Ways to support
Donate today and make a difference to animal health, treatment and welfare through the advancement of veterinary knowledge.
Donate items of veterinary interest
RCVS Knowledge is an excellent resource for vets wanting to continually improve standards in their practices.
Sara Hillyer, BVSc BSc(Hons) MRCVS
Ways to support RCVS Knowledge
There are many different ways you can support us, and many ways that we can support you. Examples of voluntary roles with RCVS Knowledge include:
- championing our Quality Improvement campaign
- transcribing with our Digital Collections
- joining the inFOCUS clinical review team.
We are very grateful to our supporters who donate time, money or clinical expertise to help us advance the quality of veterinary care for the benefit of animals, the public, and society.
Leave a legacy
Your legacy to RCVS Knowledge means you will have a lasting impact on the quality of care animals receive long into the future, potentially helping improve the lives of thousands of pets and farm animals around the world for generations to come.
Find out how to make a will below, or download this document.
How to make a will
A Will must be in writing and signed by you and two witnesses. A Will is not valid unless it complies with certain formalities so we recommend you seek professional advice.
Before you visit your solicitor it is useful to do some preparation as it might save you money – most solicitors charge on a time basis. List your assets and their approximate values, and any debts, especially large ones such as a mortgage.
You may wish to include your funeral arrangements in your Will, to ensure your precise wishes are carried out.
There are three main types of gifts that you make in your Will:
- A specific legacy is an item such as jewellery or property. You can also bequeath specific personal assets such as stocks and shares, literary rights, books, art and antiques. If you are considering leaving a collection of books to the Library, we would welcome the opportunity to discuss your plans with you before you commit them to your Will.
- A pecuniary legacy is a fixed sum of money. Inflation will, however, erode the value of a pecuniary gift over time. It is a good idea to review pecuniary gifts regularly or opt for residuary legacies.
- A residuary legacy is a share of what is left of your estate when other gifts and liabilities are paid. You can choose to leave the entire residue to one person or charity, or to divide it among a number of beneficiaries
Choose Executors, such as a close friend or relative and a legal professional, who you can rely on to make sure your instructions are carried out.
Keep your Will safe and make sure someone knows where it is. It is advisable to leave your Will with your solicitor or bank where it can easily be found. It is useful to keep a copy yourself.
It makes good sense to review your Will regularly to make sure it still accurately reflects your wishes. If your circumstances change significantly you should think about making changes to your Will.
Small changes can be made with a codicil – an addition to your existing Will that should be drawn up by your solicitor. The cost may be significantly less than having a new Will written.
We would be grateful if you could inform us if you are planning to leave a legacy to RCVS Knowledge as this will help us with our financial and project planning.
It would also allow us to thank you for your support and highlight the ways in which the RCVS Knowledge can recognise your generosity. You do not have to tell us or you can ask us not to contact you about it. Rest assured we will keep your information confidential if you prefer.
Regular giving
If you want to make a significant difference, why not give regularly? When you set up a regular donation to RCVS Knowledge, you become part of the long-term work we do to ensure the practice of veterinary medicine is based on the current best evidence, continuing the highest standards of care. Monthly donations of any amount are hugely important to our work as they enable us to plan our projects effectively.
To set up a regular gift you can
- Set up a direct debit via Charities Aid Foundation (CAF)
- download and return our 'Regular giving form'. Please make cheques payable to “RCVS Knowledge”.
One-off donation
If you would like to make a single donation you can
- Donate via Charities Aid Foundation (CAF)
- Download and fill in our 'Single Donation form' and send it to RCVS Knowledge, 3 Waterhouse Square, 138-142 Holborn, London, EC1N 2SW Please make cheques payable to “RCVS Knowledge”.
Gift Aid
Charities are allowed to claim back tax on donations, at no extra cost to the donor. If you are a UK taxpayer, RCVS Knowledge can claim back Gift Aid — this means that we can boost your donation by an extra 25p for every £1 you give. Find out more about Gift Aid: www.gov.uk/donating-to-charity/gift-aid
To make your gift go further, make sure you read the ‘Gift Aid’ declaration and then simply tick the box to confirm your understanding when giving online or on your donation form. Don’t forget to make sure that you have supplied us with a residential address.
We can reclaim tax on any donations made over the last four years, so if you have made donations to RCVS Knowledge in the past but have not yet completed a Gift Aid declaration, please contact [email protected].
In memoriam
There are several ways you can donate money in memory of your loved one. As well as single or regular donations, for a gift of £100 or more, you can adopt one of the books in our Historical Collection. We will have a specially inscribed bookplate placed in your adopted book. Bookplates carry an individual donor’s name and can be dedicated as required.
Your adopted book will be retained for as long as the RCVS Knowledge exists. For further information, please read our ‘How to adopt a book’ page.
Donate items of veterinary interest
The RCVS Knowledge Library may be able to advise enquirers on the disposal of unwanted items of veterinary interest. Items may be useful to veterinary faculties and bodies in developing countries. Please contact us at [email protected] or 020 7202 0710.
We also welcome donations of archive material relating to veterinary science and practice; please contact us at [email protected].