Leaving a Legacy to Goldsmiths
Leaving a gift in your will to Goldsmiths is one of the most meaningful and personal ways you can support the College.
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With the help and support of our community of alumni and friends, Goldsmiths continues to be a beacon of excellence in higher education.
By leaving us a gift in your will, you can help Goldsmiths continue to provide financial support to students who may be struggling,produce the highest-quality research, and ensure that on-campus facilities are of the best possible standard.
We would be pleased to work with you to ensure that any bequest is used to support the area of Goldsmiths’ activity that you prefer.
How to Leave a Legacy
We would always advise using a solicitor to write your will.
You can download our suggested wording for legacies (PDF) for leaving a legacy to Goldsmiths. We encourage you to discuss this with your solicitor.
If you are thinking about leaving a gift in your will to any organisation, we recommend talking through the decision with your family, so that they are aware of your wishes.
If you do intend to remember Goldsmiths in your will, we would be extremely grateful if you could let us know. We understand that this is a very personal decision, however if you do let us know of your intentions it allows us to ensure that we understand your wishes and that they are met. It also gives us the opportunity to recognise your generosity and thank you, in whatever way you feel most comfortable. Alternately, if you prefer for your gift to remain anonymous, you may be assured that we will respect your wishes.
You can read more about the main types of legacies commonly left in a will below.
Pecuniary
A pecuniary legacy is a gift of a specified sum of money.
Residuary
A residuary legacy is the gift of the remainder of the donor’s estate (or a percentage of the remainder) after all pecuniary legacies, debts and other expenses have been paid. You can choose to leave the whole of the remainder to Goldsmiths, or a percentage of it.
Reversionary
A reversionary legacy involves leaving assets to a chosen beneficiary to use during their lifetime, with the whole or a proportion passing to Goldsmiths at their death.
Conditional
A conditional legacy is a gift that would be given to Goldsmiths should any or all of your other named beneficiaries die before the donor.
Unrestricted
If you choose not to place restrictions on your gift, this would allow us the flexibility to use your gift where it is most valuable.
Student support
Your gift could provide financial assistance for students in financial hardship, or provide scholarships in order to enable gifted young people to study at Goldsmiths when their financial situation might have otherwise prevented them from doing so.
A particular department
Your gift could fund scholarships, staff roles or research within your academic discipline/area of choice. Alternately, you may wish to help us ensure our campus and facilities continue to be of the highest possible standard by choosing to support our Estates department.
Contact
If you would like to discuss leaving a legacy to Goldsmiths in your will, or if you have already remembered Goldsmiths in your will and would like to discuss any aspect of your gift, please contact Zoe Wilson Young, Head of Alumni Relations and Regular Giving, at giving (@gold.ac.uk).
Disclaimer
None of the above constitutes legal advice. Goldsmiths always advises using a solicitor to write your will.
Tax-Efficient Giving
As Goldsmiths is an exempt charity, any gift you choose to leave us in your will is free from UK inheritance tax if you are a UK resident.
More information about tax-efficient gifts in your will can be found here.
Ruth Webb (B.Ed, 1978)
"Without the faith that Goldsmiths staff showed in my potential, I’d not have become a teacher, nor would I have experienced the financial independence and intellectual benefit that I’ve enjoyed for most of my adult life. My entire adult life would have been less enjoyable and fulfilling were it not for the nurturing, intellectual training and professional support that staff at Goldsmiths gave me.
My donation to Goldsmiths will be made after my death so that others can experience intellectual and financial freedom and satisfaction. That’s the least I can do in return for the life that Goldsmiths has enabled me to live. If, on reflection, you realise that the pleasures of your life are, in many ways, owed to what Goldsmiths gave you, please consider making a donation, no matter what size, so that others can have what we have had."
Craig Edwards (MA Photography and Urban Cultures, 2006)
"I feel strongly that access to postgraduate education should be made easier for potential students and that promising students shouldn’t be cut off from the opportunity for postgraduate study simply because they can’t afford it. I’m determined to do anything I can do to further this cause, within my modest means, which is why I decided to support Goldsmiths with a legacy gift.
I would encourage anyone who is considering supporting Goldsmiths with a legacy donation to do so. It’s so easy – the solicitor does all the hard work for you! In addition, I’d encourage anyone who decides to leave Goldsmiths a gift in their will to let Goldsmiths know so that they can thank them properly.
Leaving a legacy donation is a wonderful and meaningful way to make a difference to the world. My time at Goldsmiths had such a positive impact on my life; I’m very pleased to be able to help the College in this way."