Most New Zealanders aren’t aware that they can leave a gift in their will – yet many wish to ensure UN Women’s work continues until everyone everywhere can live lives to their fullest potential – with equal access to become leaders, to learn, to earn, and to be agents of change in all facets of life. Over the years, UN Women Aotearoa has been a grateful beneficiary of legacy gifts which have helped bolster UN Women’s programmatic and policy change work enabling a brighter future for women and girls in Aotearoa and the Pacific. To the families and friends of those who gave an important gift in their will and also those who intend to leave a legacy, we can’t thank you enough.
Supporting UN Women Aotearoa in your Will
Making a gift in your Will is a wonderful way to continue supporting the organisations and causes you care about, even after your natural life has ended.
We greatly appreciate the generosity of all who give to us in their Will. These gifts enable UN Women Aotearoa to pursue its stated mission and purposes, to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment, end violence against women, ensure women’s needs are addressed in times of crisis, promote women’s economic empowerment and expand opportunities for women to be leaders.
How will gifts be used?
Monetary gifts received are used for the general purposes of UN Women Aotearoa and its work. This may include supporting programs in the Pacific region to end violence against women or to ensure women’s access to decent jobs through improvements to labour laws, access to finance or entrepreneurship training, responding to women’s unique needs in the wake of natural disasters or funding new initiatives around the world that are in line with our strategic plans.
What types of gifts will we accept?
It is your choice, as the Will-maker (often referred to as the “testator” or “testatrix”), how to divide and allocate the assets that make up your estate.
We will accept all types of gifts, whether monetary or otherwise. Gifts other than money (such as shares, furniture and land) may be sold after transfer and the proceeds utilised to pursue our mission and purpose.
If you are supporting UN Women Aotearoa through your Will, we ask that you leave your gift for UN Women Aotearoa’s general purposes. We can then use your gift as needed to further our work. If you leave a gift for a specific purpose or program, we may not be able to use the gift as our programs may have changed, or we may have enough funding for some programs but not enough for other worthy programs.
If you would like to leave a gift for a specific purpose, please contact Tara Singh, President UN Women Aotearoa to discuss so that we can try to ensure UN Women Aotearoa will be able to use your gift as you intend.
Further, we strongly encourage anyone considering a gift to UN Women Aotearoa to first ensure that they have met their ethical duty to provide for family members and dependents (eg. current/former spouses, de facto partners, children, grandchildren/members of the household who have been dependent on you and others who you have been living in a close personal relationship with).
If a family member or dependent challenges your Will in Court and the Court thinks you have not adequately provided for that person the Court may override the provisions of your Will.
Contact
Tara Singh, President UN Women Aotearoa NZ
Email: President@unwomen.org.nz