You can support the work of the Royal Anthropological Institute by leaving us a gift in your will. It is completely up to you as to how you would like your gift to be used: unrestricted gifts are incredibly beneficial as they allow us to respond to the most pressing needs of the Institute, however you may alternatively decide to specify exactly how your gift should be used by the Institute.
If you already have a will and wish to add a gift you can do this by making a codicil to your will. We strongly recommend consulting a solicitor to discuss the legally validity of your will. You can find a solicitor on the Law Society website.
A residual bequest
This is a gift of the remainder (or proportion of the remainder) of your estate, after all payments, taxes and other bequests have been made. This option allows you to take care of friends and family first and still make a meaningful donation. We suggest the following wording:
“I give ___% / all [please specify] of the residue of my estate to the Trustees of the Royal Anthropological Institute (registered charity number 1195523), 50 Fitzroy Street, London, W1T 5BT, to hold on trust for its general charitable purposes [or specific work, please specify].”
A pecuniary bequest
This is a fixed sum of money decided by you. We suggest the following wording:
“I give the sum of ___ to the Trustees of the Royal Anthropological Institute (registered charity number 1195523), 50 Fitzroy Street, London, W1T 5BT, to hold on trust for its general charitable purposes [or specific work, please specify].”
A specific bequest
You can also bequeath specific personal possessions, intellectual property, or shares. We suggest the following wording:
“I give ___________ [detailed description of specific item] to the Trustees of the Royal Anthropological Institute (registered charity number 1195523), 50 Fitzroy Street, London, W1T 5BT, to hold on trust for its general charitable purposes [or specific work, please specify].”
Letting us know about gifts in your will
If you decide to include a gift to the Royal Anthropological Institute in your will, we would be grateful if you could let us know – this will give us the opportunity to thank you and discuss with us how you how your gift will make a difference. We would also greatly appreciate the opportunity to welcome you to the institute and show you how your legacy will impact the future of anthropology.
Contact can be made in confidence with the Director, Dr David Shankland, on david.shankland@therai.org.uk, +44 (0)20 7387 0455, 50 Fitzroy Street, London, W1T 5BT.
Making a difference to Anthropology
Recent benefactors include the late Elizabeth Colson who was for many years a Fellow of the RAI. She very kindly remembered the Institute in her will with a gift of £10,000. In order to mark her scholarly achievements, we held a one day conference in her memory on 12 October 2017. To find out more about the event click here.
Further information about what your gift could do, and what the gifts of other benefactors have done, is available here.
Inheritance Tax
As the Royal Anthropological Institute has charitable status, your gift will be exempt from Inheritance Tax. The rules are complex, however, and it is vital that you seek advice from your solicitor or tax advisor on how they may affect you.