Protect the natural world for generations to come
From Charles Darwin’s foundational legacy in 1881 to the many generous supporters who have followed in his footsteps, gifts in Wills play a vital role in funding essential work across Kew, Wakehurst and beyond.
Why leave a gift in your Will to Kew?
Kew is a charity dedicated to safeguarding the world’s plants and fungi. Much of our work is made possible by the generosity of those who choose to support us, including through gifts left in Wills.
Most recently, these gifts left in Wills to Kew have wholly and partly funded many critical projects, including:
- Inspiring and supporting the next generation of experts: Gifts in Wills have supported Kew Sciences' PhD programme and apprenticeships at our world renowned School of Horticulture.
- Protecting some of the world’s most vulnerable habitats: Gifts have also funded our Tropical Important Plant Areas (TIPAs) work in Cameroon, Ethiopia, Bolivia and New Guinea.
- Protecting wild plant biodiversity: Gifts have helped to fund the vital work of our Millennium Seed Bank, which is helping to create a bank of plant biodiversity to ensure the survival of life on earth.
- Supporting two beautiful botanic gardens: Kew Gardens and Wakehurst are home to the most diverse collection of plants in the world and gifts left in Wills help sustain these living collections for future generations.
By leaving a gift in your Will to Kew, you’ll create a lasting legacy by funding experts at the forefront of cataloguing, protecting and researching plant and fungal life.
Your support will help uncover the solutions that plants and fungi offer to humanity’s most critical challenges. From tackling the impacts of climate change, food insecurity and biodiversity loss to protecting untold lives and livelihoods and using our trusted voice to shape policy and practice worldwide.
How to leave a gift in your Will to Kew
Leaving a charitable gift in your Will is easier than you might think. Here’s how you can make a lasting impact:
1. Include Kew’s details in your Will
Include our name, address and charity number to ensure your gift reaches us:
Name: Foundation and Friends of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Address: Richmond, TW9 3AB
Charity Number: 803428
2. Choose the type of gift you want to include
It’s important to consider how much you want to leave when leaving a gift to charity in your Will, along with if you’d like it to be used for a specific purpose.
There are three ways of leaving a gift to charity in your Will:
- Residuary gift – a percentage or share of your estate when gifts of money or items have been distributed and costs have been deducted. The value of this type of gift will increase as the value of your estate increases.
- Pecuniary gift – a specific sum of money. To ensure that it keeps value over the years, you can make it index-linked.
- Specific gift – a specific item, object or asset such as property or a possession.
Most gifts received by Kew are designated for general purposes, allowing us to direct funds where they are needed most. If you wish to support a specific area of Kew’s work, we're happy to work with you to find wording that ensures your gift will have the impact you intend.
3. Think about inheritance tax
Including gifts to charities in your Will can have tax advantages. Your solicitor or financial adviser can help you with this, or you can find more information on IHT exemptions by visiting the UK government website: www.gov.uk/inheritance-tax.
4. Create or amend your Will
You can create or update your Will with any practicing solicitor.
Free Will writing service
We now offer a free Will writing service provided through our partner MyIntent. This is a completely free offer and you are under no obligation to leave a gift to Kew in the Will you create.
You can find a regulated solicitor in your area via the Law Society website
5. Let us know about your plans
There’s no obligation to tell us, but if you choose to share your plans, we’d love the opportunity to thank you and keep you informed about Kew’s vital work.
You can reach the Legacy team directly by emailing legacies@kew.org or by calling +44 (0)20 8332 3249.
Contact us to find out more
You can get in touch to notify us of a legacy gift you have planned, discuss the best gift option for you, or simply request more information.
All gifts to Kew make a difference
Whether large or small, every legacy gift supports Kew’s vital mission. There’s no minimum amount required to leave a gift in your Will, and we are happy to work with you to personalise your legacy to reflect your values.
If you are considering leaving a specific item, we are here to help you consider the gift that might be best for you and can help you ensure that Kew will be a suitable home.
Thank you for supporting Kew
Legacies are vital to the future of Kew and your support is truly valued. If you decide to leave a gift in your Will, we would love to know as it helps us plan for the future.
We can also acknowledge your kindness and keep you up to date with our activities through events and newsletters.
You can contact the team at legacies@kew.org or on 020 8332 3249.
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Leave a gift in your Will to Kew or Wakehurst
