Suggested Wording for your Will

A Bequest or a Gift in Will is a legacy that you leave to a cause or causes close to your heart. This could be a percentage of your estate, a fixed sum of money, property, or shares. Making this commitment will ensure that your beliefs and values live on.

A gift in your Will is a really special way to continue your support. By leaving a gift to The Fred Hollows Foundation in your Will, you will train the next generation of eye surgeons and help transform the lives of many millions of people living with avoidable blindness. Your gift means you’ll always be part of something exceptional and it’s something that you and your family can be proud of together.

For every $1 donated, 75 cents goes directly towards eye health programs. We use 6 cents in the dollar for administrative costs and 19 cents goes towards fundraising efforts, allowing us to help even more people.

Importantly, restoring sight also has economic benefits. A Price WaterhouseCoopers (PwC) study, Investing in Vision, showed that for every $1 spent on eye health care in developing countries, $4 of economic gain can be made.

All gifts, no matter their size, make a big difference. For full information on how to leave a gift, download our free brochure here or contact our friendly Gifts in Wills team on 1800 526 413 or at [email protected].

The Fred Hollows Foundation has three key areas – general projects, international projects and Indigenous Australia. Including a general gift is most valuable, as we can direct your gift towards the people and communities who need your help the most. We know that some people may have a strong connection to a particular region. If you have a specific request, please contact our friendly Gifts in Wills team on 1800 526 413 or at [email protected] to discuss. 

We recommend that you work with a solicitor or public trustee to write your Will. If you have a simple Will, you can use an online service, such as Safewill or Gathered Here. 

We would love to know if you have included us in your Will! While you’re under no obligation to let us know of your intentions, it gives us the opportunity to thank you for your incredible generosity and allows us to share our long-term plans with you. Any information that you do decide to share is completely confidential.

Sharing your decision with your loved ones lets them know why causes like restoring sight to end avoidable blindness for those in need is important to you. It’s something that you and your family can be proud of together.

If you already have a Will, you don’t necessarily need to start from the beginning to include a gift to The Fred Hollows Foundation. Instead, you could add a codicil to your will which is an additional document which refers to a clause in your will that you wish to change and the change that you wish to make.  It is important that you do not make alterations on your existing will, as it may make the will invalid.  You can find suggested wording for your codicil document here and you will need to have your codicil witnessed by two people when you sign and date it. If your change is complex, you may need to create a new Will. If in doubt it is best to contact a solicitor to assist you with your changes.

There are many kinds of gifts that you can leave, including: 

1. A percentage of your estate
2. A specific sum of money 
3. Property 
4. Shares 

Leaving a pecentage of your Estate has the most impact as it keeps up with inflation and maintain their value over time. 

1. It is simple – 1%, 5%, 10% - it does not change, even if the estate value does
2. Allows you to take care of your loved ones first

You can find out more about the types of gifts in Wills here.

We’ve put together some wording for you here. You can also download our free information pack here. 

Changes happen in life so a good practice is to keep your Will safe and review it every two to three years or earlier should your personal or financial circumstances change. E.g. you enter into a de facto relationship, marry, separate, divorce, buy real estate or receive an inheritance.

We promise to always:

• Keep your information confidential and in accordance with our privacy policy
• Honour your wishes
• Ensure your gift is used in the most effective way
• Respect that a decision as important as this needs time – how and when you choose to write it is personal to you
• Understand that you might change your mind. Circumstances can change and you always have the freedom to reconsider your decision at any time
• Honour your privacy. We would like to acknowledge your generosity, but we will only give you the recognition that you are comfortable with
• Continue to communicate and update you with the latest information on our programs and achievements

You can find out more here or you can contact our friendly Gifts in Wills team for assistance on 1800 526 413 or at [email protected].  

Please note that The Fred Hollows Foundation is exempt from Income Tax and is a Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) as provided for in Division 30 of the Section 30-45 Income Tax Assessment Act 1997.  

If shares are included as estate assets, The Fred Hollows Foundation prefers those assets to be transferred in specie. 

We would love to help – for a confidential chat please contact our friendly Gifts in Wills team on 1800 526 413 or email [email protected]. You can also download our free information pack here.