LEAVE A GIFT IN YOUR WILL

How to leave a Gift

You can specify any amount or percentage of your estate that you feel comfortable gifting to the Cathy Freeman Foundation as a bequest, after having provided for your family and loved ones.  A bequest doesn’t impact your wealth during your lifetime and only takes effect when administering your estate. Every gift, large or small, will make a difference to the impact of our work.

We have outlined below some of the ways you can leave a gift, however we recommend that you seek independent professional legal advice when finalising the wording in your Will. We also suggest talking through your intentions with your family and loved ones.

To speak with us, please contact 03 9686 4813 or email admin@cathyfreemanfoundation.org.au

Residual gift

A residual gift allows you to provide for your family and friends first before leaving the remainder of your estate to the Cathy Freeman Foundation. A residual gift is one of the most common ways to leave a charitable gift in your Will. The value of a residual gift is determined after loved ones have been provided for and all expenses and claims have been paid. As your estate increases in value, so does your gift to the Cathy Freeman Foundation. Inflation should not then diminish the value of a residual gift.

Leaving your whole estate as a charitable gift is also often chosen by those who don’t have immediate family to take care of, or who are particularly dedicated to a cause. After thinking deeply about whether there are friends or family members who could benefit from your Will, choosing the Cathy Freeman Foundation as the sole benefactor is a generous gift that allows us to achieve very significant things in the lives of Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander children.

Suggested wording for leaving a residual bequest:

“I give the whole of the residue of my estate to the Cathy Freeman Foundation (ABN 59 623 241 565) of 86-88 Jolimont Street, East Melbourne VIC 3002 for its general purposes. An authorised receipt from the Cathy Freeman Foundation will be a sufficient discharge for my executor(s) without seeing to the final distribution of the funds.”

You can divide your estate amongst a number of people and/or organisations. Your gift to the Cathy Freeman Foundation can be a percentage or proportion of the whole of your estate, or of what is left over (the residue) after individual gifts have been made. 

Leaving a percentage of your estate (also known as a fractional amount) as a gift allows you to specify any amount between 1% to 100% that you would like the Cathy Freeman Foundation to receive. By choosing to give a percentage of your estate, your gift should retain its value over time.

Suggested wording for percentage of residuary estate:

“I give (X% of my residuary estate) to the Cathy Freeman Foundation (ABN 59 623 241 565) of 86-88 Jolimont Street, East Melbourne VIC 3002 for its general purposes. An authorised receipt from the Cathy Freeman Foundation will be a sufficient discharge for my executor(s) without seeing to the final distribution of the funds.”

Suggested wording for percentage of your whole estate (before other gifts and liabilities are paid)

“I give (X% of the whole of my estate) to the Cathy Freeman Foundation (ABN 59 623 241 565) of 86-88 Jolimont Street, East Melbourne VIC 3002 for its general purposes. An authorised receipt from the Cathy Freeman Foundation will be a sufficient discharge for my executor(s) without seeing to the final distribution of the funds.”

The type of gifts you can leave in your Will depends on your circumstances and the legacy you’d like to leave behind. Whatever type you choose, be assured that it’s a wonderful way to give to charity and will make a significant difference to the world.

If you’re unsure what to choose, we recommend discussing it with your family or a legal professional or with our bequests team. If you’d like to discuss your gift or would like further information please call us on 03 9686 4813 or email admin@cathyfreemanfoundation.org.au