Where there's a will, there's a way

So much so that after seeing first-hand the difference the United Nations refugee agency UNHCR Australia made to the lives of people desperate for help, he decided to leave a gift to the organisation in his will.

During his 27-year career with Victoria Police, Mr Atkinson served three stints as a peacekeeper on secondment with the Federal Police working under the leadership of the UN.

Mr Atkinson said his experience watching the struggles of people less fortunate than himself made the decision to leave a bequest to an organisation that offers them a helping hand a natural one.

“My role in East Timor was to assist in the facilitation of the return of displaced people when they were brought back after having fled violence and help repatriate them to their villages,” he said.

“I saw the work that UNHCR did around that and was extremely impressed and realised how lucky we are here in Australia.

“For me, with what I have experienced and what I’ve seen, I think it [leaving a bequest] was a bit of a no-brainer in the end.”

Mr Atkinson shared his story as part of Include a Charity Week (September 2–8), an annual social change campaign supported by more than 100 charities that calls on Australians to pledge a gift in their will.

The theme of this year’s campaign – "Be the spark" – is designed to reinforce the idea that leaving behind a charitable gift in a will is a selfless gesture that will continue to make a difference to people’s lives long after you are gone.

Mr Atkinson’s decision to leave a percentage of his estate to charity was well received by his three children, who supported his decision.

“I had that discussion with my kids and said that his is what I want to do. I want to leave a percentage of my estate [to UNHCR] and they were all onboard and understanding.

“I explained to them a lot of what I saw and why I thought it was a good idea and they are quite supportive of my wishes.”

Mr Atkinson said leaving a gift to charity after you are gone had the added benefit of not affecting your economic circumstances while you are alive.

“It doesn’t impact your mortgage repayments; it doesn’t impact your cost of living. Obviously, you need to be mindful of what you are going to leave and who you are going to leave it to, but leaving a donation to any charitable organisation gives you that feeling of contributing and feeling of donating without impacting on your current economic situation.

“I never really thought I could do it [make a sizable donation] right now because of cost-of-living pressures, but then I saw a sign somewhere about leaving it in your will and it dawned on me that there were other avenues, so I spoke to my lawyer about that and drew up a document accordingly.”

Mr Atkinson said having a personal connection to an organisation or cause was an important part of deciding to leave a bequest to charity, something he urged other potential donors to consider.

“I have connections with other charities as well and do a little bit of volunteering now, so I have seen other organisations and the need that they have, but the UNHCR really stood out for me. Just seeing the extent of infant mortality and people displaced from their homes was really quite confronting and that’s what really resonated with me.”

Include a Charity campaign director Helen Beeby said gifts in wills account for more than a quarter of all fundraising revenue in Australia, with the organisation’s own research indicating Australians donate an estimated $1.6 billion each year via a will.

“As humans, we are driven by the desire to leave a legacy – a meaningful imprint that continues beyond our lifetime and inspires future generations.”

Ms Beeby said gifts in wills have the potential to play a major role in the Australian government’s strategy to double philanthropic giving by 2030.

In its submission to the recently released Productivity Commission report into philanthropy, Include a Charity made several recommendations it said would help spur the growth of gifts in wills.

These included improved estate processes, superannuation and probate reform, recording of data and better promotion of the benefits of leaving gifts in wills.

Include a Charity is also working hard to influence estate planners and other legal professionals to ask the question on considering a gift in a will during client consultations – an act it said can have an enormous impact.

“Including a gift in your will signifies your dedication to causes that hold personal significance: whether it's advancing medical research, nurturing the arts, protecting animals, aiding vulnerable communities, or preserving the environment.

“It celebrates life and catalyses social change and charitable support.”

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