Charities and communities set to benefit from people gifting in their wills.

NEWS RELEASE: 5 September 2013

The Include A Charity Trust is launching the ‘Include A Charity Week’ in New Zealand from 9 to 15 September. With it comes New Zealand’s first communications campaign to prompt awareness and positive action towards bequesting – the simple act of a person leaving a gift in a will to charity. It is also the first time 47 New Zealand charities have joined together to promote the opportunity for people to gift through their will.

Operating successfully for some years in the UK and Australia, 47 members of the Fundraising Institute of New Zealand (FINZ) have brought the ‘Include A Charity’ campaign to this country with home-grown television and press advertising rolling out in September.

Include A Charity spokesperson Dianne Armstrong said “so far 47 charities have joined together to form a united voice behind a campaign that provides so much social good for our communities. In New Zealand approximately 60% of people don’t have a will and this campaign strives to encourage people to ensure their families and loved ones are looked after and also considering gifting to a charity they support. It’s one of the easiest ways to give.”

The Include A Charity campaign comes as charities look for other ways to help supporters and potential donors to make gifting easier. The campaign’s seven year goal seeks to double the number of people giving in their wills which may well generate an additional $200 million of benefit for New Zealand charities.

Dianne Armstrong says “many people can’t always give regularly, but planning a gift in a will is a very appealing way to show love and support for a charity’s work in a way that survives long after a person’s life.

“The 47 members of the Include A Charity Campaign all have amazing stories about the gifts they have received. These are gifts that help future proof vital services and enable an on-going commitment to research.”

Include A Charity Week is from Monday 9 September to Sunday 15 September 2013 and is supported by television, newspaper and online advertising.

Website: www.includeacharity.org.nz

For more information, please contact

Dianne Armstrong

Spokesperson for the Include A Charity Trust

Phone:  04 472 1450 (office)

            027 480 6209 (mobile)

            dianne.armstrong@arthritis.org.nz

Additional information for Editors

Wellington City Mission CEO Michelle Branney said she believed, “charities needed to work together to benefit from collective action that no individual charity could achieve alone. Bequest income is vital across all charitable sectors. I can’t speak highly enough of the generous donors who have contributed to The Mission’s good work. Elderly peoples’ lives have been transformed since a generous bequest was used to renovate The Mission’s residential care facility - maintenance which was long overdue but unaffordable without the bequest. Our four Community Service programmes (Mission for Families, Mission for Youth, Mission for Independence and Mission for Seniors), also rely on the compassion and generosity of people living in the Greater Wellington region.“

Cancer Society of New Zealand Inc. National Development Manager  and Include A Charity board member Philip Hope said the Cancer Society is extremely grateful for the bequests it receives from visionary donors. Bequests are an invaluable source of income for the Cancer Society because this enables us to continue providing a wide range of support free of charge to the one in three people affected by cancer. People with cancer can receive practical assistance including, information, transport to treatment, meals, counselling and fully subsidized accommodation during treatment. Family/whanau, carers and friends can also avail themselves of Cancer Society support services, including counselling.

“With 58 people diagnosed with cancer daily in New Zealand, understanding the impact of the disease and being able to support people emotionally, socially and spiritually is crucial to providing comprehensive care. As a result a percentage of bequest income is used to conduct social and behavioural research to help health professionals meet cancer patient needs, in addition to scientific research.”