If you want to make a positive difference and leave an enduring legacy then look no further than taking up the invitation to leave a gift to charities when writing or amending your will.

The theme for this year’s Include a Charity (IAC) Week, “Will wonders never cease”, was developed to spark a nationwide conversation, encouraging Australians to consider leaving charitable gifts in their wills for causes they hold dear.

Helen Beeby, Campaign Director of IAC, says: “As humans, we love the concept of leaving a legacy; of making our unique, indelible mark on the world. A stamp that persists long after we’ve gone and sets a positive, optimistic example for future generations.

“Including a gift in your will is a commitment to the longevity of causes you care about: be it curing diseases, supporting the arts, helping animals, defending the vulnerable, or protecting our environment.

“Your will represents your final opportunity to influence this world significantly. To truly bring about remarkable change in the world.”

This year’s message is that while loved ones should come first in your will, the money you leave to charity is an investment in a kinder, more inclusive tomorrow for everyone.

Remarkably, gifts in wills for charities have doubled in the past decade, resulting in an average of $445 million in bequest contributions a year.

However, Australia still lags other nations in giving through bequests.

IAC has set an ambitious goal of doubling charitable gifts to $30 billion by 2030. To do that, raising awareness about bequest giving is urgently needed.

As well as appealing to the “angels” in the wider community, IAC is encouraging the legal fraternity to reference the option in their will consultations.

“It is often the largest gift a person will ever make, particularly if they leave a percentage of the residual of their estate after loved ones are taken care of. Succession and estate planners can facilitate and navigate the process smoothly for families,” Ms Beeby said.

During this year's IAC Week, prominent gifts-in-wills experts from the UK, Ashley Rowthorn and Dr Claire Routley of Legacy Futures, will present a range of in-person and virtual events for fundraisers in Sydney, Perth, and Melbourne.

Australian charities behind the campaign cover a broad spectrum of causes and aspects of the community, from medical research to education, animal welfare, the environment, and the arts.

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