Gift in Wills
There is something very special about leaving a bequest – a gift in your will – to a cause you believe in.
Justice Richard Refshauge Former ACT Supreme Court Judge, AVI Board Chair, returned volunteer and Life Member of AVI
Your will is an expression of your values – the things you care about the most in this world. Most importantly, it is a chance to leave a legacy that lives on in the lives of others.
Deciding to leave a gift in your will to AVI is so much more than adding words to a legal document. It is a gesture that says you believe in a more peaceful, just and sustainable world for future generations.
The commitment of a bequest means we can maintain our programs and continue driving sustainable change.
“We can all play a role in AVI’s commitment to building a peaceful, just and sustainable world. Every human being has the right to be treated equally – with dignity, courtesy and compassion. I invite you to join us. Leave a gift today and let AVI make it a legacy.”
Justice Richard Refsauge
Download AVI’s Gift in Wills guideJustice Richard Refshauge Former ACT Supreme Court Judge, AVI Board Chair, returned volunteer and Life Member of AVI
Barb Praetz Reunion Class of 69
After volunteering as a primary school teacher in Singapore in 1968 and ’69 Barb, became a dedicated supporter of AVI’s work, culminating in a gift in her will, received in May 2023. Not only did Barb maintain a connection with the organisation that supported her assignment, she maintained connections with several of her former students.
Barb Praetz Reunion Class of 69
Steps to Leaving a Gift in Your Will
AVI is committed to using bequest funds for our programs and not for overhead costs.
Consider your loved ones
Consider your loved ones and the organisations or causes to which you’d like to include in your will.
Choose your gift
Choose the type of gift you would like to include in your will. Consider including a residual gift to AVI – this means you leave to AVI the remainder of, or a percentage of the remainder of your estate after you have provided for your family and friends. This type of gift won’t lose its value over time.
Create your Will
Visit a solicitor to have your will written. Refer to FAQs for information for solicitors.
Alternatively, you can write your will for free on-line with Gathered Here, one of Australia’s leading online will platforms.
Let AVI know
Please get in touch to let us know that you have included AVI in your will or are considering a gift to AVI in your will.
Geoff Dean (Australian volunteer Sustainable Farming Mentor) with Paula Mama, a farmer at Lavena, Taveuni
Types of Gifts
You can leave your entire estate, or any percentage of it, to AVI.
A residual gift is a portion of (a percentage) of your estate or the balance once your loved ones and any debts have been provided for. This is the best type of gift – a simple way that doesn’t interfere with gifts to your loved ones and that retains its value over time (unlike a specific amount which can reduce in value over time due to inflation).
You can leave a gift of any amount in your will. Any gift, no matter how large or small, helps AVI work toward a more just, peaceful and sustainable world. However, please note that a gift of a specific amount can reduce in value over time due to inflation. You may like to consider a gift of a portion of your estate or a residual gift.
You can give a specific item to AVI such as shares or property.
AVI is grateful for all the gifts it receives, no matter the size.
However, a proportional gift is preferred as it does not lose its value over time. This could be the whole of or a portion of your estate, or the whole of or portion of the residue of your estate (a residual gift).
Free Will Kit
AVI has recently partnered with Gathered Here, one of Australia’s leading online will platforms to offer supporters the chance to write their will for free.
Research shows that over 50 per cent of adult Australians do not have a legally binding will. Writing a will can save your loved ones emotional and financial stress during an already difficult time. It’s also an opportunity to create a lasting legacy that lives on in the lives of others.
Traditional estate planning can be costly and time consuming but AVI supporters who write a will via Gathered Here can do so for free, in a matter of minutes. Wills can also be updated, for free, as many times as you like. These are legally valid Wills. If your Will is complex, you may prefer to consult a solicitor.
A gift to AVI will help future generations build the connections that drive locally led, sustainable change.
Create your free will nowFrequently Asked Questions
If a solicitor is writing your will for you, you will need to share with them the following information:
Our correct legal name: Australian Volunteers International PTY LTD
Our ABN: 88 004 613 067
Our DGR (Deductible Gift Recipient) status: Yes/Active
Suggested wording:
“ I give and bequeath free of all duties and taxes …..(insert chosen gift type here)….. to AVI (ABN 88 004 613 067) for its general purposes. I direct that the receipt of the treasurer or other proper officer for the time being of AVI shall be a good and sufficient discharge to my Trustees”.
