Your Legacy Without Borders
The impact of your gift can be felt beyond your lifetime. By leaving a gift to Médecins Sans Frontières in your Will, you are ensuring we can continue to deliver on our commitment to provide medical assistance where and when it is needed the most. Our programs are run in some of the world’s most conflict-ridden, challenging, and inaccessible places, and without the support of people like you, this work would simply not be possible.
As an organisation, our ability to remain independent is crucial in ensuring that our medical programs truly know no borders. The funds that we receive from Gifts in Wills, make up approximately 15 per cent of our fundraising income. Your gifts play an important role in the success and longevity of our many projects across the globe.
We recognise that creating a Will is one of the most important steps you’ll ever take. That’s why we know it’s important that you take your time and have all the information you need to help you determine whether you will leave a gift in your Will. We appreciate that your family and loved ones should always come first, and believe it is important to talk with them about your intentions and why leaving a gift to Médecins Sans Frontières is important to you. If you do wish to leave a gift to Médecins Sans Frontières once your family and loved ones are taken care of, there are a few ways to do so.
Writing your Will can be a simple or a complex process based on your own individual set of circumstances. If you need specific advice on your situation, we recommend consulting a solicitor.
If you are ready to draft your Will, there are some convenient online options. We have partnered with two online Will-writing platforms, Safewill and Gathered Here. Both services provide legally valid Wills. If your Will is very complex, you might prefer to consult a solicitor. More information on both platforms is provided below. (MSF does not receive financial benefits from the promotion of either platform).
Safewill helps Australians without a Will to easily and affordably write or update a legally binding Will. With Safewill, you can make your bespoke Will online through a step-by-step process. In support of Médecins Sans Frontières Australia, Safewill offers all our supporters a discount of 20 per cent. With this discount you can prepare your Will today for just $128. To learn more, click here.
Gathered Here offers our supporters legally binding Wills and updates for life, for free. Making a Will with Gathered Here is easy and can be done in less than 10 minutes, all from the comfort of your own home. Having an up-to-date Will is one of the most important things you can do for yourself and your family. To get started, click here.
These websites are not under the control of MSF Australia and you should read/agree with their privacy policies before proceeding to share your personal information.
Get in touch
If you would like to discuss your bequest in person or have any further questions, please get in touch using the form below.
You can also contact our Gifts in Wills Coordinator, Gabi, by phone (02) 8570 2611 or email [email protected].
Leave a Gift in Your Will
Robert and Mitzi were impressed by the passion, commitment, expertise and broad reach of MSF's support, strongly admiring the selfless courage of the medical workers and the excellent results of their work.
Such was Robert and Mitzi's strong belief in MSF's work they elected to provide generous bequests in each of their Wills.
Read more about Robert and Mitzi here
Robert and Mitzi’s daughter, Karen
How to Leave a Bequest to Medecins Sans Frontieres
Step 1: Write Or Update Your Will
A gift in your Will, no matter what the amount, can make a real difference to the lives of many people in need of emergency medical care.
If you already have a Will but would like to leave a gift to Médecins Sans Frontières, you can do so by making a simple addition to your existing Will. This is called a codicil.
If you do not have a Will at the moment, you can simply include a bequest when you write a new Will.
Whatever your circumstances, we would advise you see a solicitor to ensure your wishes will be followed.
When unexpected medical emergencies occur and our immediate action is required, it is essential that all our programs can continue without interruption. Financial flexibility is crucial to our ability to respond to priority needs, so we ask that you do not designate your gift to a particular project, country or region.
Step 2: Decide Your Gift
There are a number of ways you can leave a gift to Médecins Sans Frontières, depending on your circumstances.
Residuary Bequest: This is the most effective way to leave a bequest to Médecins Sans Frontières. It is a gift of what remains after you have made provisions for your loved ones. A residuary gift will keep up with inflation. It will mean your bequest will achieve as much in our projects in the future as you would like it to now.
Percentage Gift: Leaving a percentage of your estate allows you to decide what proportion of your total estate you would like to give to Médecins Sans Frontières. A percentage gift will also keep up with inflation.
Pecuniary Bequest or Specific Sum: A pecuniary bequest is a fixed sum of money to be left to Médecins Sans Frontières. This type of gift will not keep up with inflation.
Step 3: Suggested Wording For Your Will
Here is our suggested wording to use when writing or updating your Will, as well as our organisational details.
“I give and bequeath to Médecins Sans Frontières Ltd, a company limited by guarantee, of PO Box 847, Broadway, NSW 2007 Australia:
- the residue, or
- [......] percent of my whole estate, or
- [......] percent of the residue, or
- the specific sum of $[......]
to be used for its general purposes.”
ABN: 74 068 758 654
Registered Charity Number: CFN 11960
Step 4: Notify Loved Ones And Médecins Sans Frontières
We believe it is important to talk to family and loved ones about your Will. Communication will ensure your final wishes are carried out. Let your family know that leaving a gift to Médecins Sans Frontières is important to you and advise any executors and guardians of your wishes.
We also suggest that you let us know once you have left a gift in your Will to Médecins Sans Frontières. Knowing when someone has chosen to support us in this particular way helps us to plan more confidently for the future, and I would be very pleased to have the opportunity to thank you personally for your generous support of Médecins Sans Frontières.
Médecins Sans Frontières is a member of Include a Charity.
