Ways to give

A gift in your Will

Person graduating

Leave a legacy for a better world

A gift in your Will can change the world for generations to come and be one of the most fulfilling ways to invest in changed lives and a better society.

Your gift can empower students to pursue their dreams, enable researchers to make transformational advances, and provide real solutions to shape a brighter future.

Every gift, whether large or small, can make a life-changing and powerful impact. So, whether you wish to provide scholarships for disadvantaged students, amplify education in our State, tackle climate change or environmental challenges, develop the creative arts, or support medical or scientific breakthroughs, your generosity can make a significant and real impact.

Our team will work with you to ensure your legacy reflects your values and continues to make a difference for years to come.

Speak with us or request our Gifts in Wills brochure. Our friendly Planned Giving team is here for a confidential conversation to understand your wishes and respond to your queries regarding a legacy gift. We can also provide recommended wording to include in your Will.

Contact our team to discuss your legacy on +61 8 8313 5800 or give@adelaide.edu.au

On this page

Including a gift in your Will

The following steps may be helpful:

  1. Consider the type of bequest and area of support you may be interested in.

  2. Contact our Planned Giving team for a confidential discussion about your interests and suggested wording.

  3. It is recommended you seek your own independent legal advice about your Will.

  4. Let us know if you have included a gift in your Will to Adelaide University. Whilst this is optional and we appreciate some may prefer to remain anonymous, it gives the University an opportunity to thank you and invite you to join the Adelaide University Jacaranda Circle and keep in touch.

For more information, please contact our Planned Giving team:

Email: give@adelaide.edu.au
Phone: +61 8 8313 5800

Will wording

We encourage broad bequest wording which provides flexibility to ‘future-proof’ your gift and enables the University to apply your gift should any evolving changes or priorities arise in the future. Where changes may occur, the University will always seek to apply your gift as closely as possible to a similar related purpose.

Our team can provide suggested wording or work with your legal team to support your gift intentions. You can also add a codicil to an existing Will. We recommend you seek independent legal advice to assist you with this process.

The following examples of suggested wording may be used in consultation with your advisers.

General purpose

“I give to Adelaide University ABN:  41 202 953 738 (the sum of $......., or .......% of my estate) to be used in such manner as the University determines or approves and I declare that the receipt of an authorised officer of the University shall be sufficient discharge to my Trustee, who shall not be bound to see the application of the gift.”

General purpose gifts allow the University to apply your gift to the most strategic areas and priorities at the time the gift is received.

Specific purpose

“I give to Adelaide University ABN: 41 202 953 738 (the sum of $....... or .......% of my estate) and I express the wish, without creating a trust or legally binding obligation, that this gift be used for (state your preferred use for the gift), and I declare that the receipt of an authorised officer of the University shall be sufficient discharge to my Trustee, who shall not be bound to see the application of the gift.”

Your solicitor may require the following information:

  • Legal Name: Adelaide University
  • ABN: 41 202 953 738
  • DGR Status: The University is endorsed as a Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR)  

Please note, the legislation to create Adelaide University explicitly provides that testamentary dispositions, gifts or deeds formerly made to the University of Adelaide or University of South Australia will transfer to Adelaide University.

Person playing the cello
People in a lab

Areas you can support

You can choose from a wide variety of areas to support through a gift in your Will to the University.  A general or unrestricted gift in your Will allows the University to apply the gift to a high priority or strategic area at the time the gift is received. Or you may wish to include a gift for a specific purpose in an area that matters to you. For example, your gift could be directed to:

  • Scholarships to improve access to a university education or continue postgraduate research
  • Academic fellowships that support research, professional development or teaching and learning
  • Medical research such as cancer, dementia, stroke, Parkinsons, pain, fertility, child health, mental health or many other areas of research being undertaken at the University
  • Climate solutions, environment and sustainability
  • Science research: plant, agriculture, wine, physics, space and defence or many other areas of research being undertaken at the University
  • Animal health and welfare
  • Creative Arts and the Elder Conservatorium of Music and Performing Arts
  • Facilities, equipment or infrastructure e.g. a gallery, museum, library, research or teaching facilities
  • Community e.g. Sports, Waite Arboretum, Dental Outreach, Children’s University

We welcome an opportunity to discuss your interests and some of the many areas and options your gift could support.

Please contact our Planned Giving team:

Email: give@adelaide.edu.au
Phone: +61 8 8313 5800

Adelaide University Jacaranda Circle

The Adelaide University Jacaranda Circle honours those who have included a gift to Adelaide University in their Will and offers collegial networking opportunities with other like-minded members.

Membership is free, with no obligations.

