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Legacy Gifts
Making a lasting difference to Girton
Tax benefits | Adding Girton to your Will | Codicil Form | Thanking you | For USA donors | For Canadian donors
Throughout our history, legacies have been of substantial benefit to Girton College. Our early benefactors gave generously during and after their lifetimes and the names of our founders are remembered today in the prizes and scholarships that are still awarded in their names. Generations of alumni and their families have continued to create funds to remember friends and former tutors. Students are benefiting today from legacies which enable them to come to Girton to study and make the most of the opportunities we offer.
If you would like to discuss making a legacy to Girton, please contact Sam Venn, who will be happy to help you. You may also like to download our Legacy form.
Tax Benefits
As Girton is a Registered Charity, funds bequeathed to the College in your Will are free of Inheritance Tax in the UK. Thus, making a pledge to Girton can help reduce the taxable value of your estate. In the UK, Inheritance Tax is currently levied at 40% on the portion of your estate over the value of £312,000 (April 2008). However all outright gifts and bequests to UK charities are completely free of inheritance tax. Full information on Inheritance Tax in the UK is available on the HM Revenue & Customs website.
Including Girton in your Will
There are several ways to include Girton in your Will. If you choose to make a legacy to the College, we would suggest you begin by consulting your solicitor, who can advise on the most appropriate steps for you. The College can be included in a Will when it is first drawn up, or it can be added as a codicil to an existing Will.
There are various particular means of making a bequest: a Pecuniary Bequest is a simple legacy of a specific sum of money left to a named beneficiary; a Residuary Bequest leaves all or part of the residue of your estate to the College; and a Reversionary Bequest leaves your assets to a named individual for their lifetime, after which the whole, or a specified proportion thereof, reverts to the College. Further information on these, and other types of bequest, can be found in the Legacy form.
We recommend that the following form of words is used when adding the College to a Will:
| I give to the Mistress, Fellows and Scholars of Girton College Cambridge (Registered Charity Number 1137541) the residue / a proportion of the residue / the sum of £______ free of tax for the general purposes of the College and I declare that the receipt of the Bursar or other authorised Officer for the time being of the College shall be a good and sufficient discharge to my executors. |
Codicil Form
If you would add Girton to an existing Will, you can do so via a Codicil Form. Once completed, the Codicil form should be stored with the original copy of your Will. We highly recommend that anyone considering a significant change to their Will should consult their solicitor.
| Download Codicil Form | .pdf format | MS-Word format |
If you would like to discuss making a bequest, please contact Sam Venn, +44 (0)1223 764821.
The 1869 Society
If you have made a legacy pledge to Girton, it would be hugely appreciated if you could let us know. You can also complete a Legacy Pledge form to let us know of your intentions. The pledge form is simply a statement of your intentions, and does not represent a binding contract. It is most useful for the College to know your intentions, not only to assist in its long-term planning, but also to allow us to show our gratitude for your gift.
To thank members during their lifetimes for their generous bequests, Girton has established the 1869 Society. Membership of the 1869 Society is automatic to those who have notified us of their intention to remember Girton in their Will. Members of the 1869 Society will be invited to the annual Foundation Dinner, and also to a biennial luncheon for members of the 1869 Society, next to be held in 2013.
If you have arranged to leave a gift to Girton in your will and wish to inform us, please download and complete the pledge form, and return it to the Development Office, Girton College, FREEPOST ANG 6880, Cambridge CB3 0YE.
For USA donors
Cambridge in America has a range of options whereby donors from the USA can make tax-efficient provision for Collegiate Cambridge. For full information, please see Cambridge in America’s Planned Giving page. You should request that the Directors of Cambridge in America exercise their discretion and allocate your gift to support Girton College.
Cambridge in America also runs the 1209 Society to thank US alumni who support Cambridge by means of Planned Giving.
If you would like to discuss things further, please contact Sam Venn, +44 (0)1223 764821.
For Canadian donors
The University of Cambridge is recognised by Revenue Canada for the purposes of charitable giving to the University and Colleges, and is authorised to issue receipts on behalf of both to enable Canadian donors to claim deductions when computing their taxable income. Where the gift comes via a legacy, the receipt is sent to the executor of the donor’s estate. If you are intending to leave a legacy to Girton, please make your executor aware of this procedure.
If you would like any further information, please contact Sam Venn, +44 (0)1223 764821.