A legacy that will
know no borders
Leaving a bequest in your Will
to Médecins Sans Frontières
© MSF
Contents
The Médecins Sans Frontières story
2
An eternal commitment to humanitarian action
3
How your bequest will be used
4
How to make a bequest
5
5
– Will wording for your solicitor
Frequently asked questions 6
Getting in touch 7
For more information contact the Bequest Officer, Angie Shum, on 02 8570 2660 or [email protected]
1
Independent. International. Impartial.
The MEdecins Sans FrontiEres story.
A health worker
discusses
problems with
an armed soldier.
© H.J. Burkard
M
édecins Sans Frontières was set up in 1971 by a group of
French doctors who were frustrated by the bureaucracy and
government interference preventing humanitarian organisations
from helping people in need.
Médecins Sans Frontières has over
400 medical projects in more than
60 countries. In 2011, our teams
treated 8.8 million patients.
OUR CHARTER
Médecins Sans Frontières:
o ffers assistance to populations
in distress, victims of natural or
man-made disasters and armed
conflict, without discrimination
and irrespective of race,
religion, creed or political
affiliation
o bserves neutrality and
impartiality in the name of
universal medical ethics and the
right to humanitarian assistance
emands full and unhindered
d
freedom in the exercise of its
functions.
Their approach – to do what it takes to reach people in need with as little
red tape as possible, and to treat patients regardless of who they are or
their religious or political affiliation – has informed the organisation’s work
ever since.
Our teams in the field witness the result of conflict, neglect and disaster which
very often escapes broader international attention. We are committed to
speaking out about these international crises to alert the public to the plight
of the people we help.
Every day, more than 24,000 Médecins Sans Frontières field staff provide
assistance to people caught in crises around the world. We have offices in
23 countries, including our office in Sydney, to support these teams.
Our work covers a wide range of medical issues including women’s health,
paediatrics, neglected diseases, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis (TB), emergency
surgery, response to outbreaks of infectious diseases and immunisation
campaigns to prevent their spread.
Our projects are diverse and far-ranging. What doesn’t change is the fact that
it is your support which allows us to set up and run programs in some of the
world’s most conflict-ridden, inhospitable and inaccessible places.
The crucial factor in all of this is our ability to remain independent. In Australia,
our funding comes exclusively from private donations.
Your bequest will help us provide medical assistance to people in need,
whoever they are, and ensure our programs truly know no borders.
For more information contact the Bequest Officer, Angie Shum, on 02 8570 2660 or [email protected]
2
AN ETERNAL COMMITMENT
TO HUMANITARIAN ACTION
Médecins Sans Frontières is the world’s leading
independent organisation for medical humanitarian aid.
For 40 years, our teams have provided medical assistance
to people fleeing conflict, and impacted by natural
disasters or outbreaks of disease.
1970s
Bequests help ensure we will be able to provide this kind
of assistance for many years to come.
1980s
© François Leduc
1990s
© MSF
2000s
© Patrick Robert/Corbis Sygma
2010s
© Nicolas Postal
© Julie Remy
1971 – A group of French doctors and journalists creates Médecins
Sans Frontières in the wake of war and famine in Biafra, Nigeria, and the
floods in east Pakistan (now Bangladesh).
1975 – The organisation launched its first large-scale refugee program
for waves of Cambodians fleeing violence.
1976 – In Lebanon, teams conduct surgeries in the organisation’s first
response in a major war-zone.
1980 – After the Soviet Union invades Afghanistan, medical teams
clandestinely cross the Pakistani-Afghan border to treat injured civilians.
1985 – In Ethiopia, Médecins Sans Frontières is ordered to halt nutrition
programs after denouncing the hijacking of humanitarian aid and the
Government’s forced transfer of populations.
1988 – Médecins Sans Frontières first witnesses the use of chemical
weapons on the Kurdish town, Halabja, Iraq.
1 991 – Teams provide medical care for Kurds driven from their homes by
the Iraqi army.
1992 – Médecins Sans Frontières alerts the international community to
widespread famine in Somalia.
1 994 – Médecins Sans Frontières takes the unprecedented action to call for
military intervention to end the genocide of 800,000 people in Rwanda.
1999 – Médecins Sans Frontières is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for its
‘pioneering humanitarian work on several continents’.
2000 – Médecins Sans Frontières first provides antiretroviral therapy to
people with HIV/AIDS
2004 – The emergency in Darfur drives refugees into Chad and western
Sudan, where medical teams provide urgent care.
