… and an opportunity to give a legacy gift
This week, we’re asking our supporters a pretty big question. What will your legacy be?
Sadly, traditional will-writing can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars which makes it difficult for many people to write a will or plan to support the causes they care about.
So, we’ve partnered with Gathered Here, to offer our supporters access to a FREE online will. It is as easy as possible for people to write a FREE will and if they want to, include a gift to charity too (please choose us HAHA).
PROS
- It’s free
- You can update it anytime for free
- It takes around 10 minutes to write
- It’s 100% legal, just make sure you get it signed properly.
- All instructions are included.
- You can add a legacy gift to CCI Support if you wish.
CONS
- Not great for complicated wills with child custody arrangements, multiple properties etc.
- It’s not stored with a Lawyer – so you will need to let your family know you have one and when the time comes, your appointed executor will need to action it.
Frequently Asked Questions:
How does it work?
Why is it free? Gathered Here started in 2017 to help vulnerable families compare funeral directors and make better decisions for end-of-life care. This led them to start an end-of-life service in Australia and a probate service (not available in New Zealand yet), it’s the funds from their end-of-life services that allow them to offer free online wills. They added this platform to New Zealand in late 2023. They ONLY offer free wills in NZ at this stage. More information about them can be found here: Gathered Here
Why is CCI Support offering this? At the time of writing this blog, CCI Support does not receive direct Government Funding for providing services to people with ME/CFS, Long COVID, or Fibromyalgia. We are a Not for Profit Charity, whose funding mostly comes from philanthropic and gaming grants.
Firstly we have partnered with Gathered Here because they offer charities the opportunity to offer free wills and there is a section that will select our charity and ASK if you’d like to leave a legacy gift to us in your will. Your donation will help ensure those with complex chronic illness (and their family/whānau and carers) are supported throughout their journey. As a non-profit, we rely on the generosity of our community, sponsors, and funders to continue providing our core services. With your help, we can not only help our existing members but also plan for the future with confidence and certainty.
Secondly, many of our members are unable to afford wills via Lawyers, but they still need the protection of the will.
Do I HAVE to gift to CCI Support in my will to use this platform? No, it makes the offer to you, with an easy link to CCI Support. It also has links to other charities you can choose as well. Or you can bypass that section completely.
Will the Public or CCI Support see what I’ve written or contributed? No, CCI Support is on the very basic free plan ourselves. We see an approximate figure if someone makes a gift in their will for us, but no details at all about the person. We cannot see who accessed the platform or completes a will or who/what they’ve contributed too.
Is it legally binding? Yes, and it’s easy to write. You just need to follow the instructions for signing. Below I will add a few links to some NZ information about wills and probate in New Zealand.
New Zealand Government – Wills and Probate