For over a century, philanthropic support, often in the form of legacy gifts, has made a vital contribution to the College. Indeed, over the last ten years, bequests to St Hilda’s have accounted for more than half of our philanthropic income.
By remembering St Hilda’s in your Will, you help to secure the future of the College and ensure that it continues to thrive for generations to come. Every bequest, no matter the size, has a lasting impact for your College and College community.
Alumnae and friends who have indicated that they have included St Hilda’s in their Will are members of the St Hilda’s Society. As a member of the Society, you will be invited to our annual St Hilda’s Society Feast.
We do encourage alumnae to leave an unrestricted bequest, as this allows the Trustees of the College to direct the gift to the area of greatest need at that time. However, we understand that you may have particular priorities that you wish to support and indeed, thoughts about how you may wish to be remembered by the College. If you would like to discuss your intentions in confidence, please do get in touch. Alternatively, if you would prefer to keep your specific intentions private, we just ask that you inform us that St Hilda’s is included in your Will so that we can show our appreciation.
As we are a registered charity, St Hilda’s pays no tax on gifts bequeathed in a legacy. This method of giving also has inheritance tax benefits for the legator. These benefits vary internationally, so please get in touch if you are interested in making a legacy gift from outside the UK. In particular, US taxpayers can receive estate tax deductions by making a legacy gift through our 501(c)(3), the American Friends of St Hilda's.
If you would like any additional information, or if you would like to discuss your wishes, please contact Emma Campbell. We do also recommend that you seek independent legal or financial advice when arranging your Will.
Call the Development Office
Tel 01865 276828
How to include St Hilda’s in your will
To include St Hilda’s in your Will, you simply include the details of your gift and any specific instructions. Your gift may include a percentage of your state, a sum of money, shares, buildings, or other property.
The most common types of legacy gift with which you can support the College are a residuary legacy or a pecuniary legacy.
Residuary legacy
With a residuary legacy, the College will benefit from whatever is left in your estate after your other bequests.
Suggested wording for a residuary legacy:
I give [the whole or a share (per centage)] of the residue of my estate to the Principal and Fellows of St Hilda’s College in the University of Oxford (registered charity number 1137537) for their general purposes;
And I further direct that the receipt of the Bursar or other proper officer for the time being of the College shall be a full and sufficient discharge to my executors.
Pecuniary legacy
A pecuniary legacy is for a fixed sum of money or share of your estate.
Suggested wording for a pecuniary legacy:
I give [detail the fixed sum (in figures and words), specific asset, or proportion of your estate] to the Principal and Fellows of St Hilda’s College in the University of Oxford with the request that it be used for such purposes in connection with St Hilda’s College as the trustees in their absolute discretion think fit [or] with the request that the funds be used for [detail the specific area that you wish to support].
I further direct that the receipt of the Bursar or other proper officer for the time being of the College shall be a full and sufficient discharge to my executors.
If you already have a Will but now wish to include a gift to St Hilda’s, the easiest way to do so is to add a codicil to your existing Will. This is a straightforward process but it does ned to be formally executed and you should seek the legal assistance of your solicitor or attorney.
Legacy Gift Notification
If you would like to include St Hilda’s in your Will, we would be very grateful if you could complete this form and let us know about your gift so that we can record it and thank you for your valued support.