Legacy giving
Leave a lasting legacy for LSE in your Will and help shape the world for generations to come.
Over 130 years ago, a legacy gift played an important part in LSE’s beginnings. Today, gifts in Wills continue to support students and ideas that improve society.
"LSE has a long connection with legacy giving, reaching back to the School’s earliest history. That connection between philanthropy and the future remains important today, and sits naturally alongside our motto, ‘to know the causes of things’. If you are considering a legacy gift to LSE, or have already included LSE in your Will, please do get in contact. I would be very happy to talk things through."
Viet-Anh Hua, Legacies Manager
To contact Viet-Anh, email her at legacy@lse.ac.uk or telephone using +44 (0)20 7852 3654
How leaving a gift in your Will can support LSE
Leaving a gift in your Will is a personal decision with a lasting impact. It is one of the most meaningful ways to support the values you care about. Many supporters see it as a way to reflect what mattered to them in life: education, opportunity, and the power of ideas to shape a fairer world.
Your gift could help future LSE students become the leaders, innovators, thinkers and catalysts who will tackle society’s biggest challenges.
We are so fortunate that many former LSE alumni, staff and friends have left LSE gifts in their Wills. Alumnus Mike Power (BSc Economics 1970) and Tony Pinney, brother of the late LSE staff member Jennifer Pinney, share why their families chose to leave a gift and what it means to see the impact on students today.
What your legacy could support
Your legacy can be as personal or as flexible as you choose. You may wish to support the School’s general purposes, or direct your gift to a specific area.
If you are considering a restricted gift, we would be very happy to speak with you to ensure your wishes can be met in a practical and lasting way.
Thank you for investing in the power of education and for sharing in our vision to expand the frontiers of human knowledge to make a positive difference in the world.
Legacy gifts transform lives for generations
More than 250 donors have left LSE a legacy in their Will. We have highlighted just a handful of the many generous gifts which have transformed the lives of so many of our students.
The Jennifer Pinney Masters Scholarship
The Jennifer Pinney Masters Scholarship was established following the legacy gift of Jennifer, a former member of staff, and celebrates her long service to LSE and the education sector.“Upon receiving Jennifer’s scholarship, I felt as if I had been given a really significant chance in life that I must grab with both hands! I will remain eternally grateful for the opportunity given to me.”
Joe Le Lievre (BSc Politics And International Relations 2021 and MA Modern History 2023), Jennifer Pinney Masters Scholarship recipient
The Robert and Dilys Rawson Scholarship
The Robert and Dilys Rawson Scholarship was established in 2010 thanks to the generous bequest left by former LSE lecturer Robert Rawson who joined LSE in 1945, and his wife Dilys, an academic at Queen Elizabeth College. It supports postgraduate students in LSE’s Department of Geography and Environment.“Without this scholarship, I would not be sitting here studying at this prestigious institution. So, when people do leave legacy gifts, I think it has a big impact on people like me who come from a not so privileged environment.”
Ahnaf Ahmed (MSc in Urbanisation and Development), Robert and Dilys Rawson Scholarship recipient
The Peter Bence Scholarship, established in 2005, provides a mature student with a scholarship to cover the tuition fees of an undergraduate degree in any discipline, in perpetuity. Peter came to LSE in 1962 to read Economics as a mature student, having served in the Second World War in the Royal Navy. He described his time at LSE as a “gift”.
"Supporting future students isn't just giving to education. It's investing in equity, potential and the future. My story demonstrates that the impact of a legacy is long lasting."
Sian Pierce (BSc Maths and Economics 2016), Peter Bence Scholarship recipient
Stewardship and recognition
From our original legacy gift in 1895 philanthropy has been central to LSE’s story. Every gift since then has helps LSE fulfil its vision to shape the world by understanding the causes of things for the betterment of society. We are honoured to mark and remember each and every gift that LSE receives.
Legacy Circle
Everyone who lets us know that they have included LSE in their Will is warmly welcomed into the Legacy Circle. It is our way of saying thank you and keeping you connected to the School and informed about the impact your future gift will make.
Members of the Legacy Circle are invited to an annual Legacy Lunch, as well as other exclusive supporter events, with opportunities to hear more about LSE’s work and the difference legacy giving makes.
Legacy Terrace Garden
On the roof terrace of LSE’s Centre Building, the Legacy Terrace Garden celebrates those who have built on LSE’s founding legacy. Its centrepiece, Chorus of Ripples, was commissioned by the Birney Family in memory of Dr Mayling Birney, a professor in the Department of International Development who passed away in 2017. The three-metre shard bears the names of legacy and in memoriam benefactors whose gifts of £25,000 or more have been realised since August 2020.
LSE Book of Remembrance
We also maintain a permanent Book of Remembrance in the Shaw Library on campus, which records and recognises all realised bequests.
Reassurance and practical guidance
If you are thinking about including LSE in your Will, these following steps can help:
- Decide whether you would like your gift to support LSE’s general purposes or a specific area.
- Speak with our Legacies Manager, Viet-Anh Hua, who will be happy to have a confidential conversation with you and help you explore options that reflect your wishes.
- Speak with your solicitor or Will writer.
- Let us know your intentions so we can thank you properly, welcome you to the Legacy Circle, and ensure your gift can have the greatest possible impact.
Legal and technical information details for your adviser
LSE is recognised as an exempt charity by HM Revenue & Customs (reference X2401) and pays no tax on gifts it receives.
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