Legacies form the cornerstone of the Courtauld, ever since our first benefactors, Samuel Courtauld, Sir Robert Witt and Viscount Lee of Fareham, bequeathed their art collections and founded the Institute. Their generosity and foresight ensured that the Courtauld has become the most critically engaged, welcoming and generous institution for the study of art history, curation and conservation in the world.
While few of us can match the extraordinary private art and library collections of our founding benefactors, everyone has the opportunity to support the Courtauld’s future with a gift in their Will. Every gift – large or small – plays a vital role in helping us plan with confidence, invest in our mission and ensure that future generations of students, scholars and practitioners can thrive here. In particular, by contributing to our the Courtauld endowment fund, your gift has the power to create lasting impact, supporting the Courtauld in perpetuity and transforming the lives of all who study and work within our community.
Help the Courtauld care for an exceptional art collection, advance scholarship through world-class teaching and research, and ensure every student – regardless of background – has the chance to thrive.
How to leave a gift in your Will
Contact us
If you would like to have a confidential conversation about how your gift could make an impact, please contact Dr Natalie Matias, Development Lead (Legacies) on Phone 02039477661 or Email natalie.matias@courtauld.ac.uk or legacies@courtauld.ac.uk
The Courtauld Institute of Art
Somerset House
Strand London
WC2R 0RN
www.courtauld.ac.uk
Company no 4464432. HMRC exempt charity tax reference: XR60596
How you can make a difference
General purposes
Offering flexible support that allows The Courtauld to respond to emerging needs and widen access where it is most needed.
The endowment
Providing long‑term, sustainable investment that secures the future of research excellence at The Courtauld.
Our experts
Supporting academic leadership that drives innovative research and advances the understanding of art history, curation, and conservation.
Conservation
Enabling specialist restoration work that reveals new insights into how artworks were made, cared for, and understood across time.
Our students
Opening doors for talented students globally, ensuring financial circumstances are never a barrier to studying at The Courtauld.
The Courtauld Gallery
Sharing our world‑renowned collection with the public, creating encounters with art that spark curiosity, creativity, and new perspectives.
Libraries
Maintaining essential resources that give all students equitable access to the tools they need for academic success.
How to leave a gift in your Will
We always recommend that you consult a professional adviser or solicitor to have your Will drafted or updated. If you already have a Will and would now like to include a legacy to the Courtauld, it is simple to update it through your solicitor or Will‑writing provider.
Important information for your gift in your Will
To leave a gift to the Courtauld, you must ensure that your Will includes the following information:
- Our full name: The Courtauld Institute of Art
- Our registered address: Somerset House, Strand, London WC2R 0RN
- Our HMRC exempt charity tax reference: XR60596
Suggested wording for an unrestricted legacy gift to The Courtauld in your Will
“I give free of inheritance tax [the entirety/percentage of my residuary estate OR fixed amount] to The Courtauld Institute of Art, Somerset House, Strand, London, WC2R 0RN, company registration number 4464432 and an exempt charity under the Charities Act 2011, HMRC charity tax reference XR60596 for its general charitable purposes absolutely and I declare that the receipt of the Treasurer, Head of Finance or other appropriate officer for the time being shall be a good discharge to my Executors.”
FAQs
I would like to leave a legacy to the Courtauld Institute of Art. How do I do this?
When writing a Will, it is important to seek professional advice.
You should engage a solicitor to help draft your Will, and choose someone to be an executor to administer your wishes. The next step is to estimate the approximate size of your estate. You can do this by listing everything you own (assets) including money, property, cars and other valuables, and everything you owe (liabilities) including mortgages and other loans. This simple process will help you ensure that your family, friends and others can be provided for in line with your wishes.
What details do I need in order to include the Courtauld Institute of Art in my Will?
When including a legacy to the Courtauld Institute of Art it is very important to include our full name, our exempt charity reference XR60596 and the correct registered address:
The Courtauld Institute of Art
Somerset House
Strand
London WC2R 0RN
The Courtauld Institute of Art is an exempt charity under the Exempt Charities Order 2002. Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs have accepted that the Courtauld Institute of Art is a charity for tax purposes under the reference XR60596. This means your gift will be exempt from inheritance tax.
What type of legacy can I leave to the Courtauld?
It is best for us if gifts are made unconditionally. The majority of our supporters make their donation in this way because such gifts allow the Courtauld’s Board of Governors to consider carefully how to make the best use of each gift to meet the changing priorities of the time.
