More ways to give - Save the Children Australia

The motivations for leaving a gift in a Will to Save the Children are as numerous as our supporters and the different lives they lead. But one thing they have in common is their vision for a better future for children around the world.

One of the many pleasures of speaking with people who tell us they have left a gift is hearing the inspiration behind their decision to extend their support in this way.

For some it’s about caring for the children less fortunate than their own; for others it’s about leaving the world in a better place or continuing the work of their lifetime.

A Caring Life

Pictured above with her family, Sandra’s practicality and compassion for children was apparent as she explained how a life dedicated to caring for vulnerable children highlighted her own good fortune and the importance of care for those less well off.

Sandra spoke with her daughters beforehand and updated her Will with their full support. Here in her own words, Sandra expresses what the gift in her Will means to her:

“As a retired Midwife and neonatal nurse, I’ve always had an interest in child health and wellbeing and children’s charities.

We are blessed with freedom; food; health care – such luxury. I think of children in camps – hungry, frozen and without hope, knowing the work of this organisation cannot be valued more highly.

The gift in my Will to Save the Children is an investment in the future of children less fortunate than mine as the gap between rich and poor grows ever wider.”

The Deep Empathy Behind Dawn’s Gift

As a child, being loved and cared for by extended family when her parents couldn’t be there, Dawn experienced how life-changing it can for a vulnerable child to receive the support they need. It was the basis of Dawn’s life-long empathy for children.

Years later, having worked in health and child protection and seeing the wide-ranging harm impacting children, Dawn was inspired to leave a gift in her Will to “Save the Children – the people who can make the best use of it to help children of the world reach their potential”.

Larry’s Personal Connection

I believe we have a responsibility to do what we can to support a better world, according to our means. I encourage everyone to think about what it is they want for the world. And as we can't individually solve all problems, to choose the ones we believe are most important – where our legacy can make a difference and we really feel a connection to the future we are helping to create. I’m a grandparent, so the connection is there.

For me it's not a choice between family versus donations. I want a portion of my legacy to go to causes that I believe in deeply. I believe in the broader mission of Save the Children, so I haven’t specified how the money is to be spent.

Sabina’s Personal Values

My mother and my grandmother were my role models. They taught me the wider meaning of humanity and that family is more than just your immediate family. I wanted to pass these values on to my children through my actions.

Before going ahead with the gift in my Will to Save the Children, we discussed it as a family, and everybody was supportive. Obviously, your own family is the most important, but within that context there is also room for people worse off than us.

For me it’s about the future and helping young people, because by helping them to grow up, to be educated, they can have opportunities in life that they otherwise wouldn’t have.

A Father’s Gift

For Vijaykumar – a father himself – his motivation and concern for others stems from his Hindu upbringing and a deep interest in serving humanity: “Ensuring the healthy development of children helps ensure the future well-being of a sound society and nation at large,” he says.

Vijay believes that children are more vulnerable than adults to a range of disadvantages from poverty and food insecurity to poor health care and other challenges to their safety, and so it is imperative to save and uplift the lives of such children. By ensuing their safety and security, we will have emotionally stable and confident children growing up in our society and becoming effective citizens of the modern world.

Vijay hopes that the gift in his Will could be used toward education of children because he is of the firm belief that education is what can empower a child to transform their life.

If including a gift in your Will to the children of tomorrow is something you’re thinking about, please feel free to get in touch with our Supporter Relationship Manager, Dee Lewis, (03) 7002 1638 for a friendly chat or email deirdre.lewis@savethechildren.org.au if you would like more information.