Resource Gifts in Wills – Frequently asked questions Please see below for frequently asked questions about leaving a gift in your Will. Print How do I leave a charitable gift to NRAS in my Will? To include NRAS in your Will, please ask your solicitor to use our charity details, including our address details listed below, to ensure your kind gift reaches us. The National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society (NRAS), a registered charity in England and Wales (1134859), Scotland (SC039721). The National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society, Beechwood Suite 3, Grove Park Industrial Estate, White Waltham, Maidenhead, Berkshire, SL6 3LW. What are gifts in Wills? A gift is a specific item or donation left in a Will. It is also known as a ‘legacy gift’. Gifts in Wills are a wonderful way to make a contribution to a cause you care about. Did you know that 2 out of 5 lonely or desperate calls to our helpline would go answered without gifts in Wills? What are the different types of gifts in Wills? You can leave a gift to NRAS in your Will in different ways. The most popular are pecuniary or residue sums: Residuary gifts – the whole of or a share of the remaining value of the estate after the payment of funeral tax, testamentary expenses and pecuniary gifts. With a residue gift, the amount remains variable. If the value of your estate rises, a residue gift will increase accordingly. Pecuniary gifts – a fixed amount itemised in your Will. It can be any size but cannot exceed the total value of the estate. It is important to be aware when making pecuniary gifts that the value of your gift can depreciate over time. NRAS is an efficiently run national charity with a small team of full and part-time staff. For this reason, managing the sale of physical property left in a Will can be difficult. Therefore, our preference is to receive residuary or pecuniary gifts. However, leaving a ‘specific gift’ is a third way to leave a gift in your Will: Specific gifts – A particular item, such as property, antiques, jewellery and shares Are there tax benefits to leaving a gift to NRAS in my Will? As a charity, any gift to us is free from Inheritance Tax. It is possible for an estate to benefit from a lower inheritance tax rate, but the rules are complex, and you will need to ask your lawyer for more information. Visit the government website here for more information. Can I choose what my gift is spent on? Yes, you can. However, we most welcome gifts that can be spent wherever the need is greatest. For more information about how gifts in Wills are used, please phone the legacy team on 01628 823 524 (option 2). Can I leave a gift to NRAS for Medical Research? NRAS is a patient information and support charity, helping all those who are living with RA or JIA cope and best self-manage their disease, providing reliable information and publications about RA and JIA. While NRAS conducts social research, we do not directly fund or undertake medical research into RA or JIA. Can I make NRAS one of my executors? To discuss making NRAS one of your executors, please get in touch with our fundraising team on fundraising@nras.org.uk, and we will be happy to speak with you about this. Do I need to use a lawyer to make or change a Will? No. You do not need to use a lawyer to make a Will; however, we strongly recommend you speak to a lawyer and get professional advice if you are making or changing your Will. Do I need to tell NRAS that I have left a gift to the charity in my Will? The contents of your Will are private, and you do not need to tell NRAS that you have left a gift. However, if you are happy to share this information, we would enjoy having the opportunity to thank you and to keep you up to date on our work to support those living with RA or JIA.
How do I leave a charitable gift to NRAS in my Will? To include NRAS in your Will, please ask your solicitor to use our charity details, including our address details listed below, to ensure your kind gift reaches us. The National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society (NRAS), a registered charity in England and Wales (1134859), Scotland (SC039721). The National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society, Beechwood Suite 3, Grove Park Industrial Estate, White Waltham, Maidenhead, Berkshire, SL6 3LW.
What are gifts in Wills? A gift is a specific item or donation left in a Will. It is also known as a ‘legacy gift’. Gifts in Wills are a wonderful way to make a contribution to a cause you care about. Did you know that 2 out of 5 lonely or desperate calls to our helpline would go answered without gifts in Wills?
What are the different types of gifts in Wills? You can leave a gift to NRAS in your Will in different ways. The most popular are pecuniary or residue sums: Residuary gifts – the whole of or a share of the remaining value of the estate after the payment of funeral tax, testamentary expenses and pecuniary gifts. With a residue gift, the amount remains variable. If the value of your estate rises, a residue gift will increase accordingly. Pecuniary gifts – a fixed amount itemised in your Will. It can be any size but cannot exceed the total value of the estate. It is important to be aware when making pecuniary gifts that the value of your gift can depreciate over time. NRAS is an efficiently run national charity with a small team of full and part-time staff. For this reason, managing the sale of physical property left in a Will can be difficult. Therefore, our preference is to receive residuary or pecuniary gifts. However, leaving a ‘specific gift’ is a third way to leave a gift in your Will: Specific gifts – A particular item, such as property, antiques, jewellery and shares
Are there tax benefits to leaving a gift to NRAS in my Will? As a charity, any gift to us is free from Inheritance Tax. It is possible for an estate to benefit from a lower inheritance tax rate, but the rules are complex, and you will need to ask your lawyer for more information. Visit the government website here for more information.
Can I choose what my gift is spent on? Yes, you can. However, we most welcome gifts that can be spent wherever the need is greatest. For more information about how gifts in Wills are used, please phone the legacy team on 01628 823 524 (option 2).
Can I leave a gift to NRAS for Medical Research? NRAS is a patient information and support charity, helping all those who are living with RA or JIA cope and best self-manage their disease, providing reliable information and publications about RA and JIA. While NRAS conducts social research, we do not directly fund or undertake medical research into RA or JIA.
Can I make NRAS one of my executors? To discuss making NRAS one of your executors, please get in touch with our fundraising team on fundraising@nras.org.uk, and we will be happy to speak with you about this.
Do I need to use a lawyer to make or change a Will? No. You do not need to use a lawyer to make a Will; however, we strongly recommend you speak to a lawyer and get professional advice if you are making or changing your Will.
Do I need to tell NRAS that I have left a gift to the charity in my Will? The contents of your Will are private, and you do not need to tell NRAS that you have left a gift. However, if you are happy to share this information, we would enjoy having the opportunity to thank you and to keep you up to date on our work to support those living with RA or JIA.