Make a Lasting Difference
Supporting the Otago Medical Research Foundation is a meaningful way to help medical research in Otago continue for years to come. Your contribution can fund innovative projects, student scholarships, or areas of research close to your heart, creating a legacy that truly makes a difference.
Gift in Wills/Bequests
Many people choose to support causes they care about during their lifetime. A gift in your will is a thoughtful way to continue that support, creating a lasting contribution that can make a real difference for future generations.
A legacy gift to the Otago Medical Research Foundation helps ensure important medical research continues in Otago, improving lives now and in the years ahead.
Taking the time to record your wishes can bring peace of mind - for you and for those closest to you. A bequest is a gift of money or assets made through your will, and it can be included regardless of the size of your estate.
Your solicitor can guide you through the process and help ensure your wishes are clearly expressed. By leaving a gift to the Otago Medical Research Foundation, you create a legacy of care and support for medical research.
The Foundation supports innovative, early-stage medical research and student scholarships in Otago, including:
- Annual Grant Round: year-long, early-stage research projects that explore new and promising ideas
- Student Scholarships: 10-week summer research projects that often inspire lifelong careers in research and medicine
- Jack Thomson Arthritis Fund: research focused on the treatment and understanding of arthritis
- Laurenson Bequest: research into how diet and medicines affect human health.
Your gift will support vital medical research here in Otago. For nearly 60 years, the Foundation has funded research into many serious health conditions, including cancer, heart disease, immune disorders, stroke, arthritis, dementia and gut health.
All applications for funding are carefully reviewed by our Scientific Committee. We take our responsibility seriously, keeping administration costs low and managing investments prudently so your gift can have the greatest possible impact.
You are welcome to specify how your gift is used, particularly if there is an area of medical research that is close to your heart. We encourage you to talk with us if you have something specific in mind, so we can ensure your wishes can be honoured.
You may also choose to leave your gift unrestricted, allowing us to direct funding to where it is needed most.
If you would like to talk about leaving a bequest, or simply explore your options, we would be very happy to hear from you and support you in any way we can.
It is helpful for us to know if you have planned a gift to the Foundation in your will. This will ensure that we can acknowledge your generous support and keep you up-to-date with our work. There is no need to specify an amount, just let us know.
The Otago Medical Research Foundation (Inc.) is a registered charity.
Otago Medical Research Foundation
P.O. Box 5726, Dunedin 9054
Ph: 021 030 4900
Email: info@omrf.org.nz
Why leave a gift in your will to the Otago Medical Research Foundation?
For one anonymous* Foundation supporter, it is wanting to make a difference.
The benefactor has seen first-hand the effects of Alzheimer’s disease and cancer on the sufferer and their loved ones, and says it’s not something you’d wish on anyone.
“After losing both my parents and a close friend to these awful diseases I started to think about what I could do – was there some role I could play personally that could make a difference, big or small, to help provide answers, and that would prevent another family having to take that same journey?
I thought long and hard about the options when a friend suggested a bequest to the Foundation, and I realised it made sense. I would be providing for my own children too, but creating a bequest meant I could also do something bigger with my money.
I felt strongly that I want to give back and feel like research is the way we will find answers to the suffering these diseases cause. So providing money towards supporting research into cancer is my way of contributing.
The Foundation is well established and has a good reputation and is all about backing medical research; I know without this type of support there wouldn’t be the people and the same level of work into tackling some of life’s big problems. My bequest will help to keep that going and knowing that in the future this may help someone to live longer makes me feel like I am doing something positive.
I don’t need to be involved or even to attend events; I trust the Foundation’s Scientific Committee to invest into projects that make a difference.
Every person’s journey is different, but if you’re looking for a practical way to give back and fight the impact of these diseases on individuals and families, the bequest option is a good choice. ”
- Anonymous
*If you’d prefer for your support to remain anonymous, please let us know.