Include A Charity campaign launched

Margaret is one of thousands of
Australians leaving a gift in her will.

It's a common misconception that only very wealthy people leave money to charity when they die. The reality is most bequests are made by ordinary, hardworking people who want to make a positive difference to their community.

Mission Australia has joined 107 charities as part of the Include A Charity campaign, which aims to encourage Australians to leave a bequest in their will to charity.

When asked, 29 percent of people say they'd be willing to leave a gift in their will to a charity once their family and friends had been provided for. However, only 7.5 percent of Australians actually end up doing so. But if the percentage of Australians making a bequest were to increase by just 14 percent, an additional $440 million would be created for charities in this country every year.

The official Include A Charity website, which was launched this week, demonstrates just how easy and rewarding it can be to leave a gift in your will.

The site highlights 12 charities in rotation at any time, and these change every time the home page is refreshed. Includeacharity.com.au also enables you to search for your favourite charity by name or by service.

The website also includes a simple guide to leaving a gift in your will, legal information, as well as Frequently Asked Questions such as “Is it okay to remain anonymous? And “How do I make sure my gift will go to those who most need it?”

As part of the national campaign, an Include A Charity television ad has also been created. It will screen for the first on Channel 7’s The Morning Show from 9am on Monday 21 March.

The Include A Charity site also includes links to Mission Australia’s Facebook, Twitter and YouTube pages.