2005 – Ready-to-use foods to treat malnutrition are pioneered and
trialled in Médecins Sans Frontières projects in Niger.
2 010 – The organisation’s largest ever emergency response is launched
after the Haiti earthquake, which killed more than 200,000 people.
2010 – Massive flooding in Pakistan sees medical activities expanded to
respond to the disaster.
2011 – Médecins Sans Frontières responds to a nutrition crisis in wartorn Somalia.
2012 – Refugees fleeing fighting in Sudan overwhelm refugee camps in
South Sudan.
2013 – Médecins Sans Frontières speaks out about the dire humanitarian
conditions within Syria, as teams continue to treat victims of the conflict.
For more information contact the Bequest Officer, Angie Shum, on 02 8570 2660 or [email protected]
3
how your bequest will be used
Thousands of internally displaced people arrived at Endebess
camp in the wake of Kenya’s disputed 2007 election after their
homes were attacked and burnt, forcing them to flee.
© Brendan Bannon
YOUR SUPPORT ALLOWS US TO GO
WHERE WE’RE NEEDED
It means we can:
rovide TB treatment in
p
countries such as Armenia,
Colombia, Kenya and Malawi
s et up and run maternal health
programs from Madagascar and
Nigeria to Pakistan and South
Sudan
erform emergency surgery in
p
conflict zones such as Syria and
the Palestinian Territories
r espond to disease outbreaks in
Chad, the Democratic Republic
of Congo and Somalia
B
y remembering Médecins Sans Frontières with a bequest in
your Will, you are making a unique commitment. Your legacy
to Médecins Sans Frontières will help us to continue to provide
medical aid where and when it is needed.
We rely on our supporters’ generosity to enable us to respond immediately
and effectively to populations in need of urgent medical assistance. Without
you our work would simply not be possible. Whatever the amount, your
contribution is invaluable.
A bequest is one of the most effective and long-lasting ways you can help
Médecins Sans Frontières. Your promise of future support is deeply appreciated.
If you have included a bequest to Médecins Sans Frontières in your Will, please
let us know. We would welcome the opportunity to thank you personally for
this legacy of support.
At all times your privacy will be fully respected and the information you provide
will remain strictly confidential.
ount mass vaccination
m
campaigns against measles in
the Central African Republic,
Burkina Faso and Congo
Brazzaville
These are just a handful of
examples of the medical
assistance provided by Médecins
Sans Frontières teams on a daily
basis.
For more information contact the Bequest Officer, Angie Shum, on 02 8570 2660 or [email protected]
4
how to make a bequest
Nurse caring for premature baby in a Médecins Sans Frontières
maternity hospital. (Haiti 2009) © Espen Rasmussen
When unexpected medical
emergencies occur and our
immediate action is required,
it is essential that all our
programs can continue without
interruption. Financial flexibility
is crucial to our ability to
respond to priority needs, so we
ask that you do not designate
your gift to a particular project,
country or region.
WHY I INCLUDED A BEQUEST
“It was a very easy procedure to
add the bequest. I was updating
my Will anyway…I know my
contribution will help Médecins
Sans Frontières make a positive
difference where it is needed.”
Bernard
Chapman,
Médecins Sans
Frontières
supporter
If you already have a Will but would like to leave a gift to Médecins Sans
Frontières, you can do so by making a simple addition to your existing Will.
This is called a codicil.
If you do not have a Will at the moment, you can simply include a bequest
when you write a new Will. Whatever your circumstances, we would advise you
see a solicitor to ensure your wishes will be followed.
Types of bequests
1. A residuary bequest is the most effective way to leave a bequest to Médecins
Sans Frontières. It is a gift of what remains after you have made provisions for your
loved ones. A residuary gift will keep up with inflation. It will mean your bequest
will achieve as much in our projects in the future as you would like it to now.
2. Leaving a percentage of your estate allows you to decide what proportion
of your total estate you would like to give to Médecins Sans Frontières.
A percentage gift will also keep up with inflation.
3. A pecuniary bequest is a fixed sum of money to be left to Médecins
Sans Frontières.
For your solicitor
Please take this information with you when you visit your solicitor to draft
or update your Will. We suggest the following wording:
“I give and bequeath to Médecins Sans Frontières Australia, a company
limited by guarantee, of PO Box 847, Broadway, NSW 2007 Australia:
t he residue, or
[……] percent of my whole estate, or
[……] percent of the residue, or
the specific sum of $[……]
to be used for its general purposes”.
