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A Gift In Your Will

 

 

What is a Will?

A Will is a legal document that outlines your wishes for your estate when you have passed, giving you the opportunity to direct gifts to the people and causes important to you.

When preparing your Will, we respectfully suggest seeking the assistance of your family solicitor or Trustee and clearly discussing your wishes with your loved ones.

If you already have a Will in place but would like to make an amendment or addition, called a Codicil, this can easily be completed by your solicitor or Trustee.

 

What is a gift in your Will?

A gift in your Will is the giving of assets or a sum of money to individuals or organisations. Giving you the opportunity to support causes you care about after you’re gone.

A gift in your Will can take on many forms:

  • Residuary: remainder of your estate after taking care of your loved ones
  • Percentage: a percentage of the value of your estate
  • Pecuniary or specific: a specific sum of money, property or items.

 

How will my gift be used?

A gift in your Will to Multiple Sclerosis New Zealand (MSNZ) enables you to transform lives, sharing your voice, helping us continue improving access to supports and services for those with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) in New Zealand.

Of course, loved ones come first, but even a small gift in your Will could help us improve the lives of people with Multiple Sclerosis.

A gift to MSNZ is a gift that makes a difference and lives on in memory. Your gift will help future generations living with the effects of Multiple Sclerosis.

Gifts received will be used for general purposes, which could include supporting key areas of need such as:

Advocacy – focussing on improving access to treatments and services to improve the well-being of those impacted today and in the future. Through our advocacy programme we endeavour to:

  • Recommend internationally recognised strategies to maximise lifelong ‘brain health’.
  • Advocate for international consensus recommendations on diagnosis, therapeutic strategies and improving access to treatment in Multiple Sclerosis.
  • Recommend treating Multiple Sclerosis early to preserve tissue in the central nervous system and maximise lifelong brain health by reducing disease activity.
  • Call for major policy changes aimed at achieving the best possible outcomes for people with Multiple Sclerosis and those who care for them.
  • Work to break down barriers to treatment and care for people living with Multiple Sclerosis.

Education – MSNZ organises ongoing education for regionally based Community Support Workers to best support clients in their local communities. Community Support Workers are key for educating those impacted by MS and where necessary providing advocacy support. Leaving a gift in your Will would enable us to cover costs to reduce barriers to training for small regional organisations.

Information – MSNZ provides evidence-based information to support and encourage people to take control of their diagnosis and condition. Promoting positive attitudes and lifestyle modifications can have a profound effect on symptom management and maximising opportunities for long-term health and brain health outcomes. Information resources help people understand their diagnosis or new symptoms. Reading about people’s experiences provides comfort, showing people they are not alone and where to go for further support. Information for families, carers and employers on how to support their loved ones is also available via MSNZ.

Raising Awareness – Each year we look to raise national awareness of MS, which is often misunderstood. By highlighting the experiences and needs of those impacted by the condition we generate empathy and understanding to reduce isolation and increase inclusivity for the MS community.

 

Wording your bequest

If you are writing a Will for the first time or making an amendment to an existing Will (codicil) we recommend reviewing the below text with your solicitor.

“I bequest to the Multiple Sclerosis Society of New Zealand the sum of $ (or) % of my estate, (or) residue of my estate (or) property or assets as follows: for the general purposes of the Trust and declare that official receipt of the Multiple Sclerosis Society of New Zealand will be sufficient discharge for my Trustee/Executors.”

 

Advising us of your wishes

If you have chosen to leave a gift in your Will to MSNZ, we would love to hear about it so we can thank you personally for your support.

We understand that priorities change throughout your life, whether your family needs more support, or your interests change. If you have advised us that you are making a gift to MSNZ and this changes for any reason, we kindly ask that you give us a call so that we can update our records.

If you would like to advise MSNZ of your next of kin, we will ensure that we contact them following the receipt of your gift and update them as to how your gift has been used.

 

Your voice will echo on…..and on……

When you pledge to support Multiple Sclerosis New Zealand with a lasting gift, we will endeavour to ensure that your gift echo’s forward.

We promise to you that your gift will be used wisely and effectively to:

  • provide education, information and advice on living well with MS,
  • advocate to overcome barriers to optimal health and wellbeing,
  • support families, friends and carers to care for their loved ones and themselves,
  • and deliver leadership to community based MS organisations encouraging best practice MS care.

 

MSNZ is always delighted to have the opportunity to meet with our supporters. If you have any questions and would like to speak with us about your Will, please feel free to contact us.

Thank you

 

Gift In Wills Leaflet May 2023

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