You have a passion for Egypt's heritage. Turn that passion into a lasting legacy.

"I have left the EES a legacy in my Will because I want its work to continue. Exploration, preservation, interpretation, publication, education and engagement are all vital parts of that work."
Dr Margaret Mountford, Papyrologist, EES legator.

Some of our greatest achievements were made possible thanks to legacies left by supporters. In leaving a gift in your Will you would become part of this great philanthropic tradition.

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Leaving a gift for the EES in your will

There are three main types of gift you may decide to leave in your Will. 

The best way to help us is to simply leave a percentage of the residue of your estate as a residuary gift. This is a way of passing on what’s left from your Estate once all other commitments (such as family and loved ones) are met. You can leave the total remainder to one beneficiary such as the EES or you could opt to state the share that each beneficiary will receive. Alternatively, you might choose to leave the Society, a pecuniary gift (a stated sum of money), or a specific gift (a particular asset or assets from your estate). You may also consider making the EES a beneficiary of a life assurance policy payable upon your death.

However you choose to support the EES in your Will, gifts of any amount have the potential to make an enormous impact for Egypt's cultural heritage. 

Sample wording

Gifts of any type or size will make a difference to the Egypt Exploration Society. When adding the EES to your Will, we suggest the following wording to ensure that your gift is valid:

• a residuary gift (share of your estate): "I give ... % (xxx percent) of my residuary Estate to the Egypt Exploration Society, UK (registered Charity number 212384) for its charitable purposes."
• a pecuniary gift (cash sum): "I give £...... (xxx pounds) to the Egypt Exploration Society, UK (registered Charity number 212384) for its charitable purposes."

Although it can be simple to make a new Will, or amend an existing Will, we recommend that you take legal advice and speak to your solicitors.

UK Inheritance tax: Generally inheritance tax is paid if a person's Estate is worth more than £325,000 when they die. This is called the ‘Inheritance Tax Threshold’. However, most gifts to charity in Wills aren't subject to Inheritance Tax. If you believe your estate is liable to Inheritance Tax, we recommend you speak to your legal advisor.

Inheritance tax

Generally inheritance tax is paid if a person's Estate is worth more than £325,000 when they die. This is called the ‘Inheritance Tax Threshold’. However, most gifts to charity in Wills aren't subject to Inheritance Tax. If you believe your estate is liable to Inheritance Tax, we recommend you speak to your legal advisor.

If you are a US taxpayer, please contact the London Office for information on tax-efficient bequests or read about tax efficient giving here.

Your gift matters

Some of our greatest achievements were made possible thanks to legacies left to us by our supporters. If you leave us a gift in your Will then you too will become part of this great philanthropic tradition.

In 2006 Michael Murphy bequeathed £23,000 to support archaeological work at Memphis. The results have transformed our understanding of Egypt's early capital city.

In 2006, the parents of Lucy Gura gave £40,000 in her memory. Their gift was recognised by the digitisation of thousands of photographs in the Society's collections and the creation of the Lucy Gura Archive. Today, thousands of these images are now available to view freely online providing valuable resources to researchers around the world.

In 2018 the Society received a gift of £90,000 from the estate of Edwina June Sewell-Baverstock. This money has allowed us to employ a Collections Manager long-term, making our collections more accessible than ever before.

Little or large, bequests to the Society make a lasting difference, and your generosity as a donor will be publicly acknowledged and remembered.

If you would like to donate in memory of somebody then please contact us to discuss it further. 

Your legacy for the future of Egyptian cultural heritage

Any gift you choose to leave the EES will be greatly appreciated and put to good use. We recognise that your future plans are a private matter and you may not wish to tell the Society about them. If, however, you would like to inform us of your legacy gift, or that you are thinking about making one and would like to discuss it, please write to us at the London office or email [email protected].