In their will, Kiwis often choose to leave just a little of what they have to the causes and communities they believe in. Photo / 123rf
In their will, Kiwis often choose to leave just a little of what they have to the causes and communities they believe in. Photo / 123rf
THE FACTS
Every year, thousands of Kiwis write wills, often leaving a small portion to causes they believe in.
Currently, only 6% of Kiwi estates include a charitable gift, below the United States and United Kingdom rates.
Increasing this to 10% could unlock over $500 million annually for charitable causes across the country.
Every year in Aotearoa, thousands of Kiwis make one of the biggest decisions of their lifetime from the privacy of their own home – or perhaps in the sanctity of their lawyer’s office.
They write a will.
Most of us will do this at some point. We divvyup the house, the savings, and if we’ve been fortunate and made good decisions, maybe the bach or the boat. We try to be fair.
The word “bequest” can conjure images of privilege and wealth, but that’s exactly what leaving a portion of assets – often as little as one or 2% – is.
Even a modest gift can grow over time into something that funds education pathways, restores local ecosystems, or supports families into the future.
At Hawke’s Bay Foundation, the community foundation I manage, those small gifts are pooled together and invested carefully.
A slice of the earnings is then distributed each year to local charities, projects and causes, while some is reinvested.
This means that the original capital keeps working, forever.
It’s the opposite of a one-off, flash-in-the-pan donation – it’s planned, long-term, intergenerational change.
And believe me, New Zealanders are generous. We donate during crises. We show up for bake sales and raffles, we support sports teams and fund unaffordable medications for sick friends. We support our clubs, our schools, our marae.
The thing we’re still wrapping our heads around is legacy giving, and although it’s starting to change – incrementally – we’ve fallen well behind most of the OECD.
Right now, just 6% of Kiwi estates include a charitable gift.
It’s a tiny figure – well below the US (10%) the UK (14%) and just below Australia (6.5%).
If we grew it to 10%, we’d unlock more than half a billion dollars each year for causes across the country.
Does that sound like a big ask? It might not be as daunting as you’d think.
With a larger than ever population heading into their senior years, Kiwis are sitting on a massive intergenerational wealth transfer.
According to The Bequest Report 2025 by JBWere, an estimated $27b will be passed on through inheritances this year alone. That number is set to climb to $1.6 trillion by 2050.
Bequests are starting to get a look-in, but uptake is slow. From the conversations I have here in Hawke’s Bay and around the motu with my work, there’s no lack of will – there’s a lack of understanding.
Most people don’t know that when giving through a community foundation, they’re able to decide whether their funds are used where the need is greatest or if they go to a particular cause, or passion.
And if they decide to tag distributions to their favourite charity or purpose, they are often very pleased to hear that that organisation or cause will receive sustainable and ongoing funding to support their mahi.
It begs the question, why have New Zealanders been reluctant to give in this way?
Distributing 100% of wealth via inheritances is simply what we’ve always done, and according to the JBWere report, most inheritances are received when the beneficiaries are almost 60 years old – long past the financially pressured years of raising children or paying off a mortgage.
In contrast, 1% or 2% of a person’s total wealth won’t necessarily diminish the impact on children or grandchildren but could radically alter the circumstances for many other whānau.
Small gifts are pooled together and invested carefully at Hawke’s Bay Foundation.
It can be a bonding experience for families too. We often hear from our donors that giving via our community foundation becomes a point of pride and part of a family story.
Hawke’s Bay Foundation supported 78 not-for-profits in 2025 through the distribution of $437,000 in funding. From a charity’s perspective, bequests mean they can breathe a little easier knowing they have a predictable stream of funding.
September is Wills Month, and this year, I’m asking Kiwis to let their whānau know what matters to them most and to consider writing it into their will.
So if you have a soft spot for native bird conservation or women’s empowerment, kids’ literacy or the surf lifesaving club, say it out loud.
One % of your estate, dedicated to doing good, could be your permanent legacy and help turn around the fortunes of some of our worthiest causes and charities.
