Bequests

Noël Raimon, président du fonds de dotation “Chartres, sanctuaire du Monde” : “le legs, mode d’emploi”

The Chartres, sanctuaire du Monde Endowment Fund was set up by the association Chartres, sanctuaire du Monde in 2009 to “contribute to the funding of conservation, restoration and improvement programmes at Chartres Cathedral, and the creation of contemporary art works in the said cathedral.” The C.S.M. Fund is legally required to pay to the C.S.M. association all of the proceeds from life insurance payments, donations and legacies that it collects.

7 good reasons to leave a legacy to Chartres Cathedral

If you are passionate about culture and heritage conservation or better still a fervent supporter of Chartres Cathedral, here are seven good reasons to leave a legacy to the Chartres, sanctuaire du Monde Fund:

  1. You will be helping to maintain the reputation of a major work of art that is testament to the history of mankind.
  2. You can ‘target’ your donation by providing details of how your legacy is to be spent (on a stained-glass window for example).
  3. You can be safe in the knowledge that your legacy will not be subject to tax.
  4. You will be donating to a very worthwhile cause without affecting your finances during your lifetime.
  5. You will be helping to support skilled jobs in specialised trades.
  6. You will be contributing to bringing recognition and growth to specialist trade training and apprenticeships (master glass artists, stonemasons, locksmiths, etc.)
  7. You are free to change your mind about your initial decision at any time or even withdraw your bequest if you wish to.

More about leaving a legacy:

Any adult person can draft a will by private or notarial deed stating that they wish to leave a bequest to an endowment fund, and they can also add to an existing will inserting a clause to that effect. In the absence of a forced heir (an heir who cannot be totally disinherited), there are no constraints or limits to leaving a legacy. If a forced heir exists, it is still possible to leave a generous donation (within certain limits), most often in the form of a pecuniary bequest of a sum of money.

Examples of bequests, subject to the existence or otherwise of ‘forced’ heirs (this essentially means a spouse or descendants):

– a residuary bequest: “my entire remaining estate”
– a residuary bequest (proportion) or specific bequest: “one quarter of my estate”, or “the property located at…”
– a pecuniary bequest: “the sum of…”

Contact:

Noël Raimon, president of the Chartres, sanctuaire du Monde Endowment Fund, tel. +33 (0)6 09 39 03 98

a6936ceb05bf106a0167a54982960f5d::::::::::