Leave a lasting legacy

What passions have shaped your life? How will you make a powerful and lasting difference beyond your lifetime?

Leaving a gift to us in your Will is a way to safeguard the future you most care about. Through your legacy, you might help bright students become the first in their family to reach university. You might fund ground-breaking research that discovers a life-changing cure. Or you might invest in excellence, helping to create world-class learning environments where all students can thrive.

Your generous bequest provides an opportunity to ‘pay it forward’ and catalyse a lasting impact. Above all, your legacy will ensure the values La Trobe was founded on continue well into the future. Discover inspiring bequest stories.

If you are considering a gift to us in your Will, we encourage you to seek further legal advice. Your solicitor will help you word your gift in a way that ensures that your Executors are able to effectively carry out your wishes.

We also recommend that you discuss your intentions with your family and loved ones.

How to leave a gift to us in your Will

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.

Need more information?

For examples of suggested wording or to notify us of a gift in your Will so we may thank you during your lifetime. Please contact our Development Manager Bequests, Rebecca Passlow via your preferred method or send us your enquiry via our online form.

Our promise to you

Fulfilling your legacy is important to us which is why we offer our promise of transparency and confidentiality when discussing your wishes.

All funds donated through gifts in Wills are managed through the La Trobe University Foundation. The Foundation is governed by a sub-committee of University Council, Chaired by Deputy Chancellor Deb Radford, and invested funds managed by Russell Investment Group.

Every effort will be made to ensure your gift is deployed to the purpose you nominate in your Will. In the unlikely event that the University is unable to fulfil your stated wishes due to shifts or advances in future academic or research focal areas, we will work with your executors to discuss the most appropriate alternate way to fulfil the purpose of your gift. This may mean that your gift would be deployed to another area similar to your intended purpose, or if La Trobe is no longer delivering programs in the spirit of your intended purpose, we will seek to find an institution that does.

Your privacy is important to us. Any information disclosed to La Trobe University about a gift in your Will, be it verbal or documented, will be handled sensitively in accordance with your instructions, and in accordance with the University’s privacy policy.

Bequest stories

Liz’s legacy: How shared values sparked a bequest

Liz’s face lights up when she remembers her time at La Trobe. Discover how her passion for higher education has inspired her to make a powerful impact beyond her lifetime.

Lesley’s legacy: One for the dogs and cats

From the time she was a kid, Lesley Humphreys knew domestic animals can change life for the better. Discover how La Trobe research has empowered her mission to improve animal welfare and companion animal program funding.

Sha & Terry’s legacy: Breaking new ground for Indigenous education students

Sha and Terry’s bequest affirms their lifelong commitment to equal opportunity and community activism. Discover how their passion for education inspired them to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to thrive.