Leaving a bequest to Kidney Health Australia will contribute to our valuable work, and to the kidney community of Australia. By leaving a gift in your Will, you help to ensure life-changing services are available for Australians affected by kidney disease when they need them the most. This includes our mobile dialysis Big Red Kidney Bus, our Kidney Transplant Houses, and our Kidney Health 4 Youth Program. Your generosity also funds ground-breaking research into new treatments for kidney disease.
Chronic Kidney Disease: the facts
Australians are unaware they live with kidney disease
of kidney function can be lost without any symptoms
cost of chronic kidney disease to the Australian economy every year
Types of gifts
Residual
This is what’s left in your estate after you’ve allocated amounts of money and specific items to your loved ones.
Specific
A predetermined sum of money, a property, shares, or any other items of value that you nominate.
Percentage
Involves leaving a percentage of the total amount of your entire estate, without having to identify specific items of value.
Trust
Naming Kidney Health Australia as a beneficiary, so that we will receive ongoing support from your Will.
How to word your will
To include a gift to Kidney Health Australia in your Will, we recommended you use the Will Wording below. That way, your gift to Kidney Health Australia will be directed exactly as you had intended.
I give to The Australian Kidney Foundation (Trading as Kidney Health Australia) ABN 37 008 464 426 (here state the money or assets to be gifted or the residual estate) for its charitable purposes but if this gift cannot take effect, to the charitable organisation in Australia which my Executors consider most nearly fulfils the objects I intend to benefit.
The receipt of the Chief Executive Officer or the President for the time being of the beneficiary named in or selected by my Executors under the preceding sub-clause shall be an absolute discharge to my executors.
Write your Will with Safewill
Safewill is Australia’s leading online will-writing platform, allowing Australians to complete their bespoke Will in less than 20 minutes online. For a limited time, Safewill is providing our supporters with a 50% discount off the price of writing your Will – now just $80 including a review by a Solicitor.
After you’ve taken care of your loved ones, you may also wish to leave a gift to Kidney Health Australia. A gift of as little as 1% of your estate can make a lasting impact on kidney disease research and new treatment options.
With Safewill, you can look after the people and causes closest to your heart, with just a few clicks here.
Download Bequests Brochure
Frequently Asked Questions
A gift in Will – also known as a bequest – is the donation you make when you include a charity in your Will. Contrary to popular belief, you do not need to be wealthy to leave a gift in your will. Every gift in Will, no matter how big or small, has a powerful impact and brings us one step closer to an Australia free of kidney disease.
Even if you don’t own much it is a good idea to make a Will. Writing a Will does not need to be a difficult task. It will make it easier for friends and family to make legal and financial arrangements. Without a Will, these arrangements can be complicated and expensive.
An up-to-date Will is the only way to make sure that, after you pass away, your wishes are carried out. Talk to your solicitor and loved ones about writing a Will that reflects your wishes, including any charities you wish to support. This will remove your risk of dying intestate (without a Will), which could result in your loves ones and the causes you care about being left out entirely.
If you already have a Will, by regularly reviewing it, you can make sure it stays valid and up to date, so your wishes can be met. Below is a list of times when you could consider reviewing your Will:
Changes in your family circumstances
Change in the executor or other beneficiaries
Change in your financial circumstances
Change in your assets
Support of a charity
Access to your Will
Talk to your legal advisor if it’s been a while since you last reviewed your Will
In Australia, you can make a legally binding Will any time after you turn 18.
It’s important to draw up a list of assets you want to consider including in your Will.
You can leave specific assets as gifts, or a percentage of your estate, or a residual bequest, which is whatever’s left over after your other wishes have been fulfilled. You can leave gifts for family, friends or an organisation or charity.
If you already have a Will, the easiest way to include a gift to Kidney Health Australia is to add a Codicil – a short legal amendment – to your Will. This can be organised with a phone call or email to your solicitor, followed by a visit to their office to finalise the amendment and sign the Codicil.
Whenever there is a significant change in your life, you should think about updating or revising your Will to reflect those changes. For example, you could plan to update your Will if you lose a spouse or partner, get married, divorced or re-married, have children or grandchildren, retire, move house or come into any money or inheritance.
Including a Bequest that supports Kidney Health Australia’s work provides us with the greatest flexibility to respond to critical priorities and meet the needs of the kidney community in the future. Alternatively, you may wish to direct your gift to a specific program or service. If so, you will need to make specific reference to this area of work in your Will. We will ensure that your wishes are fulfilled. However, should one of those services no longer be operating, we will use the gift in the area of greatest need at the time.
