Let art be your legacy
How a gift in your will can protect the future of the Royal Academy
Let art be your legacy
Your will is the opportunity for you to protect the things that matter most to you, ensuring that your loved ones, the causes you believe in and the places that have inspired you are able to thrive in the years to come.
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The Royal Academy shares your deep commitment to art and we believe in the contribution artists make to the world. As an independent charity, which receives no revenue funding from the government, we rely on the generosity of our supporters. Nearly half of our income is received through voluntary donations, which includes gifts in wills.
Many people think that a legacy must be a large sum of money. But in reality, a gift of any size can have an impact. By choosing to make a gift of as little as 1% of your estate, you can help to ensure this vibrant and magnificent force for art can continue to inspire generations to come.
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I'm happy to know my gift will help the RA to flourish and be enjoyed by many people in the future.
Jean, Friend of the RA
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How your gift could help
By supporting the Royal Academy Trust with a gift in your will, you can protect all that the Royal Academy stands for, ensuring that we can continue to be a voice for art and for artists, whatever the future may hold.
Some examples of exactly what your generosity could achieve are shown below, however if you have a particular area of the Royal Academy that you would like to support, please contact our Legacy Manager, who will be happy to discuss your gift in confidence.
Over the last 30 years the Royal Academy has received over £9 million through legacies. These kind gifts have ranged from helping to preserve the RA Collection, supporting the RA Schools to making the RA more accessible for all through our Learning programme.
A gift from you, no matter the size, could be vital in protecting our future.
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£500
£500 could help to conserve delicate prints, a rare book or an historic photograph, helping to preserve them for future generations.
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£1,000
£1,000 could help an RA Schools student to cover the costs of painting materials, canvases and sculpting equipment, allowing them to hone their skills.
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£10,000
£10,000 or more could fund the restoration of a major work of art in the RA Collection, rescuing an important part of our nation’s artistic heritage.
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Video
Supporting the RA Schools
They country’s first art school remains at the heart of the Royal Academy. Learn about why it’s unique, and how your gift can help protect it for generations to come, in this video with Eileen Cooper RA (Keeper of the RA Schools 2010-2017).
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It is in memory of my late wife that I have chosen to support the RA. She was a Friend for many years, and I felt it was what she would have done.
Norman, Friend of the RA
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The creative side of Britain is one of our strengths - the RA is unique among the big museums and galleries in that it doesn't receive regular government funding. I would encourage everybody to put the RA in their will. You won't be here to see it, but you will be celebrated.
Lord Davies of Abersoch, Chairman of the RA Trust
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Supporting the RA Collection
The Royal Academy Collection is focused on British art from the 18th century to the present day, and contains significant artworks which have been kindly given through legacies. These gifts, which have allowed our Collection to grow, are lovingly cared for by our staff, ensuring that future generations can appreciate and enjoy them.
If you have an artwork by an artist associated with the Royal Academy and would like to discuss donating this to the RA Collection, please contact us to see if we are able to care for and display your gift.
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Lucien Pissarro, Vue d'Eragny, 1892.
Received as a legacy by gift by Carel Weight RA in 1999.
Oil on board. 36.50 x 46.30 cm. Photo credit: © Royal Academy of Arts, London; Photographer: John Hammond.
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Philip Reinagle, Head of a Tiger.
Received as a legacy gift by Gilbert Bakewell Stretton in 1949.
Watercolour over pencil on cream wove paper. 18.70 x 24.10 cm. Photo credit: © Royal Academy of Arts, London.
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Michelangelo Buonarroti, The Virgin and Child with the Infant St. John (The Taddei Tondo), c.1504-05.
Bequeathed by Sir George Beaumont, 1830.
Marble relief. Diameter 106.80 cm. Photo: © Royal Academy of Arts, London.
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Contact us
If you would like to find out more about how a gift in your will could protect the Royal Academy for future generations to enjoy, please contact our Legacy Manager at legacies@royalacademy.org.uk on 020 7300 5677 or by completing our online form. All enquiries will be treated in confidence.