Bequests

A Lasting Gift

Leaving clear instructions for your loved ones, about your wishes when you pass away, can relieve them of a lot of pressure at a very hard time.

A bequest is a gift of cash or assets made through your will. Even if you do not have many possessions, stating what you want done with them and how you would like your memorial handled is wise. Your solicitor can advise you on the best way to go about organising a bequest.

By gifting some of your estate to the OMRF, you will be creating a legacy of support for medical research.

What do we fund?

The Foundation supports innovative, early-stage medical research projects and student scholarships in Otago.

• Annual Grant Round – our premier round of year-long, innovative earlystage research projects.
• Student Scholarships – 10-week student summer research projects, supervised by senior researchers. These often lead to research and teaching careers for the students, and the projects contribute knowledge to the field.
• Jack Thomson Bequest – research into the problems and treatment of arthritis
• Laurenson Bequest – research into the effects of proper diet and/or drugs on human health.

How would we use your gift?

Your gift will be used to fund important medical research here in Otago.

For over 50 years, the Foundation has funded millions of dollars in research into many of the world’s most devastating conditions including cancer, immune disorders, heart disease, gut health, stroke, arthritis and dementia.

We focus on innovative research for better diagnoses, treatments and ways of managing illnesses.

Our Scientific Committee assesses every application for support and selects the very best each year.

We are careful custodians of the money you entrust us with. We spend wisely on administration and we are conservative with our investments to maximise the return to the research community.

Can I specify how my money is used?

If there is an area of medical research of particular interest to you (you may have had someone close to you with a specific condition) we welcome you stating in your bequest exactly how you wish your gift to be used.

It pays to speak to us when you are thinking of something specific to ensure we are able to honour your wishes.

Or, you can leave it up to us. We are happy to receive gifts that allow us to determine where the best place is to spend the money given to research.

If in doubt, simply give us a call and we can come and see you to talk about what you would like.

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.