Members receive:

  • A letter of acknowledgement from our Senior Executive
  • Invitations to an annual luncheon and special events
  • Donor impact report

This is our way of saying thank you.

For more information, please contact our Planned Giving team:

Email: give@adelaide.edu.au
Phone: +61 8 8313 5800

FAQs

There are different types of gifts you can make in your Will. Some of the options you might consider in discussion with your solicitor or legal representative are:

Bequest
A bequest is a gift of money or property made in a Will. The bequest can be given outright or made subject to terms such as a preference or condition for its use, or it being contingent on another beneficiary passing away first. Bequests are sometimes also called legacies and there are terms for specific types of bequests (e.g. residuary gift, endowment).

A bequest may be a specified amount, or it may be a percentage of your estate. Please contact the Advancement team to discuss preferred wording for any bequests.

Residuary bequest
This is a gift of the balance of your estate once all expenses and gifts to any other beneficiaries have been distributed.

Pecuniary or cash bequest
A gift of a fixed sum of money specified in your Will. This can be combined with a CPI indexed inflation clause to make sure your gift maintains its value over time.

Specific bequest
A gift of a particular item or asset, such as property, shares, artworks or a treasured possession.

Percentage bequest
A gift expressed as a percentage of your estate.

Whole estate bequest
A gift of your entire estate, usually chosen by those who have no other beneficiaries or who wish to make a significant impact.

Endowment
An endowment is a gift which is held forever ("in perpetuity"). The distribution from the endowment provides a permanent income for the beneficiary, or for a particular purpose specified by the donor.

Endowment Fund
An Endowment Fund is an investment fund established and maintained by Adelaide University, consisting of endowments including gifts in Wills, with the objective of providing long term capital growth as well as a stable annual income stream in perpetuity.

Trust
In the University's context, a Trust is a legal obligation on the University to use a gift in a particular way. For example, if a gift were received for the stated purposes of funding research into the causes of cancer, that creates a ‘charitable trust’ which obliges the University to hold those funds for that purpose.*

*A provision in your Will permitting the University to apply the gift to an alternative purpose with similar outcomes, if the intended purpose is no longer possible, can be useful.

Adelaide University is trustee of more than 600 trusts established by gifts or bequests, providing income for a wide range of purposes including scholarships, prizes, fellowships, research and equipment.

You can be assured that 100% of funds received will be professionally invested and managed on your behalf. Furthermore, the University does not deduct any administration or management fees, which means your gift can go further to supporting your planned gift area. We also have a University-wide compliance reporting program to ensure that the income of each trust is only spent for the purpose as specified by the donor.

For more information, please contact our Planned Giving team:

Email: give@adelaide.edu.au
Phone: +61 8 8313 5800

Yes, solicitors often contact us on behalf of clients, and we fully respect if you or your solicitor wish to remain anonymous.

Your solicitor may require the following information:

  • Legal Name: Adelaide University
  • ABN: 41 202 953 738
  • DGR Status: The University is endorsed as a Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR).

Your solicitor can contact our Planned Giving team:

Email: give@adelaide.edu.au
Phone: +61 8 8313 5800

Our team appreciates it is a privilege to act as the custodian of legacy gifts and we also respect that some donors may wish to remain anonymous.

Letting us know about your bequest is entirely optional, but we would be delighted to hear from you. Knowing about your bequest allows us to fully understand your intentions and provide assistance with Will wording. 

It also allows the University to thank you, keep you informed, and invite you Bequest Circle events if you choose.

For more information, please contact our Planned Giving team:

Email: give@adelaide.edu.au
Phone: +61 8 8313 5800

You might wish your gift to be named after you or a loved one, such as through a named scholarship or award.

This can be stated in your Will and our Planned Giving team can help with wording to reflect this.

For more information, please contact our Planned Giving team:

Email: give@adelaide.edu.au
Phone: +61 8 8313 5800

There is no need to update your Will if you have already included a gift in your Will to either the University of Adelaide or University of South Australia, unless you wish to do so.

The legislation to create Adelaide University explicitly provides that testamentary dispositions, gifts or deeds formerly made to the University of Adelaide or University of South Australia will transfer to Adelaide University for the same purpose.

For any queries, please contact our Planned Giving team:

Email: give@adelaide.edu.au
Phone: +61 8 8313 5800

Get in touch

Please contact our Planned Giving team for more information about making a gift in your Will or discuss your legacy on +61 8 8313 5800 or give@adelaide.edu.au

Alternatively, you can complete the form below and we will be in touch. Your enquiry and information will be treated in the strictest confidence.

(100 words maximum)