Discover more
Gifts in Wills and bequests
Leave a legacy to shape a better future
Leaving a gift in your Will to the University of Sydney is a meaningful way to make an enduring contribution to future generations through the progress of learning and discovery.
Throughout our history, gifts in Wills have helped to transform the lives of students through scholarships and bursaries, contributed to ground-breaking research discoveries, and enriched the University’s cultural collections and libraries for the benefit of the whole community. Leaving a gift in your Will is no small action. Our team is here to assist you in creating a meaningful legacy that will shape a better future.
What is a bequest?
Bequests (also known as gifts in Wills) are donations passed on to a beneficiary through a will or other estate planning documents. It is a wonderful way to leave a legacy in memory of yourself or a loved one and create a lasting impact on the lives of others.
Whether you’re passionate about contributing to medical breakthroughs, helping transform disadvantaged communities, finding solutions to global issues or supporting animals in need, a gift in your Will to the University can be life-changing.
Talk to our team about your vision for the future
Leaving a gift in your Will takes just a few conversations.
We can speak with you over the phone, invite you to campus or, where possible, arrange to visit you. We can help you find areas to support that align with your passions - from healthcare to music, the team can introduce you to people working in those areas and give you a tour of the campus or facilities. We can ensure that your gift is personalised to impact the areas you are most passionate about.
Contact the team
Getting started is as simple as getting in touch with us. To start your bequest journey, please contact:
Isabella Andrews
Associate Director, Planned Giving
Mobile: +61 423 074 242
Email: planned.giving@sydney.edu.au
Future-proofing your legacy
One of the many benefits of leaving a gift in your Will is the ability to direct your gift to the area you most want to support, and modify it based on your circumstances. Your assets in your control during your lifetime.
Our team can assist you or your solicitor in drafting clauses for your bequest to ensure it is received as you intend, with the best possible long-term impact. We recommend you speak to your solicitor to ensure that the contents of your will accurately reflect your intentions.
If you are in the process of making a Will, your solicitor will require the below information regarding the University's correct legal name, ABN and tax-deductible status. For your convenience, we have listed them below:
- Legal name - the University of Sydney
- ABN - 15 211 513 464
- The University of Sydney is endorsed as a Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR).
You can choose to make your gift unrestricted or direct it to a specific purpose. The five main types of gifts you can leave in your Will are:
- residual
- percentage or fractional
- whole estate
- pecuniary or specific
- endowment gifts
Our team will work closely with you to understand the impact you want to create and provide advice and support to ensure your gift will carry out the impact you intended.
If you would like some suggestions on will wording to capture your gift intentions, please contact us.
We recommend you have a chat with us if your bequest references:
- scholarship awarding requirements
- an area/unit of study or research
- naming
- endowment
- a department, school, institute, centre, collection, museum or college
Please note, the University cannot provide legal advice. The suggested wording we provide should be discussed with your solicitor. The wording recommendations we provide to you are not gift agreements and we understand you may change your mind at any time.
Should you choose to create your own Will there are now some easy and affordable online options. Safewill is an online Will writing platform offering a special discount to our alumni and supporters. Visit the Safewill site.
Download our Gift in Wills pack
The pack includes information on the impact your gift could have, personal stories from other generous donors and some details on the process of leaving a bequest.
Download the pack (pdf, 782kb)
2024 Challis Bequest Society luncheon, held in the Great Hall.
Let us say thank you
If you plan to leave a gift in your Will, please contact our team to share your intentions so that we can thank you for your enduring contribution to learning and discovery.
Challis Bequest Society
To express our gratitude to those who make the generous decision to include a gift in their Will to the University, we offer exclusive membership to our Challis Bequest Society. Membership comes with a range of benefits, including invitations to society-only events and luncheons.
