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GIVING TO THE BRITISH ORNITHOLOGISTS’ UNION

[Wandering Albatross by David Tipling/Windrush]

In addition to general donations (send to BOU address at foot of page) the most significant way to giving to the BOU is leaving a legacy to continue our work in favour of he BOU in your Will.

These notes are aimed to help you in your preparation of leaving the BOU such as gift.

HELPING BIRDS WITH YOUR WILL

For those who have enjoyed birds as either hobby or as part of their work, you can help ensure their future by leaving a legacy to the BOU in your Will. Any amount will be put to excellent use and will help the BOU to continue its important work.

A Will helps to ensure that your intentions are honoured after your lifetime. It can help protect both the people and causes closest to you.

Legacies are not just for the wealthy. People from all walks of life are now remembering those causes they support during their lifetime. Some charities rely heavily on legacies in order for them to continue their important work. By remembering the BOU in your Will you will help us to continue our work supporting the research of our world's birds.

THE IMPORTANCE OF LEGACIES TO THE BOU

If birds are important to you - either as a hobby or as part of your work, please consider the BOU in your Will, and help us to continue supporting the research in to our world's birdlife.

Without sound research, conservation bodies cannot provide sound protection of our world's birds. For example, numerous studies have been made on the massive declines suffered by farmland birds in Britain. The BOU played an important role in delivering this research to the public arena by hosting conferences and publishing the research presented at the conferences so that conservation agencies and others have full access to the science which will enable them to help protect our farmland birds. Remembering the BOU in your Will can contribute to such projects and help us to continue to deliver the science on which the conservation of our birds can be enacted.

The BOU also supports research projects around the world directly. In 2004, ornithologist Guy Mountfort left the BOU a legacy to support such projects. We used this money to help support an ornithological expedition to Cambodia.

Income from legacies can be used to support many BOU projects.

ABOUT WILLS

This section will help to answer questions you may have when considering the BOU in your Will. If your question is not answered here, please don't hesitate to contact us.

How important is a Will?

Not leaving a Will could result in lengthy and expensive complications for your family to sort out your estate.

When should I write a Will?

If you haven't already done so, then do it now. If you have already written a Will, review it regularly so it reflects any changes in your life.

Can I write my own Will?

‘Do it Yourself Wills' are available but can be a false economy. One error can invalidate an entire Will. We recommend that you draw up your Will with a solicitor.

Are there any tax advantages of leaving money to charity?

Legacies to registered charities are exempt from inheritance tax. In some cases, especially with larger estates, a bequest to a charity can be a useful way to avoid paying inheritance tax on some or all of your estate.

HOW TO MAKE A WILL

Making a Will is not complicated and should cost you less than £100.

Making a Will from scratch

The first thing you should do is to appoint a professional adviser - usually a solicitor. You need to calculate the value of your estate (this is the total sum of your property, money (including the value of any policies) and possessions less any outstanding debts such as mortgages or other loans). Decide who you want to benefit from your Will: for example, your family, any friends and charities or good causes you support.

Updating an existing Will

If you have already written a Will, it is important to review it regularly, particularly so it reflects any changes in your personal circumstances, for example, if you get married, divorced, have children, grandchildren, or if you move house. Speak to your solicitor or bank about the simplest way to revise your Will quickly and cost-effectively.

Appointing your Executors

You will need to appoint your executors. They are appointed by you under your will to ensure that your wishes are carried out. Your Executors can be family, friends or your solicitor (or other legal person). Being an Executor can be involved and time consuming (depending on the size and state of your estate) and the duties of an Executor will be executed at a time when those closest to you will be grieving. Make sure you discuss this with the people who you want to act as Executors. An Executor can benefit from the Will he or she is appointed to.

Keep your will in a safe place

You should keep your Will safe (in a secure part of the house or in a bank deposit box) and make sure your Executors know who they are and where to find your Will. Ask your solicitor to keep a copy.

[Sandhill Cranes by David Tipling/ Windrush]

REMEMBERING THE BOU IN YOUR WILL

If you wish to remember the BOU in your Will, you will need to include certain information.

It is important, for instance, that the BOU's name, address and registered charity number are set out in full. If you want your money to be left to the BOU this is important, as ambiguous details can lead to money being given to the wrong organisation.

We advise that you use a solicitor to help you draw your Will. They will be able to make sure the wording is thorough and unambiguous, so that the benefits from your estate reaches the people and organisations you wish to benefit.

Suggested wording when leaving the BOU a legacy of all or part of net of your estate

I bequeath to the British Ornithologists' Union of Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK, Registered Charity Number 249877 (hereinafter called the BOU) the residue [or % share of the residue] of my estate absolutely and I direct that (i) the proceeds may be used for the general purposes of the RSPB (ii) ) I further direct that a receipt signed by a person authorised by the Council of the BOU shall be a good and sufficient discharge to my executors.

Suggested wording when leaving the BOU a fixed sum legacy

I bequeath to the British Ornithologists' Union of Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK, Registered Charity Number 249877 (hereinafter called the BOU) the sum of £______ and I direct that (i) the proceeds may be used for the general purposes of the RSPB (ii) I further direct that a receipt signed by a person authorised by the Council of the BOU shall be a good and sufficient discharge to my executors.

HOW BEST TO BENEFIT THE BOU

Should you specify a use for the gift?

Charities benefit most from unconditional cash bequests. They can then apply the gift to their charitable objectives in the best way they see fit at the time of receipt of the gift. The BOU's activities give rise to different priorities at different times, so an unconditional gift is usually the best way to enable us to pursue our objectives.

Gifts of specific items or papers

You may have an asset or investment that you would like to identify as your gift. If so please direct your executors to sell the asset and pay the proceeds of sale to the BOU.

The BOU does not have any facilities for the storage of personal papers or similar and therefore gifts of papers create difficulties. If you have records of local interest, contact your local bird club, library or environmental records centre to find out if they would be interested in receiving them.

Bird libraries

Many people have cherished collections of books. Good bird books are very collectable, but we know of cases where collections have been disposed of by executors unaware of their value to house clearance contractors for little or no money. Avoid this by including a specific direction to your executors to seek specialist advice regarding the disposal of such books.

Trusts

The establishment of a trust under a Will to hold the sums to be given to a charity or charities identified as recipients of gifts under the Will is not as beneficial as outright gifts to those charities. The administration of such trusts usually involves expense which has to be discharged from the funds, thereby reducing the amount available for the cause you wish to benefit.

Substantial gifts

The BOU would like to establish a substantial financial base from which it can fund studentships, expeditions and the publication of ornithological material for which no other funding is available. If you are contemplating a substantial gift to help such work please contact us.

WHAT SHOULD I DO NOW?

If you would like to remember the BOU in your Will, please contact the BOU Office for more information. If you have not already done so, please go and see your solicitor or appoint one (if you don't know who to appoint you can contact The Law Society or check out there ‘choose and using a solicitor' section of their website at hwww.lawsociety.org.uk). If you have already included the BOU in your Will, please let us know, so that we can acknowledge your generosity. Thank you.

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BOU, PO Box 417, Peterborough PE7 3FX, UK
Tel 01 733 844 820
Email bou @ bou.org.uk (remove spaces)
Registered Charity number 249877