An invitation to help the Society with a legacy: A message    from the President, Professor Roger Davies.

 I have become the President of the Royal Astronomical Society at a  troubling time for our communities in the UK. The state of public finances and the uncertain economic outlook has put a severe strain on the funding of basic sciences – and I see no reason for thinking that this situation will improve for some years.

It has never been more important, therefore, for astronomers and geophysicists to have an independent voice to speak on their behalf but also to do what it can to sustain our sciences. The RAS has active programmes in astronomy and geophysics including its respected primary research journals, a provocative and educative news and reviews journal and a vigorous meetings programme embracing specialist discussions and the outstanding annual National Astronomy Meeting as well as public outreach and schools activities. 

We have been awarding grants on a relatively small scale for some years, but we were a major funder of the International Year of Astronomy in 2009 and, to add to our prestigious Lockyer Fellowship, we have just set up an ambitious fellowship programme to help smooth out the career paths of a number of young scientists who might have been affected by UK Research Council cutbacks. The Council of the RAS would like to be able to support more people and more activities from its grants programme. We realise that the government cannot pay for all professional astronomical activity while amateur scientists, whose work is so vital to their professional colleagues, don’t qualify for public support. Using its existing funds judiciously, the RAS makes a big difference to the health of our disciplines. But they do not support all that we aspire to do, especially for the coming generation of young scientists. 

The Society relies on support from its Fellows to sustain its future activities. Donations and Bequests are vital to the continued development and success of the Society which is why I hope you will remember the Society when you come to draft your will. Your legacy, like those listed below, will make a difference.  I hope to be able to recognise and thank you for helping to secure the future of astronomy and geophysics, especially in the rising generation.

Roger Davies

September 2011

Securing the future

The Council has determined that the Society's priorities for its funds shall be:

• to make awards and grants, especially for purposes and to people not usually in the scope of the grants made by the research councils;
• to develop outreach activities in astronomy and geophysics, and to encourage an interest in them, particularly in young people;
• to help needy astronomers and geophysicists to maintain contact with science, and even to help those near to them;
• to maintain a library of record, and archives;
• to recognize distinguished scientists in an appropriate and forward-looking way;
• to support its general activities including the meetings programme.

• Research and Grants Fund
• Education Fund
• Benevolent Fund
• Library Fund
• Lectures and Awards Fund
• General Purposes Fund.

Most urgently, the better to secure the future, the Society needs to strengthen in particular the endowments for research, grants and education, to encourage and offer opportunities to all who are or might be interested in our sciences.

How legacies can benefit the Society

Specific purposes legacies are gifts that reflect the particular interests and concerns of a Fellow. The gifts listed above are examples, and you could add to an existing specific fund. If you wish to make your own specific bequest, the Society will honour your wishes. However, none of us can forecast precisely how things will change (the only certainty being that they will!) and we ask that you allow the Society flexibility should circumstances alter (as wise benefactors did for many of the funds listed). The five overarching fund categories for the existing specific purposes legacies cover the range of activities for which the Society seeks funding at this time, and are expected to cover many of the alternative uses to which a bequest could be put, should its specific purpose become unfeasible. The General Purposes Fund can support anything.

If you are considering such a gift in your will, the Treasurer will be happy to discuss the bequest with you. These discussions, which will be strictly private and confidential, would ensure that:

• the Society understands your wishes;
• any specific bequest you propose is feasible;
• plans can be made for your generosity to be recognized.

• developing the meetings programme;
• disseminating news about our sciences, including scientific results;
• representing our sciences in government and science policy circles;
• supporting the Fellowship;
• keeping up the Society's collections and apartments.

Making your legacy for the future

You can include a legacy to the Society in your will at the time you draw it up. If you already have a will, you can add a simple pecuniary bequest by way of a codicil. If you are under English law, you can use a codicil form available for download or from the RAS offices.

Gifts to the Society, which is a registered charity, may reduce the liability of your estate to inheritance tax in the UK and may be treated favourably in other countries.

The five standard types of legacy in English law are described below.

• The reversionary legacy This attractive option provides for your family first and then benefits the Society. You leave your assets to trustees so that the beneficiaries enjoy them during their lifetimes, with the whole or a portion reverting to the Society on their death.
• The residuary legacy This involves leaving all or part of the net residue of your estate to the Society after debts, fees and other donations have been met. You do not have to worry about the sum nor about inflation at the time you draw up the will.
• The conditional legacy This provides for the eventuality that, should one of your beneficiaries not survive you, that part of your estate would be left to the Society.
• The pecuniary legacy This simple form of legacy leaves a specific sum to the Society. Bear in mind that inflation during your lifetime erodes the value of the sum.
• The specific or non-pecuniary legacy You can leave specific possessions to the Society, including property, stocks and shares, antiques or the like. This would be particularly appropriate if you have property of scientific relevance such as antique instruments, rare books, meteorites, etc, that the Society can consider for retention in its collections or sale.

Formula for inclusion in a will

I give to the Royal Astronomical Society in London, registered charity number 226545, [a certain bequest] for the general purposes of the Society [or for the Research and Grants Fund, or the Education Fund, or the Benevolent Fund, or the Library Fund or the Lectures and Awards Fund, to be used for such and such a purpose, or for such other purpose as the Council of the Society shall decide] and declare that the receipt of the Treasurer for the time being of the said Society shall be sufficient discharge to my executors.

Codicil form

If you have already made your will but would like simply and without fuss to add a bequest to the Society, please do so using the Codicil Form, available for download or from the RAS offices, attaching it to the original of the will. Any codicil must be signed and witnessed. If, once it is signed, you change your mind, you can make an additional codicil, or revoke this one.