The Royal Society of NSW, the oldest learned institution in Australia, exists to enrich lives through knowledge and inquiry.

Since its inception, the Society has benefited greatly from generous donations and bequests from both members and other benefactors.

Please consider leaving a legacy to the future by remembering the Society in your will. On this page, you can find:

• Why leave a gift in your will?
• How to leave a gift in you will
• Proposed wording for a gift in your will
• Management of Gifts in Wills by the Royal Society of NSW
• How we thank you

No matter what size, a gift in your will make a difference.

Your gift will strengthen the Society as an inclusive and diverse learned institution that is dedicated to its ideals:

• Commitment to advancing the best interests of society — advancing knowledge and understanding for a more just, sustainable, and secure society.
• A questioning spirit — supporting the principles of freedom of thought and speech, and the scientific method of inquiry.
• Diverse and inclusive engagement — embracing and including individual differences and contributions to our collective success and social engagement.
• Boldness and innovation — acting with courage to address issues of the day, take calculated risks, and to innovate as modern technologies expand ways to communicate.
• Good governance — organisational practices that are ethical, expert, inclusive, respectful, courteous, consultative, participatory, accountable, and sustainable.

Your gift will:

• ensure that the Society, which already has a 200-year history, continues to resonate with our desire as humans to explore all corners of knowledge.
• strengthen the Society as an inclusive and diverse learned institution dedicated to ideas that matter in the sciences and humanities.
• ensure that the Society continues to provide the opportunity to meet extraordinary people who are unlocking the secrets of the world around us, and ourselves.
• ensure that the Society plays an even greater role in the intellectual life of future generations who will be forging Australia’s future and creating innovative responses to the challenges that society will face.
• enable the Society to deepen its reach into communities across NSW and help them to shape Australia’s future.
• ensure that, through our prestigious Awards program, the Society continues to foster, celebrate, and promote the excellence of distinguished and rising stars in the sciences and humanities.
• help the Society bring to light for all scholars and citizens its existing library and archives that contain many historical cornerstones of Australian intellectual thought and learning during the past 200 years.
• help us ensure we continue to collect contemporary material that preserves the future history of the Society. • Your gift will inspire the boldness and courage to learn from our past in order to influence our future.

An unrestricted bequest is always the most helpful. Your unrestricted gift will allow us to meet immediate needs, ensure a bright future for the work of the Society, and embrace opportunities that we may not otherwise be able to bring to life.

If you are considering making a bequest for a particular aspect of our work, we would welcome the opportunity to discuss your plans before you commit them to a Will, to ensure we can meet your wishes.

Your gift can take a variety of forms including a residual gift, a percentage of your estate, a specific amount, or assets such as shares, property, a book collection, or a work of art.

We also recommend you speak to a solicitor about your intentions.

All enquiries to the Society regarding bequests should be sent by email to the RSNSW Treasurer. 

I GIVE ……………………………… The residue of my estate free of all duties and taxes to The Royal Society of New South Wales, PO Box 576, Crows Nest, NSW 1585 to be applied for its purposes and I DECLARE that the receipt of the President or other proper officer of the Society shall be a full and sufficient discharge to my proper officer of the Society shall be a full and sufficient discharge to my Executor/Trustee for the payment of the gift and that my Executor/Trustee shall not be bound to see to its application.

I GIVE ……………………………… per centum of my estate free of all duties and taxes to The Royal Society of New South Wales, PO Box 576, Crows Nest, NSW 1585 to be applied for its purposes and I DECLARE that the receipt of the President or other proper officer of the Society shall be a full and sufficient discharge to my Executor/Trustee for the payment of the gift and that my Executor/Trustee shall not be bound to see to its application.

I GIVE the sum of $……………………………… free of all duties and taxes to The Royal Society of New South Wales, PO Box 576, Crows Nest, NSW 1585 to be applied to its purposes and I DECLARE that the receipt of the President or other proper officer of the Society shall be a full and sufficient discharge to my Executor/Trustee for the payment of this sum and that my Trustee shall not be bound to see its application.

I GIVE (clearly describe item, work of art, manuscript etc.) free of all duties and taxes to The Royal Society of New South Wales, PO Box 576, Crows Nest, NSW 1585 to be applied to its purposes and I DECLARE that the receipt of the President or other proper officer of the Society shall be a full and sufficient discharge to my Executor/Trustee for the payment of this sum and that my Trustee shall not be bound to see its application.

Gifts in Wills are managed by the Royal Society of NSW Council which has responsibility for the Society’s business in accordance with its Act of Incorporation and Rules.

If you would like to notify us of your pledged gift, we will give you the opportunity to relate to the work we do that is of interest to you.

We will also give you appropriate recognition and privileges, with your express permission.