Gifts in Wills

Your gift makes a difference

A bequest to Bible Society:

Guarantees that more of God’s word is translated into people’s heart languages, in Australia and overseas.

Ensures that Bibles will be distributed affordably around the world.

Gives the gift of literacy to people so they can have a personal access to God’s word.

Enables us to make the Bible more accessible to generations to come.

Write Your Will Online

Don't have a will? Bible Society Australia is partnering with Australia's leading online will-writing platform, Safewill, so that you can create your Will online for just $80.

Safewill covers the basic features of Will writing, including executorship, appointing guardians for your children and pets, and estate distribution. Safewill also allows you to leave behind meaningful gifts, create comprehensive asset lists for your executor and specify funeral instructions.

After family and friends, please consider including Bible Society Australia in your Will. Your gift, no matter how large or small, will ensure we can Open The Bible for future generations.

Write your will

Impact and Stories

Another bequest made provision to supply the Gospel of Luke for outreach in Australia. In an amazing tale about God’s provision, Lawrie made out his Will in the mid 2000’s. When Lawrie passed away in 2017 Bible Society had just published 10,000 copies of Luke’s Gospel for use as an evangelistic tool. Imagine our amazement and gratitude that this bequest gift was prepared some 10 years prior to it being needed, and was received right at the time the Gospels were printed!

“Our Mob – God’s Story” showcases the talents of Christian artists from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. This beautiful book was established when Glenn, the administrator of Mrs Kath Carrigan’s estate, was given a substantial gift for his work. That gift inspired Glenn to create a memorial to his client’s Christian faith. Profits from book sales go towards publishing future Bible translations, which is a fabulous outcome from a gift that essentially keeps on giving.

In the last decade, a bequest helped to pay for Bible delivery vans in China. Neville was passionate about China and wanted to help get Bibles from the print room into the hands of local people. He helped to fund several delivery vans during his lifetime and then left a bequest that provided another two vans through his Will.

Gifting scripture access

Annie Selman remembers supporting Bible Society as a three-year-old by putting pennies into a bucket at her Sunday School.

“When I think about all the people who cannot access Scripture, I love that my widow’s mite can help.”

Annie’s gift has particular meaning, as it stems from a shared love, she explains:

“My late husband, Rex, and I were always united in our love for Bible society. The gift in my Will is not just my legacy- it is his also.”

Serving God through Giving

Val Petering is a long-time supporter of Bible Society, having servitude modelled to her by her parents.

“It is a privilege and honour to serve God through Bible Society, both in this life, and after I go to be with the Lord.”

“It is marvelous to know that when we are “home with Jesus”, we can still keep on supporting BSA through our Bequests. This I do gladly as a cheerful giver.”

Sharing hope

Having grown up in a church with a strong focus on overseas missions, brothers Warwick and Arthur Connor were always drawn towards supporting missions. This is why Warwick, who never married, left generous bequests to Bible Society Australia and give other charities in his will.

Because Warwick died quickly after a short illness, he was not able to specify how he would like the beneficiaries to spend the gifts. After deliberation, his brother Arthur decided to steer Warwick’s gift into our Remote and Indigenous Ministry projects to facilitate Indigenous language work.

“All the work is commendable. However, given the number of Australian Indigenous people who speak traditional languages, I’m sure he would be most ‘chuffed’ if funds were able to be put toward translating the Bible into an Australian Indigenous language,” Arthur said.

Get in touch

If you have any questions for our team, we want to provide the best support for you. Please reach out.

Also, if you’ve already included Bible Society Australia in your will or estate plan, let us know.

[email protected]

Resources and FAQ

For Solicitors

Your solicitor may find the following suggested wording helpful for including Bible Society Australia in your Will:

“I ( name ), give to Bible Society Australia, ABN 85 214 424 729, for its general purposes, free of all duties, the following:

» % of my estate » The residual of my estate » The sum of $ » Life Insurance Policy Number » Property (details) » Other (details)

And I direct that the receipt of the Chief Executive Officer or other proper officer of the Bible Society Australia shall be sufficient discharge to the executor(s) of my estate.”

Bible Society Australia address information:

Head Office: Level 23, 100 Miller Street, North Sydney, NSW 2060 Ph. 1300 242 537

Post: GPO Box 4161, Sydney, NSW 2001

Frequently Asked Questions

Planning our Will is one of the most important and personal decisions we may make. And it is vital that all matters are thought through carefully along with relevant information to help in the decision-making process. Here are some of the questions about gifts in Wills that come up the most in our conversations with Bible Society supporters.

How do I make a bequest for Bible Society in my Will?

