When Stephanie picked up her beloved new kitten from an animal rescue charity, it became one of her happiest memories.

Fast forward several years when she was writing her will, and this particular charity was top of mind for Stephanie. She was thinking about ways she could give back in her will, by including a charitable gift.

“This animal rescue charity does such amazing work and helps rehome hundreds of animals every year,” Stephanie explains.

“I wanted to be able to give back to them after I’m gone, as a way to say thank you for my special pet and to enable them to keep doing their important work in the community.”

Stephanie encourages others to leave a gift in their will to a charity that’s important to them.

“My gift isn’t large, but every dollar can help make a difference”.

Your will can be a powerful tool like Stephanie’s.

This Wills Week (15 to 21 July), Public Trust is partnering with Philanthropy NZ and is encouraging Bay of Plenty residents to create – or update – their will, and letting people know about the option to include charitable gifts, or bequests, in their will.

A will is a legal document that outlines your wishes for what you’d like to happen to your assets when you die.  

Your will can not only help whānau and friends, but also a charity or cause you care about.

This might be something like a sports club or community group you’ve been involved in for years, or a medical related charity that has supported you or your family during a health diagnosis.

A lot of people think you need to leave a large amount of money to make a gift in your will. In fact, any amount will make a difference to a cause close to your heart.

Public Trust Principal Trustee Margaret Burt, based in the Tauranga Customer Centre, says making a bequest is a way Bay of Plenty residents can create a lasting legacy.

“Your will is not only important for planning for the future. Leaving a gift in your will can be a wonderful and meaningful way to give back to the community causes that matter most to you.”

“A will isn’t just set and forget either. It’s good to review your will every five years to ask yourself if you need to update it or make any changes.”

Some important life events can trigger a potential required update to your will – these can include:

‒  The death of a family member or person included in your will.

‒  A relationship change – like a separation or entering a new relationship.

‒  New additions to the family like the birth of a child or grandchild.

‒  Significant changes to your assets or liabilities – like a new business or changes to property.

If a charity has touched your life, like Stephanie’s has, or the life of someone close, leaving a gift in your will, after taking care of family and friends, could be the perfect way to say thank you.

Create or update your will this Wills Week and help the things that matter go to the people that matter.