HOW TO LEAVE A GIFT IN YOUR WILL TO THE PERKINS

People who have committed to leave a gift in their Will to Perkins are vital to funding many of the breakthroughs that our researchers here in WA are making now.

A gift in your Will, no matter what the amount, can make a significant difference to the advancement of life- saving medical research here in WA.

If you don’t have a Will at the moment, you can easily include a gift to the Perkins when you write a new Will. We would advise you see a solicitor when you do this, to ensure your wishes will be fulfilled, exactly the way you intend.

If you already have a Will but would like to leave a gift to Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research you can do so by either revisiting your solicitor, or making a simple addition to your existing Will. This is called a codicil.

There are a number of ways you can leave a gift to Perkins depending on your circumstances.

Residual gift: This is the most efficient way to support the Perkins. A residual gift is a nominated percentage of what remains in your estate after all your other wishes have been fulfilled and expenses met. You can choose to gift the whole, a percentage, or the remainder (residue) of your estate to the Perkins. The value of a residual gift will rise with inflation, so it will be worth as much to us tomorrow as it is today. Just a small percentage can go a long way. Even leaving a gift as little as 1% of your estate to a charity means those closest to you receive 99% of your estate, but the causes that you care about benefit too.

Pecuniary gift: A pecuniary gift is a specific dollar value set at the time you make your Will. The value of pecuniary gift will decrease over time, as inflation and the cost of living increases over time.

Specific gift: A specific bequest is a gift of a specific item of value i.e. a painting or a property.

Below is some suggested wording that you may choose to include in your Will, and some legal information about our organisation that will be of use to you and your solicitor.

We suggest the following wording be used in the drafting of a Will.
The wording must specify Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research Inc.

“I ____ give and bequeath to the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, of 6 Verdun St, NEDLANDS, WA, 6009 (ABN 16 823 190 402) for the use and purposes of the said Institute: (select one from the list below)

1. the residue (or % of the residue) of my estate
2. a % of my estate
3. a sum of $__________________

free of all taxes and estate duties. I direct that the receipt of the Treasurer or a Proper Officer of the Institute authorised to act on his/her behalf shall be sufficient discharge to my executors.”

It is important to talk to family and loved ones about your Will, to ensure they understand your wishes and that they are carried out as you had intended. We’d recommend letting your family know that leaving a gift to Perkins is important to you and advise any executors and guardians of your wishes also.

We greatly appreciate you letting us know also, if and when you decide to leave a gift in your Will to the Perkins. We would love to have the opportunity to thank you for your kindness and your gift. The gift you choose to leave today will benefit the health of our families, loved ones, and generations of those yet to come.

If you decide to leave a gift in your Will to the Perkins, we would be honoured to invite you to join a special group of committed supporters. Like you, this wonderful group of people understands the importance of medical research. We’ve named this group of special supporters, the Perkins Silver Lining – because every cloud has a silver lining.

Our Silver Lining family receives invitations to special Perkins events that show how realised gifts like yours are making a difference. You can meet our researchers and hear updates from the Director about plans for the future. Silver Lining family members are such an important and valued part of our future, and for that, we are truly thankful.

We’d love you to become part of our Perkins Silver Lining family. Please get in touch with Ann if you would like to join.