Of course, we completely understand if you would prefer your gift to support a certain area of our work. We recommend that you get in touch with us to discuss your intentions, so that we can ensure that the wording of your Will allows us to use your gift as you intended.
What is a specific legacy?
A gift of a particular item, such as a work of art, a property or shares, is known as a specific legacy.
Gifts of Art
If you are considering a gift of art, we would strongly encourage you to contact us to discuss your plans.
Naturally, we will treat any such discussions with the strictest confidence and we will only involve appropriate staff with discretion. The collection of the Courtauld Gallery is owned, for public benefit, by the Samuel Courtauld Trust and as such gifts of art are arranged through agreement with the Trust.
What is a residuary legacy?
A residuary legacy is a gift of the remainder of your estate, or a percentage, after all other legacies have been made and outstanding debts have been cleared. Residuary legacies keep pace with inflation and are an effective way to divide the value of an estate between a number of people and causes.
What is a pecuniary legacy?
A pecuniary legacy is a gift in your Will of a fixed sum of money, but please bear in mind that its real value will decrease over time unless it is index linked.
What is a reversionary legacy?
This allows a beneficiary such as your spouse or a dependent to benefit from your assets during their lifetime, for example living in your house, with all or part of the asset passing to The Courtauld on their death. It can provide peace of mind that a loved one’s interests will be protected during their lifetime.
Tax benefits
The Courtauld Institute of Art is an exempt charity under the Charities Act 2011. If you are a UK taxpayer, this means that your legacy gift is exempt from inheritance tax and is deducted from the value of your estate before inheritance tax is calculated. If you leave at least 10% of your estate to charity your rate of inheritance tax is reduced. There are also international tax benefits on legacies from overseas. Solicitors or tax advisers will be able to provide further guidance on this.
Can I change my mind about leaving a legacy to the Courtauld Institute of Art?
Yes. Even if you have told us that you are planning to leave a legacy to the Courtauld, you are completely free to alter your Will at any time. You do not even have to let the Courtauld know that you have changed your plans, although of course we would be grateful if you informed us so that we can update our records.
If you have been prompted to change your Will because of a development within the Courtauld, perhaps a change in personnel or to the Courtauld’s mission, please contact us to tell us about your concerns. Of course, you may be prompted to amend your Will because of a happy circumstance, such as the birth of a child or grandchild, and if this is the case you should feel assured that we will completely understand when you contact us to let us know.
How we recognise your gift
We appreciate that leaving a legacy is a deeply personal decision and that you may prefer to keep your plans private. However, we would be delighted to thank you if you are happy to share your intentions with us. Letting us know when you have included the Courtauld in your Will is extremely helpful as it enables us to keep you connected and to show you the impact your gift could make. It also allows us to plan responsibly for the future.
We are fortunate to have a very active and wonderfully warm group of legacy pledgers, and we would be delighted to welcome you to join our Courtauld Legacy Circle. As a pledger, you will receive invitations to our legacy events, along with our annual publications and Courtauld News, keeping you close to the life and work of the institution you are supporting.
If you would like to discuss your wishes in confidence, please contact our Development Lead (Legacies), Natalie Matias. Email natalie.matias@courtauld.ac.uk or phone 02039477661.
Make a gift in memory
Making a gift in memory of a loved one allows you to celebrate their life and enrich and secure the future of the Courtauld.
In memory gifts can be directed towards our area of greatest need or we would be happy to discuss other areas of interest.
You can make a single or regular donation in memory of a loved one. Once you have made your donation, please contact us to let us know that this gift is in memory of a loved one, along with any other information you would like to share.
Please also get in touch if you would like to discuss potential naming opportunities, for example, establishing a scholarship in the name of a loved one.
There are several meaningful ways to make a gift in memory or to organise a collection with friends and family:
- Funeral collections using Gift Aid envelopes (we can provide these on request)
- Cheques made payable to ‘The Courtauld Institute of Art’, accompanied by a note referencing “in‑memory giving.” Please address these to Dr Natalie Matias, Development Lead, Advancement Office. The Courtauld Institute of Art, Somerset House, Strand, London, WC2R 0RN
- A gift in your Will, made in memory of someone special
Thank you for considering The Courtauld in this meaningful way.
The Courtauld Institute of Art
Somerset House
Strand London
WC2R 0RN
www.courtauld.ac.uk
Company no 4464432. HMRC exempt charity tax reference: XR60596