A gift in your will

Your lasting legacy at Caius

A gift in your will could help transform the lives of future Caians. Such gifts have played a tremendously important role throughout the College’s history. In the future, they will continue to enable outstanding scholarship, teaching, research and extra-curricular activity.

There are several ways to support Caius with a gift in your will.

  • Pecuniary legacies: a specified amount of money.
  • Specific legacies: gifts such as shares, property or works of art.
  • Residuary legacies: part or all of your estate after bequests to family and friends and other expenses have been met.
  • Reversionary legacies: placing some or all of your assets on trust for the benefit of family and friends during their lifetime, with the College named as beneficiary thereafter.

Whatever you choose to give, and however you choose to give, you can be assured that your gift will help future generations of Caians. Many people choose to leave the use of their gift to the College, which is of help because we cannot predict the exact needs of our students years from now. If you would like to support a particular aspect of College life then please contact the Development & Alumni Relations Office to discuss your wishes.

 

Tax treatment of gifts in wills

Gonville & Caius is a charity registered in England in Wales (registered charity number 1137536). If you are resident in the UK, a gift in your will would be exempt from inheritance tax calculations. Your inheritance tax rate is reduced, from 40% to 36%, if you leave 10% or more of your net estate to charity. For more information, please speak with your solicitor or financial advisor.

If you reside outside the UK, you may also receive favourable tax treatment in respect of your legacy gift to Caius. For more information, please contact the Development & Alumni Relations in the first instance.

 

How to make a gift to Caius in your will

You can choose to include a gift to Caius whenever you make or update your will. Alternatively, you may choose to use a codicil to amend your existing will. However you choose to do so, we recommend that speak with your solicitor or financial advisor first. You can instruct your solicitor/advisor to make your gift to ‘Gonville & Caius College, Trinity Street, Cambridge CB2 1TA (England and Wales registered charity number 1137536)’.

 

Recognising your generosity

Those who inform the College of their intention to remember Caius in their will are invited to join the Edmund Gonville Society. More than 300 Caians, relatives and friends are members. Named for the College’s first founder, the Society provides us with an opportunity to thank you for your support, and to keep you informed with what is happening within College, as well as plans for the future. Of course, if you would prefer your support to remain anonymous then we will respect your wishes.

Society members are invited to the College on Benefactors' Day during May Week in the year they make their pledge known to the College, and each year thereafter if that pledge is £20,000 or more. Those who indicate especially generous legacy gifts are invited to take part in the annual service for the Commemoration of Benefactors in Chapel and dine with the Master and Fellows at the Commemoration Feast.

 

What to do next

  1. Download our brochure to learn more about the impact of gifts in wills and how you can help with your own gift. You can also request a copy by post from the Development & Alumni Relations Office.
  2. Contact the Development & Alumni Relations Office if you would like to discuss the use of your gift.
  3. Consult your solicitor for help with making or amending your will.
  4. Complete our online form so that we can acknowledge your generosity.

 

Other ways of giving: deeds of variation, life assurance and pensions

In addition to a gift in your will, you may choose to support Caius through:

  • A deed of variation, through which you, as a beneficiary under a will, transfer all or part of your inheritance to Caius. Such gifts to the College are free of inheritance tax.
  • A life assurance policy that names Gonville & Caius College as its beneficiary.
  • A pension policy where the College is named as beneficiary in your expression of wish.

Please speak with a professional advisor if considering any of these means of supporting the College.

 

Information for executors and solicitors

Please contact the Development & Alumni Relations Office for help in paying a legacy gift to the College.

 

Contact us

For more information about leaving a gift in your will, please contact:

Ms Linda Hanssler
Deputy Director of Development
Gonville & Caius College
Cambridge
CB2 1TA

Telephone +44 (0)1223 766996 
deputy.director.development@cai.cam.ac.uk