Bequeathing a legacy

Include a Charity is a social change campaign founded by Fundraising Institute Australia with the goal of encouraging more people to support the causes they have been most passionate about in their lifetime by bequeathing them with a charitable gift in their will. Inspired by the success of the UK’s ‘Remember a Charity’ consortium, Include a Charity (IAC) began in 2011 when several large Australian charities recognised the potential of this initiative and committed to bringing it to our shores. These founders broke new ground in Australian philanthropy by bringing their vision to grow gifts in wills fundraising to life.

IAC has now expanded to unite 120 charities under the mission of ‘planting a seed today, to change the world tomorrow’; with Helen Beeby, IAC’s Campaign Director, at the helm. Now in its 16th year, Include a Charity represents a diverse range of causes from medical research, education and environmental issues to animal welfare, health, Indigenous advancement, the arts, and more. ‘There have been several Campaign Directors over the years, each bringing different skillsets and ideas to the table - but the focus on community and shared learning has uplifted its members, and more charities see the wisdom of being part of this vision,’ said Helen. “A rising tide raises all ships,” as they say.’

New data shows that charitable giving is on the rise in Australia, contributing $1.6 billion towards annual fundraising efforts across the country. ‘IAC’s campaign highlights the role that gifts in wills play in building stronger communities and delivering long-term philanthropic investment.’ A recent study conducted in collaboration with More Strategic has revealed a generational shift in the demographics of those most likely to give, with young Australians now outstripping older generations. 37% of Gen Z individuals (aged 18–24) and 35% of Millennials (aged 30–34) have considered leaving a gift in their will compared to only 25% of Baby Boomers and 33% of Gen X. ‘By encouraging more Aussies to consider leaving a gift in their will, the IAC initiative aims to increase funding to the charitable sector to boost the positive impact that charitable organisations have on society,’ said Helen.

A foray into fundraising becomes a mission

Born in Manchester, UK, Helen could not have envisaged when she embarked upon a career in journalism and multimedia consultancy that those years would become stepping stones leading her in the direction of leading a charity. In 2008, Helen with her husband and their three sons moved to Florida, USA where her husband flew there as a professional helicopter pilot, before the family landed in Melbourne in 2010 and Helen began her foray into charitable fundraising. ‘I joined a group on a visit to a project in North India in 2012, and when I returned, I contacted its leaders to ask how I could continue to help. This led to 12 years of fundraising to keep the Woman & Child Community Health Clinics (Jagriti Bhalai Kendra Society) operating in remote villagesin the Punjab.’

‘They said the project would close without support, so I rolled up my sleeves andorganised scores of community fundraising events, as well as applying for grants and appealing for donations in Australia and overseas.’ As a result, Helen developed a connection with a fundraisingmanager at a Melbourne-based charity who, impressed by her dedication and success, recognised her strengths in this area and offered her work as a professional fundraiser.

‘For the next 10 years, I worked in international development, community services,the arts and health charities developing fundraising skills in major gifts, appeals and community fundraising before specialising in gifts in wills,’ said Helen. ‘When I saw the role of Campaign Director at Include a Charity advertised, I knew I wanted to share what I had learned to support many charities by helping help them grow their gifts in wills programs. I have grown to love the ocial-change component of this role, which enables me to bring my journalism, media and PR experience to encourage people to leave a charitable gift in their will.’

The growth of giving

As more people become aware of the option of leaving a gift in their will – either through the IAC campaign or the individual bequest programs led by charities – there has been an increasing normalisation of this area of philanthropy by the public as well as by donors. This is why more than$1.6 billion is generated for charitable causes in Australia every year. With the intergenerational transfer of $3.5-5 trillion in the next 20 years, this annual figure isforecast to triple by 2050. ‘Our campaign is driving awareness and growth for bequest-giving more broadly. Although there is room for improvement, given we are still lower in percentage terms than the UK and USA, we will keep up the messaging and continue striving for growth.’

‘Since online wills entered the market and with charities sharing the gifts in will option to their supporters at every age and stage, more and more Gen X and Gen Zsare writing wills and deciding to include a charitable gift,’ Helen observed. ‘They haven’t much disposable income to give right now but want to commit to a more impactful gift later. If it’s a percentage of their estate, this is often the largest gift people will ever make - more than all their lifetime giving put together. How powerful and rewarding is that!’

‘We are increasingly witnessing challenging world news,’ said Helen, ‘and the next generations are understandably concerned about their future and that of their families. If we can all invest something for the future then we are doing our bit to support the good work that is happening across Australia and further afield, providing some security and a safety net for our troubled world.’

Composed of over 100 organisations, IAC’s members hail from the fields of health, education, international development, community services, animal welfare, the environment, Indigenous support, the arts and more. ‘They all do such tremendous work, on lower budgets than their corporate counterparts - making a small amount stretch a long way. We have some very large and very small charities, all with unique qualities,’ said Helen, ‘and I appreciate them all.’

As a year-round campaign, IAC’s core mission will always be to encourage more people to leave a charitable gift in their will. ‘Every September we run Include a CharityWeek as an annual focus to remind people who may have supported a charity throughout their life that this is their chance to be the hero of their own life story.’  

Generating awareness of gifts in wills

Moving forwards, IAC aims to expand their reach by encouraging solicitors and will-writers to mention the option of leaving a charitable bequest in their client consultations, considerably increasing the likelihood of donations. They will also increase their advocacy to government and policymakers to smooth pathways for legacy fundraisers, lobbying the judiciary for probate reform to realise more gifts from deceased estates. Lastly, IAC also aim to conduct research on the sector’s behalf for members to improve and streamline their programs.

Another facet of IAC’s work has involved challenging misunderstandings about gifts in wills. ‘There are many myths around writing a will in the first place,’ Helen observed. ‘We wrote Busting the 10 Biggest Will-Writing Myths for this reason.’ Helen advised it is easier than people might imagine to add a charity to their will, with donations going to where they are most needed. ‘Be careful to specify the correct ABN on the will to ensure it goes to the correct charity,’ she cautioned, ‘and make time to share your wishes with your family. A will is a final love letter to family and friends, who might feel hurt if they were unaware you were supporting a charity financially. Tell your loved ones of your decision to leave a gift in your will, or better still, invite them along to an event for that charity to help them understand your decision and why it has been so meaningful to you to support them.’

Small gift, powerful impact

Helen has had the privilege of being witness to the impact a gift in will can have on the receiving charities. ‘Recently a woman left a substantial gift to Angel Flight, who were able to purchase a new plane used for rural Medi-Flights, which are designed to transport health professionals to rural and remote locations,’ she said. ‘Another woman left a smaller gift to a large cancer hospital which they used to make a possum-skinned cloak for Indigenous cancer patients - an ancient custom used to aid in healing that symbolises connection to the land.’ 

Regardless of scale, each gift in will leaves a legacy. ‘There have been substantial gifts, such as providing an entire building for a wildlife shelter on the Darling Range in WA, and another that funded many purchases for the national performing arts collection, including some of Olivia Newton John’s stage dresses. Big or small, you can be rest assured that each gift leaves a sizeable impact.’

Australians can find out more about leaving a charitable gift in their will here at Include a Charity.