Your solicitor may also require the following details:
ABN: 74 068 758 654; Registered Charity Number: CFN 11960
For more information contact the Bequest Officer, Angie Shum, on 02 8570 2660 or [email protected]
5
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is a bequest?
A bequest is a gift left in your Will.
It’s also known as a legacy. You can
leave a bequest by writing a new Will,
or by adding a codicil (an addition)
to your existing Will. We recommend
you consult a solicitor who can help
you write your Will.
What is the best way to leave
a gift in my Will to Médecins
Sans Frontières?
The best way to leave a gift is to
leave a monetary gift (i.e. not
property, shares, etc.) and to leave
a residuary bequest. This is a gift
of what remains after all your
other provisions have been made,
enabling you to put your loved ones
first. As residuary bequests keep
up with inflation, they are the most
effective way to provide a gift to
Médecins Sans Frontières.
You can also leave a percentage of
your estate or a pecuniary bequest,
which is a fixed sum of money to be
left to Médecins Sans Frontières.
I want to leave a bequest
to a specific country/project.
Can I do this?
Having flexible funds is essential to
our ability to respond rapidly and
where the need is greatest. Leaving
a bequest for the organisation’s
general use is the most effective as
it means that your gift will definitely
be used where it’s needed most.
Leaving a bequest to a specific type
of work or location might mean that
it cannot be used. This can occur if
we are no longer working there or
doing the kind of work specified
in the future. As such, we ask that
you do not designate your gift to a
particular project, country or region.
Is there specific wording to put
in my Will to leave a bequest to
Médecins Sans Frontières?
Yes there is. Here is some suggested
wording for your solicitor to
include a bequest to Médecins Sans
Frontières in your Will:
“I give and bequeath to Médecins
Sans Frontières Australia, a
company limited by guarantee, of
PO Box 847, Broadway, NSW 2007
Australia:
t he residue, or
[……] percent of my whole estate,
or
[……] percent of the residue, or
the specific sum of $[……]
to be used for its general purposes”.
Your solicitor may also require the
following details:
ABN: 74 068 758 654
Registered Charity Number:
CFN 11960
Can Médecins Sans Frontières
help me write my Will?
No, we don’t have that kind of legal
expertise. We recommend you
consult a solicitor who can help you
write your Will. There is also a Public
Trustee in every state of Australia that
offers Will writing services.
Can I make Médecins Sans
Frontières the Executor of
my Will?
No, we appreciate your trust in the
organisation but we do not have the
necessary resources.
Can I leave you my house,
other property or shares?
Monetary gifts are preferred as
Médecins Sans Frontières would
need to convert any property or
shares into cash to be able to use
them to help our patients. This
means additional time and resources
spent trying to get the best price
and sell these items before we can
put your bequest to use.
My relative has passed away
and left a gift in their Will for
Médecins Sans Frontières.
What do I need to do?
We very much appreciate bequests
left to us from generous supporters.
Please ask the Executor to notify us
in writing of the bequest by sending
a letter to PO Box 847, Broadway
NSW 2007, and we can start the
process of transferring the bequest
to Médecins Sans Frontières.
Why is having a Will so important?
If you do not have a Will when
you die, state laws will determine
how your assets will be distributed.
Leaving clear instructions and
sharing your decisions with your
family and friends can give you the
peace of mind that your final wishes
will be understood and respected
after you are gone. We recognise
that writing a Will is one of the most
significant decisions you’ll ever make.
That’s why we know it’s important
to take your time and have all of the
information you need to help you
make up your mind.
For more information contact the Bequest Officer, Angie Shum, on 02 8570 2660 or [email protected]
6
GETTING IN TOUCH
© MSF
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT
Please take the time to provide this information which enables us to keep our records updated.
I have updated my Will to include a bequest to Médecins Sans Frontières Australia
I would like the Bequest Officer to call me to discuss leaving a bequest to Médecins Sans Frontières:
Title
First Name
Surname
Address
Suburb
State
(h)
Postcode
(m)
Please return this form in one of the following ways:
*Complete and return this form to:
Médecins Sans Frontières Australia, PO Box 847, Broadway NSW 2007
2 Complete and fax this form to (02) 8570 2699
 Scan and email to [email protected]
Médecins Sans Frontières
PO Box 847, Broadway NSW 2007, Australia
Tel: (61) (2) 8570 2600 · 1300 13 60 61
www.msf.org.au/bequest
Personal information is used to communicate with you about your support and to provide updates on our work. Our Privacy Policy is available at www.msf.org.au/privacy.
© Médecins Sans Frontières Australia · ABN 74 068 758 654.