Leave a lasting legacy

We understand making a provision for a gift in your Will to La Trobe will be a personal and carefully considered decision. It is for this reason we welcome the opportunity to discuss your interests and invite you to engage with our students, researchers and academics to explore together the best way to deliver your desired impact – your legacy.

Many of our supporters choose to structure gifts in their Will to support our core focal areas, the cornerstones of the La Trobe mission which represent opportunities for facilitating the pursuit of excellence and world leading research well into the future.

Option A: Support the area of greatest impact

A gift toward the area of greatest impact is the most effective way you can help advance the areas of student access, bold research and state-of-the-art learning environments. Your gift will be distributed to the area identified as having the greatest impact at the time it’s received.

Option B: Support access to education

Help us attract the best and brightest students from all social, geographic and cultural backgrounds. Your gift toward education can provide prospective and current students from diverse backgrounds with access to scholarships, bursaries or prizes to allow them to pursue their studies and reach their full potential.

Option C: Facilitate bold research

Our mission at La Trobe is to lead the way in developing creative and innovative responses to the fundamental challenges facing the world today. A gift to facilitate advancements in La Trobe’s research focus areas can accelerate outcomes of global significance.

There are a number of ways you can structure the gift in your Will to La Trobe University to ensure, most importantly, that your loved ones are looked after first and foremost, while also providing the means to deliver the impact you’d like your legacy to achieve through your gift to La Trobe University.

We recommend you seek the professional advice of an independent legal advisor and consult with your loved ones when drafting your Will. This will help ensure your wishes are articulated clearly in your Will and that those wishes can be carried out as intended when your Will comes into effect.

Several options for structuring your gift are as follows:

1) A residual gift

A residual gift can be all, or a portion of what is left over in your estate after specific gifts, debts, funeral expenses and estate administration have been accounted for. Residual gifts are a way in which you can ensure your intended gift retains its value over time while ensuring your loved ones are also provided for as you wish.

2) Whole or part of your estate

You can leave your entire estate, or a portion of it to La Trobe University

3) A specific gift

You can leave any identifiable property as a gift in your Will to La Trobe University. A specific gift may include for example, a specific sum of money, shareholdings, artwork or real estate.

It is important that the purpose of your gift is well articulated in your Will so we can ensure your gift can be distributed and expended as you wish, in a timely fashion.

While La Trobe University is unable to offer legal advice or draft your Will, we can assist by providing suggested wording as guidance for you to further discuss with your independent legal advisor. We also highly recommend you discuss your wishes with your family and loved ones to ensure your wishes are understood and upheld when your Will comes into effect.

Below is a sample that may assist you:

"I give <insert dollar amount / the residue of my estate / % of my residuary estate> absolutely to La Trobe University ABN 64 804735 113, La Trobe University, Victoria 3086 (the University), for the general purposes of the University. I direct that the receipt of the Vice-Chancellor or other proper officer for the time being of the University is an absolute discharge to my Executor and Trustee."

For more information, or to discuss leaving a gift to support a specific area or purpose within the University such as scholarships or research, please contact Rebecca Passlow, Development Manager (Bequests) on (03) 9479 6451, by email R.Passlow@latrobe.edu.au or complete our Gifts in Wills online enquiry form.

Note: This above wording is provided as a general guide only. It is not provided as legal advice. You are advised to obtain your own legal advice prior to making a Will to ensure that your specific circumstances are taken into account. La Trobe University shall not be responsible for any loss or damage suffered by any person arising from reliance upon the information provided in this document.

While we understand your Will and associated financial affairs are personal, it is extremely beneficial to let us know in writing that you have finalised a gift in your Will to La Trobe and for what purpose that gift is intended.

Firstly, and most importantly, this means we can thank you for your generosity in your lifetime. We can also keep you updated on the impact or progress we are making in the are of your interests so you get a tangible view of how your gift will accelerate or advance those outcomes in the future.

Letting us know, also gives you the opportunity to engage with other likeminded individuals through our Chancellor’s Circle group . These events can also open opportunities to engage your broader family and friends on the impact your legacy sets out to achieve.