken care of. The advantage of exempt charity under America is a non-profit bequest could reduce the with your solicitor. a residuary legacy gift is that it keeps up with inflation as it is not a fixed sum. Schedule 3 of the Charities organisation and a separate tax payable on your estate. Act 2011. As such, any legal entity from the The University of York has gift within your will falls University. Donations to been granted Prescribed A fixed sum of money. The value of pecuniary outside of inheritance tax. the University of York in University Status with the legacies will decrease over time, as the cost Giving as part of your will America are tax-deductible Canada Revenue Agency. of living increases. However, you can link your can help to reduce your and it is a 501(c)(3) Pecuniary gift legacy to the Retail Price Index to ensure that the gift you choose today is worth the same estate’s inheritance tax bill. organisation (EIN number: in the future. 30-0241333). A bequest to If you leave something to the University of York in charity in your will, then it America, an organisation This provides for the possibility that if will not count towards the exempt from taxes, can Conditional one of your named beneficiaries does total taxable value of your reduce your estate tax. legacy not survive you, that part of your estate estate. This is called leaving will be left to the University. a ‘charitable legacy’.

You can also cut the Pension Nominating the University as a beneficiary in your pension or SIPP (Self Invested Inheritance tax rate on the benefits Personal Pension). rest of your estate from For information on leaving a gift in 40% to 36%, if you leave your will we recommend that you speak at least 10% of your net directly with a solicitor or a financial A tax-free gift of land, buildings, estate to charity. Other gifts personal property (such as antiques adviser. Should you have any further or jewellery), shares or securities. questions or if you would like to find out how you can support York through a gift in your will, please contact:

Kalli Keramari, Legacy Officer Understanding the problems of today’s world is a challenge; [email protected] 01904 324379 Tackling them is a responsibility. You are the key. www.york.ac.uk/york-unlimited /get-involved/wills/

P / 16 york.ac.uk/york-unlimited P / 17 Is the University of York IN YOUR WILL?

The details of your will are naturally e encourage you to return a private matter and we appreciate the enclosed that you may prefer not to disclose form to our Wfreepost address. This does the details to us. However, if you are not commit you in any way, happy to share your plans, we very it simply includes us in your current plans and enables us much appreciate the opportunity to respond appropriately. to work with you to agree on how you would like your gift to be used. We will treat any legacy gift in the utmost confidence as requested.

P / 18 Understanding the problems of today’s world is a challenge; Tackling them is a responsibility.

You are the key. Leave a gift in your will.

www.york.ac.uk/york-unlimited/get-involved/wills/

Office of Philanthropic Partnerships and Alumni University of York, Heslington, York, YO10 5DD United Kingdom +44 (0)1904 322097