Legacy gifts have always played an important part in the history of Queen’s. These deeply personal donations, given through the centuries, are used to impact our students, research, historic buildings, and College life. Legacy gifts look both to the past and the future, recognising the personal impact of Queen’s, whilst giving to support future generations of students.
All legacy gifts, at all levels, are valued greatly and together make up a considerable proportion of the charitable giving that sustains strong academic traditions and achievements at the Queen’s College.
Every legacy gift makes a difference to the Queen’s College. Many of these unique gifts are invested so that they can be used for the College’s greatest needs – not just now but for the years to come.
Some donors ask for their gifts to be used to support an area of College life that is particularly important to them. This can range from donating to our Academic Excellence Fund, to supporting the Library or College Choir.
In the last financial year (2021-22), over £1.25 million was donated in legacy gifts by Old Members and Friends of the College. Below you can see some of the ways these generous gifts have made a difference.
A legacy, bequest or planned gift to Queen’s is a charitable donation that just about anyone can make, wherever you live in the world. Leaving a gift to Queen’s is easy to do and an up-to-date will provides peace of mind. You can leave a gift of any size to Queen’s.
Some people give a specified sum of money. Others leave a residuary gift which is the remaining amount once gifts have been given to family members, friends, and charities.
The Queen’s College is a charity (1142553) and so legacy gifts are exempt from Inheritance Tax. Leaving a gift in your will may also offer the opportunity to reduce the tax due on your estate.
It is important to consult your legal adviser before drafting a new will, updating an existing one, or making other plans for your estate.
Information for UK donors on how to leave a legacy gift to The Queen’s College.
If you have already made a will, you can add a gift to Queen’s by including a simple codicil.
Example wording that can be used to amend an existing Will.
If you are interested in leaving a legacy to a specific area of the College or would like to discuss how your legacy gift could be used, please contact our Legacy Giving Officer, Catherine House, who will be able to discuss options with you.
Anyone who has pledged a legacy gift to Queen’s is very welcome to join the Taberdars’ Society. Every year, members are invited to return to College for the Taberdars’ Society Luncheon. This is an opportunity to learn more about developments in College, meet other members of the Society and enjoy a relaxing lunch at Queen’s.
To become a member all you have to do is let us know that you have left a gift in your will to Queen’s. You do not have to tell us the details as we understand that this is a very personal gift, although some Old Members prefer to let us know how they plan to support the College.
We look forward to welcoming you as a member of the Taberdars’ Society!
Correct wording for a legacy gift
The important information that you will need when writing your will is:
- Charity name: The Queen’s College, Oxford.
- Charity Number: 1142553
- Queen’s has the formal title of ‘the Provost and Scholars of The Queen’s College in the University of Oxford’ which should be used in Wills and legal documents.
When writing your will, please check carefully the accuracy of any percentages used to calculate residuary gifts. It is also good practice to appoint more than one executor.
It is important to consult a legal adviser before drafting a will, updating an existing one, or making other plans for your estate. Your adviser will help to draft the wording.
To which area should I leave my gift?
Most people leave their legacy gifts for ‘the general charitable purposes’ of the College. This means that the donation can be used for the areas of greatest need.
You can also leave a gift for a specific purpose or for a particular fundraising priority or fund. If you would like to leave a specific gift, please let us know so that we can ensure that we are able to accommodate your wishes. We would be happy to speak with you further about funding priorities at College, to which you might consider supporting.
Do I have to let you know about my will?
We respect the privacy of all our donors and it is your choice if you want to let us know about your legacy gift.
We invite everyone who has pledged a legacy gift to join the Taberdars’ Society but there is no compulsion to join. We enjoy meeting the members of the Taberdars’ Society every year but if you are not a member and would still like to visit College, you would be most welcome. Please contact us and we can arrange a convenient time for your visit.
Some recent legacy gifts
£3,000 was given to support teaching and research at Queen’s
A legacy gift of £17,000 was received for the Prestwich Fellowship in History
Over £78,000 was donated to buy historical books and manuscripts for the Library
A legacy gift of over £580,000 set up a modern language scholarship
We are grateful for every legacy gift received by the College. These special gifts are acknowledged in the College Record and in our annual Development Report.
Whether you have decided to leave a gift in your will, or would like more information about legacy giving, we would love to hear from you. Please contact our Legacy Giving Officer, Catherine House, by phone (+44 (0)1865 279218) or email: catherine.house@queens.ox.ac.uk.