If you have included a gift in your will to AVI we would love you to let us know. That way we can thank you and find out how to best communicate with you and your family in the future. We also suggest that you speak to your loved ones about the gifts in your will so that they are aware and can support you in the causes you are choosing to support into the future.
Contact AVI’s Gifts in Wills Officer, Meg Barnes on 0468 533 016 or mbarnes@avi.org.au
Without a doubt it can. AVI is heartened to learn of any gift in a persons will, no matter its size. The more people that stand together and work with AVI toward a more sustainable, just and peaceful world, the better the world will be.
You can include a gift in your will to AVI in four simple steps:
1. Consider your loved ones and the organisations or causes to which you’d like to include in your will.
2. Choose the type of gift you would like to include in your will. Consider including a residual gift to AVI – this means you leave to AVI the remainder of, or a percentage of the remainder of your estate after you have provided for your family and friends. This type of gift won’t lose its value over time.
3. Create your will Either visit a solicitor or you can write your will for free on-line with Gathered Here, one of Australia’s leading online will platforms.
4. Let AVI know Please get in touch to let us know that you have included AVI in your will or are considering a gift to AVI in your will.
AVI is grateful for all the gifts it receives, no matter the size. However, a proportional gift is preferred as it does not lose its value over time. This could be the whole of or a portion of your estate, or the whole of or portion of the residue of your estate (a residual gift).
Whole or part of your estate
You can leave your entire estate, or any percentage of it, to AVI.
A residual gift
A residual gift is a portion of (a percentage) of your estate or the balance once your loved ones and any debts have been provided for. This is the best type of gift – a simple way that doesn’t interfere with gifts to your loved ones and that retains its value over time (unlike a specific amount which can reduce in value over time due to inflation).
A specific amount
You can leave a gift of any amount in your will. Any gift, no matter how large or small, helps AVI work toward a more just, peaceful and sustainable world. However, please note that a gift of a specific amount can reduce in value over time due to inflation. You may like to consider a gift of a portion of your estate or a residual gift.
A particular asset
You can give a specific item to AVI such as shares or property.
AVI is grateful for all the gifts it receives, no matter the size. However, a proportional gift is preferred as it does not lose its value over time. This could be the whole of or a portion of your estate, or the whole of or portion of the residue of your estate (a residual gift).
AVI asks that all gifts in Wills are made to AVI “for its general purposes”. We understand that some of our supporters will have a particular area of interest and want to know that their gift has supported work in a particular field into the future. If this sounds like you, please get in touch with our Gifts in Wills officer, Meg Barnes on 0468 533 016 or via mbarnes@avi.org.au.
AVI prioritizes bequest funds for our programs, not for overhead costs.
Suggested wording for your will:
“ I give and bequeath free of all duties and taxes …..(insert chosen gift type here)….. to AVI (ABN 88 004 613 067) for its general purposes. I direct that the receipt of the treasurer or other proper officer for the time being of AVI shall be a good and sufficient discharge to my Trustees”.
Every gift AVI receives contributes to a more peaceful and just world. No matter how big or small your gift is it contributes positively to the work AVI is doing in communities across the globe. AVI has experience managing small grants, just a few thousand dollars can make a big difference to the organisations and communities AVI works with overseas.
And no matter how big or small your gift is AVI recognises and appreciates your support as a fellow human being that believes in a better world. Thank you.
AVI asks that all gifts in wills are made to AVI “for its general purposes”. We understand that some of our supporters will have a particular area of interest and want to know that their gift has supported work in a particular field into the future. If this sounds like you, please get in touch with our Gifts in Wills Officer, Meg Barnes on 0468 533 016.
AVI is committed to using bequest funds for our programmes, not for overhead costs.
Our correct legal name: Australian Volunteers International PTY LTD
Our ABN: 88 004 613 067
Our address: 160 Johnston Street (PO Box 350), Fitzroy, Victoria 3065, Australia
AVI’s DGR status is active.
You can. However these do not automatically form part of your estate. We recommend speaking to a legal professional if you are considering leaving these as a gift.
Get in touch
Gift in Wills Officer, Meg Barnes
Our Gifts in Wills Officer, Meg Barnes, is here to help you make the right decision for you and your loved ones. Please get in touch any time on mbarnes@avi.org.au or 0468 533 016.
Every gift, no matter how large or small, will help future generations drive positive change.
Gift in Wills Officer, Meg Barnes
