Making a Legacy Gift

Please see below for more information on how to contribute to these funds.

I’m writing a will or trust
I have appreciated assets
I need income in exchange for my gift
I have retirement funds
I have excess life insurance
Benefit ROF/Benefit your heirs

I’m writing a will or trust – Bequests

Remembering The Royal Oak Foundation in your will or trust is easy to do. Simply provide a specific dollar amount or list other property. You may also designate Royal Oak to receive a specified percentage of your estate assets.

The following is some sample language that you may use to remember The Royal Oak Foundation in your will or trust:

I give and bequeath to The Royal Oak Foundation, 20 West 44th Street, Suite 606, New York, NY 10036 the sum of $________ (or specific asset or _____ percent of the remainder of my estate) to be used for its general charitable purposes.

If you choose to restrict your bequest gift to a specific program you would say,

to be used for _____________.

For a restricted gift you should also add language as follows:

If the program that I have designated for this gift is no longer offered by The Royal Oak Foundation then the Board of Trustees has the right to redirect the funds to a need that is close to my original intent.

To find out more, discuss restrictions, or notify Royal Oak about your bequest, contact Executive Director Ian Murray at imurray@royal-oak.org or 212.480.2889 ext. 202.

Back to Top

I have appreciated assets — Stocks/Bonds/Real Estate/Art & Antiques

You can support The Royal Oak Foundation’s mission by donating appreciated assets, such as stocks, real estate, works of art, etc.

Why donate appreciated assets?

By donating an appreciated asset to Royal Oak you may benefit from an income tax charitable deduction at the current market value and not pay capital gains tax on the asset’s appreciation.

Here’s an example:

Margaret has stock valued at $50,000. When she bought the stock it cost her $5,000. If Margaret was to sell the stock she would have to report $45,000 in capital gains tax. At the current tax rate Margaret would have to pay $6,750 in capital gains tax. However, if Margaret gave the stock to Royal Oak she would get a charitable income tax deduction of the full $50,000 and would not have to report any capital gains.

To find out more or notify Royal Oak about your bequest, contact Executive Director Ian Murray at imurray@royal-oak.org or 212.480.2889 ext. 202.

Back to Top

I need income for my gift – Charitable Remainders Trusts

Charitable trusts blend the desire to secure your own or your family’s financial future with your charitable intent for Royal Oak and the National Trust.

A Charitable Remainder Trust will allow you to provide for income to one or more beneficiaries for a term of years or for their lifetimes. At the end of the term of the trust the remainder will pass to Royal Oak to enable us to carry on our mission. A trust of this nature also provides you with favorable tax benefits. Such a trust can be written so that it pays a fixed annuity amount to your income beneficiaries or a fluctuating amount annually based on the growth of the assets. You may use cash or appreciated assets to fund a charitable remainder trust.

All trust documents should be drawn by your own attorney and under the advice of your financial advisors. However, for a personal evaluation of how a trust may be a beneficial way for you to make a gift to The Royal Oak Foundation please contact Executive Director Ian Murray at imurray@royal-oak.org or  212.480.2889 ext. 202.

Back to Top

I have retirement funds – Beneficiary Designation of Retirement Plan Assets

You can support our mission by naming The Royal Oak Foundation as the partial or sole beneficiary of your IRA, 401(K), 403(B) or other retirement assets.

Why use retirement assets to make a gift?

Since retirement plan assets may be subject to both income and estate taxes if left to heirs, estate planners often recommend that you designate all or a portion of the assets to a charitable organization such as ROF. By leaving such assets to ROF, you can pass other assets to your heirs which may lower the tax burden.

How can I name The Royal Oak Foundation?

You should request a “change of beneficiary” form from your retirement plan administrator. On this form you can name Royal Oak as sole or partial beneficiary, or you can name us as a contingent beneficiary in case you are predeceased by your immediate beneficiary.

On the form list us as:

The Royal Oak Foundation
20 West 44th Street, Suite 606
New York, NY 10036
Tax ID # 23-7349380

To find out more or notify Royal Oak about your beneficiary designation, Executive Director Ian Murray at imurray@royal-oak.org or 212.480.2889 ext. 202.

Back to Top

I have excess life insurance – Beneficiary Designation of Life Insurance

You can support our mission by naming The Royal Oak Foundation as the partial or sole beneficiary of your life insurance policy.

Why life insurance?

By leaving the proceeds of an insurance policy to Royal Oak the gift of the insurance policy will not be subject to estate taxes upon your death. Also, if you transfer ownership of the policy to the Foundation during your lifetime, you may qualify for an income tax charitable deduction and you may deduct the cost of future premium payments.

How can I name The Royal Oak Foundation?

If the policy already exists, you should request a “change of beneficiary” form from the insurance company. You can name ROF as sole or partial beneficiary or you can name Royal Oak as a contingent beneficiary in case you are predeceased by your primary beneficiary.

On the form list us as:

The Royal Oak Foundation
20 West 44th Street, Suite 606
New York, NY 10036
Tax ID # 23-7349380

To find out more or notify Royal Oak about your beneficiary designation, Executive Director Ian Murray at imurray@royal-oak.org or  212.480.2889 ext. 202.

Back to Top

Endowment Funds

• The Royal Oak Legacy Fund supports the Foundation’s work with the National Trust of England, Wales & Northern Ireland.
• The Ervin-DesChamps Fund, established by Dr. Daniel & Mrs. Anne Ervin in 2008, supports urgent conservation and acquisition priorities at the National Trust.
• The Royal Oak Programs Fund was created in 2013 to create an endowment for Royal Oak’s national lecture program, the Drue Heinz Lectures, and other educational programs in the United States. Royal Oak also encourages legacy gifts outside the endowment program to support lectures and programs in specific regions, such as the 2012 bequest from a longtime member and lecture attendee in Northern California, which has underwritten an annual lecture in that region for 5 years.
• The Royal Oak Fund was created in 2013 to support educational, research and public outreach priorities at the National Trust. Royal Oak’s Horan Prize in Garden and Landscape History is supported under this fund with an endowment from the Mudge Foundation.
• The Nigel Seeley Fellowship Fund was created in 2015 to support U.S. conservators or preservation specialists to participate in short projects in the UK chosen at the discretion of the National Trust.

Back to Top