Some of the most important reasons for having a Will are:

1. You will decide who gets your assets and property – and who does not. If you pass without making a Will, state laws will determine how your assets will be distributed according to a pre-determined formula which may not be as you intended. If you die intestate (i.e., without making a Will), any loved ones and/or causes you support could be left out entirely. 
2. It saves, time, money, and stress for your loved ones at a time that is very emotional for them.
3. You choose who will manage your estate
4. You will ensure your children and loved ones are cared for according to your wishes
5. You will be able to ensure that those causes you care deeply about will continue in their vital work.

Cancer affects everyone.

A gift in your Will will allow us to plan for the future, and enables us to translate research into programs and policies that improve health outcomes, stop cancer before it starts and discover new cancer risk factors that we can tackle. It will also ensure that we can provide support to those who are impacted by cancer at a time they need it most.

By including a gift in your Will to Cancer Council Victoria, you will allow for Cancer Council Victoria to continue with this vital work that will benefit generations of people to come.

We know your family and friends come first.

All we ask is that once you have taken care of your family and friends in your Will, you also consider including a gift to Cancer Council Victoria.

Ask your solicitor for advice on the best way of providing for your family AND supporting your favourite charities.

Not at all. Every gift, no matter how big or small, has a powerful impact to help us reach a cancer free future. 

For example, if you leave 90% of everything you own to your loved ones, giving the remaining 10% to the Cancer Council Victoria – you would be making an exceptionally generous gift. 

That is great. Revising your Will to include Cancer Council Victoria could be as easy as adding a CODICIL.

It is, however, best discussed with your solicitor, who will advise you if they can add a CODICIL or whether it would be better to update your Will. In any case, it is a good idea to review your Will every few years, to make sure it still reflects your wishes and assets. You should also review it whenever any big life changes happen. 

You’re in great company, because many of our supporters have made gifts in Wills to other charities as well as Cancer Council Victoria. 

One of the easiest ways you can make a gift in your Will to Cancer Council Victoria and other charities is by including a residual gift in your Will. 

A residual gift is commonly stated as a percentage of your estate residue, or the amount that is left once you have taken care of your loved ones and expenses. 

Using percentages allows you to include multiple charities. You can also prioritise the amount you give to each, based on what matters most to you. 

Compared to other types of gifts in Will, residual gifts are simple: 

• You do not know what your final estate will contain, but a percentage gives you peace of mind
• Automatically adjust to changes in your estate’s value 
• Allows you to take care of your loved ones first.
• Allows you to include a few of your preferred charities equally. 

It is helpful if we know your intentions. We would love to have the chance to say thank you and invite you to join our exclusive Gifts in Wills community, the Daffodil Circle.

Knowing about your gift helps us to plan our programs, especially our research, with confidence, knowing that your exceptional generosity will be there to support Victorians in the future. 

You can let us know about your gift in Will by phoning (03) 9514 6828 and asking to speak with Abi, our Gift in Will relationship managers or emailing them on giftsinwills@cancervic.org.au.

We recommend you let your loved ones know about your gift, so they understand why you had decided to work together with us towards a cancer free future. 

Yes, you can specify that you would like your gift to be used for Cancer Council Victoria’s ‘research purposes.’ Gifts in Wills received for research purposes are used to help fund an area of research that is a strategic priority at the time.

To make sure we achieve maximum impact from our research investment, and because priorities change, it is important to have as much flexibility as possible in how gifts for research purposes are used.

Because they can be used where most needed for any aspect of our work at any given time, gifts left for Cancer Council Victoria’s ‘general purposes” are preferred.

If you would like your gift to be spent in a certain way, call us on  (03) 9514 6828 to discuss your options.  

Yes, as what you include in your gift is entirely up to you. 

You can however superannuation and life insurance do not automatically form part of your Estate. We recommend speaking to an accredited Wills and Estates Specialist to make the appropriate arrangements.

If you require any further information or have any questions about how your gift will be used, please contact our Gifts in Wills team on  (03) 9514 6828 or email giftsinwills@cancervic.org.au.