Your Will is an important legal document and a solicitor or Trustee Company can help you ensure that your paperwork is in order, worded correctly, using our suggested Will wording and presented in the right way, to ensure that the gift is directed as per your wishes.
Free Will Writing Service:
KHQ Lawyers in Victoria have kindly offered a free Will writing service to supporters who are considering leaving a gift in their Will to Kidney Health Australia. Get in touch with KHQ Lawyers directly to find out more.
This is a personal decision for you to make, but we recommend letting your family know that you are planning to leave a Bequest to Kidney Health Australia. This ensures that your family support your decision and your final wishes are carried out in the way that you intended.
If you’re considering leaving a gift in your Will to Kidney Health Australia, please let us know. We appreciate knowing of your kind intentions so we can thank you appropriately for your generosity, share our work with you, and invite you to special events.
Meet our donors
Kaitlyn
Kaitlyn began dialysis in 2008, aged 38 and continued home dialysis for nearly 15 years. During that time, she had her first kidney transplant, however it was short-lived. During Kaitlyn’s kidney journey, she used the Big Red Kidney Bus many times in some of Victoria’s well-known holiday spots including Anglesea, Lakes Entrance and Yarra Wonga. It also gave her the opportunity to visit places she had not previously explored.
Kaitlyn has generously decided to leave a gift in her Will to Kidney Health Australia, as she recognises the impact that vital services like the Big Red Kidney Bus can have on people living with kidney disease. “I still feel I have so many reasons to be grateful, my gift in Will ensures that so many of Kidney Health Australia’s life-saving services are available for people like me.” Read her full story here.
Teresa and Dom
Teresa and Dom have both made the decision to leave a gift in their Will to Kidney Health Australia, to give back for the gift that was given to them.
“Kidney Health Australia do an amazing job, they are always ready to help people to learn to live with kidney disease, and I want to ensure that support continues for people when they are diagnosed with kidney disease, and when they are facing a transplant.”
Speaking with other kidney patients helped Sally navigate the unknown. "Not a day goes by when I think how grateful I am to those who have supported me, and this is why I have chosen to leave a gift in my Will to Kidney Health Australia." – Sally.
Rona’s son David was diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease (PKD) when he was 22 years old. After experiencing an unrelated complaint in his teens, his GP ordered a routine blood test, followed by a kidney health check, which revealed that his kidneys were not functioning normally. David would go onto be diagnosed with PKD.
Rona saw how useful the support her son received from Kidney Health Australia was, that she has made the significant decision to leave a gift in her Will to Kidney Health Australia. Read their full story here.
Cliff
Cliff's mother was diagnosed with Polycystic Kidney Disease, so when he was in his 20's, he and his siblings underwent testing too. Cliff had inherited the disease, but his diagnosis did not worry him – he was fit, healthy and young – bulletproof. His blood pressure was regulated with medication, but in his early 50’s, Cliff’s kidney function deteriorated to the extent that his doctor advised him that dialysis would be required. Cliff spent two years on dialysis until he was able to find a perfect transplant match – his close work colleague, Lisa. In October 2021, the transplant surgery went ahead and was a success. He even decided to get a personalised numberplate to celebrate – NU KDNY.
During Cliff’s kidney journey, he reached out to Kidney Health Australia, and found the resources he needed and the much-needed connection with the kidney community- as Cliff says, “Kidney Health Australia were a saving grace”. Cliff has generously decided to leave a bequest to Kidney Health Australia, to give back for the support he has received. “Please support Kidney Health Australia, as they will support you”, says Cliff. Read his full story here.
Circle of Kidney Kindness
As a confirmed bequestor, you will be invited to join our Circle of Kidney Kindness, which brings together a special group of supporters who are offering hope to the next generation. Members of the Circle of Kidney Kindness have all decided to leave a gift in their Will to Kidney Health Australia.
The Circle is inspired by the life of Dr Tim Mathew, who served as our Medical Director for 12 years. In the course of a five-decade long career, he worked tirelessly to improve the lives of people with kidney disease. A kind and gentle man, he led by example, inviting everyone to join him and ‘make good things happen today’.
Dr Mathew shows the impact that just one person can have on others, and so could you through the kind act of remembering our work in your Will.
As a member of the Circle of Kidney Kindness, you will be invited to events that connect you with other members of the kidney community. We’ll share unique insights into our work and keep you up to date with specially prepared information on your impact to the kidney community.
We appreciate you considering leaving a Bequest to Kidney Health Australia. If you have any questions about remembering Kidney Health Australia in your Will, please get in touch.