Bequests

Bequests (leaving a gift in your will) support our work with disabled people and their whānau. Making a will can give peace of mind, ensuring your wishes are recorded.

Many people have charities and causes that they support throughout their lives. After you have provided for family and friends in your estate, bequests can continue to support the causes you care about, leaving a legacy that helps people and communities thrive. It’s important to note that legacies can be large or small, they are left by people from all walks of life.

As a charity, we rely on the generosity of the many New Zealanders who choose to make donations or leave a bequest. We acknowledge all bequests in our Annual Report, to celebrate our kind supporters that have left a legacy, supporting our work to create a more inclusive society that welcomes everyone.

Bequests are an important source of funding for us. They can unlock important projects and services that are challenging to fund on top of our ongoing operational costs. A bequest can be directed to where funds are needed most, or to your nominated branch. Detailed instructions can be found below for the wording you can use to leave a gift in your will to CCS Disability Action.

There are many different options to explore when leaving a gift in your will:

• There are websites that offer an online will making service, which provide a fast and inexpensive option for simple estates.

• Organisations like Public Trust or Perpetual Guardian can provide advice on all kinds of wills and trusts. Trusts can be established to support people and causes that you care about – now and in the future.

• Another example of legacy giving is the endowment fund dedicated to the Waikato region and growing local philanthropy, managed by Momentum Waikato. The Fund for CCS Disability Action Waikato, previously known as The Gemini Trust, is now part of Momentum Waikato and generates investment income that supports CCS Disability Action Waikato. These funds help the branch to provide tailored support for disabled people across the region, and to provide scholarships for disabled people to attend The University of Waikato. This support makes a huge difference in the lives of disabled people and their whānau across the Waikato, Coromandel and King Country. Between 1995 and 2022 The Gemini Trust granted over $1 million in support.

How to leave a gift in your will

Writing your will is an important and personal task. It is a good idea to discuss your wishes with your trusted family and friends and seek the advice of a solicitor or trustee company.

Your gift can be:

• The residue of your estate after you provide for your family and friends.

• A set dollar amount or selected property.

• A percentage of your estate.

If you already have a will, you can choose to add a codicil that provides a bequest to CCS Disability Action:

I bequeath to CCS Disability Action Inc. (or name your local branch - see list below), for the general purposes of the Society, (a specified share of the residue / or the sum of / or percentage of your estate / or a specified bequest) and declare that the receipt of the authorised officer of the Society shall be good and sufficient discharge for my Trustee(s).

What happens next?

If you choose to leave a gift in your will to CCS Disability Action, we would love to know.

It would give us a chance to say thank you and make sure you are on our mailing list, if you would like to be. You will then receive our regular newsletters sharing the stories of how support like yours improves the quality of life for many Kiwis. We can also discuss the recognition you might like to receive for your support, or your anonymity, should you prefer that.

Mainstream First Fund

A small percentage of all bequests left to CCS Disability Action goes to the Mainstream First Fund. Four percent of each bequest goes to the fund, to resource projects where CCS Disability Action can contribute to “changing the world” for Aotearoa and disabled people.

Community development projects that have been funded through the Mainstream First Fund over the past three years include:

• Language Matters – producing resources and online panel discussions that explore a variety of topics on how language choices can impact disabled people.

• Project SEARCH Aotearoa – CCS Disability Action helped to fund Project SEARCH in Canterbury from 2020-2022 and also provided a direct support to participants. A one-year programme based at Burwood Hospital, Project SEARCH provides young disabled people the skills they need to enter the workforce with confidence. Designed to break down barriers to employment, the programme sees each intern work across three 10-week placements to explore a variety of career paths. A number of graduates have gone on to gain paid employment.