Bequests

A gift in Will – also known as a bequest – is the gift 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 loved 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.

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.