What is a bequest?

A bequest is a gift made in your will. You can make bequests to individuals, companies, associations or charities. A bequest to the Australian Cancer Research Foundation (ACRF) is an investment for life.  Making a bequest may be as simple as adding a Codicil to your existing will, but seek the advice of your solicitor.  Full capital gains tax relief may be available to your estate for bequests made to certain charities, including the ACRF. Scroll further down this page for details.

Bequests to the ACRF

A will is a personal matter and only your decision. Naturally the ACRF will be very appreciative if you include the ACRF in your will, after providing for your family.  You can ensure that vital research continues throughout Australia in the battle against cancer by making a bequest to the ACRF. One in three Australians will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetimes, so consider a bequest as an investment in the future which will contribute to saving lives - perhaps the life of someone you love. 

A significant proportion of the public donations we receive are bequests. Often these special gifts come from people who have lost loved ones to cancer, or suffered from cancer themselves.   Many generous individuals and families have left bequests to the ACRF, knowing that funding will be directed to Australia's best cancer researchers and will lead to new discoveries which will save lives in the future. 

We thank and honour the individuals and families, listed here, who have made a major difference to the research we funded through their bequests.

Including the $1 million grant from ACRF to 2006 Australian of the Year, Professor Ian Frazer, who discovered the vaccine to prevent and treat cervical cancer - a breakthrough benefiting hundreds of thousand of women throughout the world. 

Types of bequests

A bequest made to the ACRF may be:

- a specific bequest – the gift of a specific sum of money or nominated asset such as a house or other land, shares and other investments, life insurance, works of art or other valuables.

- a bequest of your entire estate or a specified share or percentage of your entire estate (after all debts and expenses have been paid).

- a residual bequest – what remains of your estate after all debts and expenses have been paid and other gifts distributed or a specified share or percentage of your residuary estate.

- after a life interest – when property, such as a house, is left to a beneficiary to occupy or receive income from during their lifetime (or another specified period) and then passes to the ACRF.

We recommend that if you wish to make a bequest to the Australian Cancer Research Foundation, you discuss it with your solicitor (The Public Trustee, State Trustees in Victoria and trustee companies will also assist with preparation of Wills).

You may have a preference for the way your bequest to ACRF will be used. You might wish to make a gift in memory of a particular person. Or you may want the ACRF to hold your gift on trust to ensure that it is used to fund a particular type of research. Because the ACRF is a charity, such trusts can be perpetual. We recommend discussing your ideas with us, so we can help you find practical ways to achieve your wishes.

An example of bequest wording is set out below, but should be only used as a guide for you and your solicitor. The exact wording will depend on the type of bequest you wish to make.

"I give, devise and bequeath to the Australian Cancer Research Foundation (ACN 002 774 727) of Suite 409, The Strand Arcade, 412 George Street, Sydney for its general purposes, free from all taxes and duties, (here please specify your gift eg the sum of $X). I direct that the receipt of any director or other proper officer for the time being of that Foundation will be a sufficient discharge to my Trustees."

For more general information about making a will, please contact us on 1300 884 988 or email info@acrf.com.au.

Contact us

You don’t have to tell us if you have made, or intend to make, a bequest to the ACRF in your will. But if you do wish to tell us, we’d be happy to hear from you, so that we may thank and acknowledge you, as well as keep you informed about the activities of the ACRF.

All information received by the ACRF will be treated in the strictest confidence and we will respect your wishes if you choose to remain anonymous.

If you would like to discuss leaving a bequest to the ACRF or require further information, please contact us on 1300 884 988 or email sgraham@acrf.com.au

The power to remove cancer is in your hands

To make a credit card donation over the telephone, please call 1300 884 988 from anywhere in Australia for the cost of a local call.