There are two ways you can create a Will

1. Discuss writing your Will with a Solicitor

If you would like to leave a bequest for Bible Society in your Will you may wish to use our suggested wording. As always, we encourage you to take care of your loved ones first before considering what you may like to leave to Bible Society and your other favourite charities. If you have tithed as part of your faith life, perhaps you may wish to give a tithe portion of your estate to charity after giving the rest to your dependents? Taking legal and/or professional advice and discussing these matters with appropriate family members is a sound part of the decision-making process.
Your solicitor may find the following suggested wording helpful for including Bible Society Australia in your Will:

“I ( name ), give to Bible Society Australia, ABN 85 214 424 729, for its general purposes, free of all duties, the following:
» % of my estate » The residual of my estate » The sum of $ » Life Insurance Policy Number » Property (details) » Other (details)
And I direct that the receipt of the Chief Executive Officer or other proper officer of the Bible Society Australia shall be sufficient discharge to the executor(s) of my estate.”

Bible Society Australia address information:
Head Office: Level 23, 100 Miller Street, North Sydney, NSW 2060 Ph. 1300 242 537
Post: GPO Box 4161, Sydney, NSW 2001

What does it cost to include a gift in my Will for Bible Society?

Costs for updating a Will with a solicitor vary and usually depend on the complexity of the Will, which dictates how much time is required to draft the Will. A simple codicil to amend your existing Will may be added at any time without cost - view our codicil form here. If you choose to add your bequest for Bible Society when you next revise or update your Will there would be no extra cost to you.

2. Create a Will online with Safewill

Bible Society has partnered with Safewill, who offer simple Wills through their online platform for $80. If you don't yet have a Will in place, Safewill allows Wills to be created online with free unlimited changes/updates for one year. Safewill utilises best in class, military grade encryption and privacy practises to ensure your data stays where it belongs- protected and just for you.

Every Will created through Safewill submitted is reviewed by their affiliate law firm, Safewill Legal, to ensure it has been filled out correctly, and their lovely Customer Care team will also be available to answer any queries over web chat or phone. They are available 7 days a week at safewill.com or on 1800 10 33 10 (Mon - Fri, 8am-8pm, & Sat - Sun, 9am-5pm).

PLEASE NOTE: Accessing your Online Will through our partnership with Safewill does not oblige you to include a bequest for Bible Society. All we ask is that you consider a gift for our mission should your circumstances allow.

Bible Society does not receive a copy of any Will you write through Safewill. Your Will is private to you and Bible Society will only receive information about your Will if you choose to share it with us. If you would like us to stay in touch and hear about the impact of our work, just let us know.

What about our children and other loved ones?

If you have children under the age of 18 years thought needs to be given to appointing a guardian(s) to look after them should anything happen to you. It is best to discuss guardianship with those you see fulfilling this role to ensure they are comfortable with the arrangement. We understand that family and other loved ones come first. After taking care of their needs in your Will you might consider a gift for Bible Society and your other favourite charities.

How does Bible Society use bequests?

Bible Society applies bequests to our programs and projects, which include translating the Bible into other languages, supplying Bibles, Literacy and education programs. Essentially, Bible Society aims to fulfil our mission to provide the Bible to people in a language they can understand, in a format they can use, and at a price they can afford, which is often free. To help Bible Society achieve these ends bequests that are more generally worded are best e.g., ‘unrestricted’ or ‘Where Needed Most’. Or simply gifting to ‘Bible Society Australia’ is adequate. This allows us the most flexibility to be able to direct the bequest towards the greatest needs at the time.

Can I leave a gift for a specific program or project?

This is possible in a general sense, but there are challenges with doing this as projects may be completed and some programs may be either altered or finished as the years go by. For this reason, it is best to use general terms to focus specific bequests. Our ‘Where Needed Most’ fund allows us to supply funding to those areas of our work that are under-funded, or current emergency appeals. Or general mission goals that will be our focus for many years to come. For example, leaving a gift for “Bible translation” rather than to a specific language translation project. Or for “literacy programs” rather than a specific country literacy program. Please contact our bequest manager if you would like to discuss the possibilities before making your decision.

What does it cost to include a bequest in my Will for Bible Society?

Can I have someone at Bible Society Australia act as my executor or trustee?

Can my Will be challenged through the legal system?

Your Will can be challenged and so if you have a desire to exclude an individual from your estate it is important to make your reasons clear in the text of your Will. When preparing your Will it must be witnessed by two adult people of sound mind and who are NOT beneficiaries or spouses of beneficiaries. Their names and addresses need to be printed when signing as witnesses to your Will. They need not be privy to the contents of your Will as they are witnessing your signature. For your Will to be valid it must be properly worded and your signature witnessed. We encourage people who are considering leaving a gift to Bible Society Australia, or any charity, to communicate your wishes with your loved ones where appropriate.

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