Diving deeper into generosity: Cave diver's charitable gift shines a light on giving back
Josh lives in Adelaide and is an avid cave diver, loves writing funny books about science, and spends a lot of time reading and studying online. He recently chose to include a gift to Lifeline Australia when writing his Will online with Safewill.
“It was an incredibly easy decision to make,” says Josh. “As soon as I saw it was possible to allocate a portion of my estate as a charitable donation, I thought it was a perfect idea, and when Lifeline popped up as a recommended charity, I remembered the times when friends and family had so desperately needed their support - it was as easy as clicking the Lifeline logo.”
For a lot of people, writing a Will can feel confronting and daunting. Josh explains how he approached it.
“I had been putting off doing my Will for a while now and had brought home Will packs previously thinking I'd get to it eventually. COVID-19 triggered fear in many people around me, and I've had several close calls with diving accidents over the last few years, so I figured it was long overdue. It turned out to be much easier than expected - I already had a sense of what I wanted to happen when I pass away, so filling it out online concisely made the whole process remarkably quick and painless.
“For me, a Will is less about enforcing my wishes and more about making things easier for the folks I leave behind. Instead of having loved ones wonder or argue over what I would have wanted, I've laid it all down in clear terms. They might still disagree with different elements of my Will when it's executed, but the important thing is that I don't cause additional grief by leaving ambiguous directions.”
Josh was previously unaware that he could leave gifts to charity in his Will. “I certainly didn't think it was an option,” he says. “Until Safewill asked if I wanted to allocate a portion of my estate to charity, I'd never really given it much thought and figured I'd never have enough to make it worth mentioning. I knew how much donations are appreciated, I'd just never connected the dots to realise that what I leave behind could also go towards helping organisations I value.”
Josh shares what he’d say if someone was considering leaving a gift to Lifeline in their Will.
“They’ll be helping a much wider range of people than if they simply gave everything to their partner or family. As important as our loved ones are, we're ultimately all on the same team when it comes to humanity, so why not support those in need regardless of if you know them or not?”
By leaving a gift in his Will to Lifeline, Josh wants to help create a world for people who might be struggling where they can get the support they need when they need it. “We all struggle in different ways, but for many just getting up and surviving the day can be the hardest part. We're incredibly lucky to have an organisation like Lifeline that is there for anyone to reach out to and get support whenever they need it.”
Lifeline Australia is a national charity providing people in Australia experiencing emotional distress with access to 24-hour crisis support and suicide prevention services. Lifeline exists to ensure that no person in Australia has to face their darkest moments alone.
Lifeline has partnered with Safewill to offer you the opportunity to write your Will online for free this Include a Charity Week, which runs from the 4th – 10th September and is dedicated to raising awareness of how anyone can make a lasting impact to causes that they care about through a gift in their Will. Your Will will be reviewed by their affiliate law firm, Safewill Legal, to ensure it has been filled out correctly, and comes with a year of free and unlimited updates.
While making a Will online may not be for everyone, particularly those with complex estates, thousands more Australians have been able to write a Will within the comfort of their own home in just 20 minutes.
Safewill's online Will-writing service allows you to appoint guardians for your children, set out how you want to divide your estate and leave gifts to charities that mean the most to you - like Lifeline.
After you've provided for those closest to you, leaving a gift to Lifeline is a lasting and meaningful way that you can have an impact for years to come. Even 1% of your estate can help save lives and prevent suicides in future generations.
If you would like to learn more, please do not hesitate to get in touch with Lifeline Australia’s Gifts in Wills Specialist Abi Steiner via email at GiftsInWills@lifeline.org.au or phone on 1800 800 768.
Images: Supplied.
This is a sponsored article written in partnership with Lifeline Australia.