Leave a bequest

A bequest is the act of giving or leaving something through your Will.

You can leave a bequest to an organisation that you are passionate about and may have supported for a number of years.

Bequests are recorded in your Will, and your solicitor, the Public Trust, or a trustee company will draw up formatted documents for you to sign.

Once you have decided to leave a legacy, it is very important that you discuss your wishes with your family or loved ones to ensure they understand and support your decision.

You can decide to bequest:

• a specific gift - that is, a specified amount of money
• a percentage of your estate
• the residue of your estate

Bequests are recorded in your will, and your solicitor, the Public Trust, or a trustee company will draw up formatted documents for you to sign.

Before meeting with your lawyer, you might want to:

• estimate the value of your estate
• consider who you would like to be your executor - this person will carry out the provisions in your will

Everywill make it easy for you to write your Will online — for free.

In just a few simple steps, you can:

• create a legally valid Will – which you can take to your solicitor or trustee company
• update an existing Will
• choose to include a gift to support healthier lungs and hearts

Start your free Will today with Everywill.

There’s no obligation to include a gift to us— it’s completely your choice.

If you decide to make a bequest, it is important to discuss your wishes with your family or loved ones to ensure they understand and support your decision.

A gift in your Will:

• funds life-changing research into respiratory and cardiac health, which enables us to provide support and education where it is most needed
• delivers education to medical professionals, schools, whānau, and communities
• advocates for better prevention, screening programmes, treatment, and long-term care
• supports the 1 in 5 New Zealanders living with respiratory illness
• works towards greater cardiac health care: 1 in 5 people die from heart disease every year

No matter the size, your bequest will help create a future where fewer lives are cut short by preventable illness.

If you would like to leave a bequest for the Cardiac and Respiratory Foundation NZ, you can show this suggested wording to the person helping your with your will:

“I give and bequeath to the Cardiac and Respiratory Foundation NZ (charity number CC53035) a percentage of my estate, or the residue of my estate for general purposes for which the receipt of the Chief Executive, shall be sufficient and full discharge to my trustee/s.”

If you already have a will you can amend it by asking your lawyer to draw up a codicil. A codicil is an addition or supplement that explains, modifies, or revokes a will or part of one.

After you’ve met with your lawyer or Public Trust, you may wish to inform us of your decision. If you have decided to leave us a legacy in your Will, you may want to let us know so that we can thank you for your generosity. This information will be kept confidential.

We understand this is a personal decision. If you’d like to have a confidential conversation, we’d love to hear from you. Call Michaela on 0800 100 506 or email michaela@crfnz.org.nz.