It is for those who value the great beauty and diversity of our rainforests and who wish to see rainforest conservation continue beyond their lifetime. The following will assist you with information on the many ways to support Rainforest Rescue by making a bequest in your will.

Why you need a Will
Everybody should make a Will, whether they have few possessions or many. By making a Will you can ensure that all your affairs will be settled exactly as you wish.

If you die without a Will, your estate will be settled according to the laws of the State who will in turn retain some of your assets. If no relatives can be traced, it may mean that your entire estate goes to the Government.

How you make a Will
It is necessary for Wills to comply with a number of legal requirements. Whilst it is possible for you to prepare your own Will, we recommend that you seek advice from a Solicitor. You can change your Will whenever you like and you should review your Will every few years to ensure that it is still relevant.

Ways to make your bequest to Rainforest Rescue

• Leave the residue of your estate to Rainforest Rescue after specific bequests and gifts have been left to family and friends – this is the simplest way.
• Leave a nominated portion or a fixed percentage of your estate to Rainforest Rescue.
• Leave a specific gift to Rainforest Rescue such as money, property, shares, insurance policies, jewellery or anything of value.
• Leave your entire estate to Rainforest Rescue. This occurs when there are no living relatives and the Benefactor wishes to achieve something significant with their estate.

Your solicitor will recommend appropriate wording or ask your solicitor to contact us to discuss your wishes. An example of legally acceptable wording that can be included in your Will is:

“I give, devise and bequeath to Rainforest Rescue (ABN 61 086 885 154) free of all taxes and other deductions

(please select the appropriate following statement from the three options below)

 the residue of my estate

• a ___% share of my estate
• the sum of $______

for its general purposes, and the receipt given on behalf of Rainforest Rescue shall be full and sufficient discharge to the executor of my estate.”

Tax issues
Changes to tax laws mean that bequests to Rainforest Rescue are now exempt from capital gains tax. Also, gifts of property (land, shares, building, machinery etc) made during your lifetime can now be claimed as tax deductions. For more information on tax legislation affecting gifts to conservation organisations, read New incentives for Tax-Deductible Donations.

Changing your will
If your existing Will is satisfactory but you would like to include a bequest to Rainforest Rescue, you can add a codicil (a legal document used to make changes or amendments to an existing will without needing to create a new will entirely), which must be signed and witnessed the same way as your Will. Consult your solicitor or the Public Trustee for assistance.

Please let us know
It is a great help in planning Rainforest Rescue future projects – and provides the opportunity to discuss donors’ wishes – if you advise us of your decision to make a bequest to the Rainforest Rescue. Such information will be held in the strictest confidence and please don’t hesitate to contact us if you require more information or wish to discuss your bequest wishes.

Further information
For further information on leaving a bequest, to discuss your bequest ideas, or to advise us of an intended gift, please contact us or submit a bequest enquiry form.

Your bequest arrangements will be discussed in the strictest confidence.