Leaving a bequest to the University of Melbourne
Describing the purpose of your bequest
Will clauses - Bequests to the University for general purposes
Will clauses - Bequests to the University for a stated purposes
Types of bequest
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- a residuary bequest, where a donor bequeaths (gives) a portion of the donor’s residuary estate (i.e. what remains after all other gifts and costs have been paid); or
- a specific bequest, where a donor bequeaths a specified sum or an asset such as shares, property, or works of art.
How can your bequest help?
Through your bequest you can specify which part or activity of the University you wish your gift to support. Below are some examples of the many possible bequests, provided as a guide only. We encourage you to contact the Bequest Manager to discuss your particular interests and determine the level of support needed to achieve your wishes, as it varies depending on the faculty or institution (e.g. Baillieu Library) you wish to support.
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Students
A bequest can fund student awards (scholarships, prizes and bursaries) to help the University provide educational opportunities for the best and brightest students regardless of their financial circumstances.
Faculties and research
A bequest can help to maintain excellent academic standards by funding a particular academic position or research program in a specified Faculty or Department.
Libraries and Cultural Collections
A bequest can help preserve, document and make available to students and researchers the University’s rich and varied collections of precious historic materials, which include books, archives, scientific specimens and apparatus, and artworks.
Describing the purpose of your bequest
There are two categories of bequests to the University:
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a bequest for general purposes, where the University will decide which projects are to be funded by the bequest, being the projects at the University with the greatest priority at the time of the donor’s death; and
- a bequest for a stated purpose, where the donor specifies the particular initiative to benefit, such as a particular faculty or department, a student scholarship, a lectureship, or a particular area of research.
Will clauses - Bequests to the University for general purposes
This category of bequest is the most flexible, giving the University the ability to decide which projects are funded by your bequest in response to changing needs and priorities. For this category of bequest, the following Will clauses are suggested as a guide:
- I give [insert percentage] of my residuary estate to The University of Melbourne ABN 84 002 705 224 of Grattan Street, Parkville Victoria for its general purposes.
- I give [insert dollar amount] to The University of Melbourne ABN 84 002 705 224 of Grattan Street, Parkville, Victoria for its general purposes.
Will clauses - Bequests to the University for a stated purposes
A donor may wish to nominate the particular endeavour that will benefit from the donor’s bequest. Such bequests must be carefully expressed, to ensure that the donor’s wishes can be implemented by the University. For this category of bequest, the following Will clauses are suggested as a guide:
- I give [insert percentage] of my residuary estate to The University of Melbourne ABN 84 002 705 224 of Grattan Street, Parkville, Victoria for [insert purpose].
- I give [insert dollar amount] of my residuary estate to The University of Melbourne ABN 84 002 705 224 of Grattan Street, Parkville, Victoria for [insert purpose].
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Over time, there will be changes to the content or structure of a particular course, and the research priorities of the University will also change. If you choose to make a bequest to the University for a stated purpose, the University requests that the following provision be included to address the possibility that the stated purpose cannot be performed at some future time:
If at any time the University determines that it is impossible or impracticable to carry out the stated purpose then the University may apply the bequest for such purpose or purposes as the University determines most closely accords with the stated purpose.
Further information to you and your solicitor can be found at www.unimelb.edu.au/trusts, including Will clauses describing bequests for various purposes.
The University’s privacy policy is available at http://www.unimelb.edu.au/unisec/privacy/privacypolicy.html