With $25,000 in the bank, most Australians could buy a brand-new car, put down a deposit on a small unit, or book a lavish holiday.
Mary Lansell, on the other hand, is just giving it away.
“I wish it could have been more, but my family might have a word about that,” she told 9news.com.au with a laugh.
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The 73-year-old from Melbourne is one of a growing number of Aussies opting to leave a charitable gift in their will in the hopes of making a difference after they’ve died, with Lansell leaving her cash to Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre.
In the last decade alone, Include a Charity (IAC) has seen a doubling of gifts in wills for charities as Australia’s ageing population considers where their wealth will go when they’re no longer around.
“Being part of the Baby Boomer generation, we’re coming to an end sooner rather than later and we certainly have the opportunity to do something about a donation,” Lansell said.
She added, “I don’t know about the next two generations behind us, because the poor little buggers can’t even buy a house.”
Have you got a story? Contact reporter Maddison Leach at mleach@nine.com.au
In 2020, Australians aged 65 and over made up 16 per cent of the total population according to ABS data and that percentage is expected to keep going up.
By 2066, older Aussies are predicted to make up over 20 per cent of the total population.
They also tend to be wealthier than their younger counterparts, with the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare reporting that households with at least one member over 65 had an average net worth 1.5 times greater than younger households in 2017/2018.
Despite that, Legacy Foresight research showed that only 25 per cent of Boomers are open to leaving gifts in their wills, compared to 33 per cent of Gen X individuals.
Lansell wants to see that figure change dramatically.
“I’m part of the Baby Boomer generation and [we] had a pretty good deal. I mean, apart from Vietnam and the GFC in 2008 it’s been pretty smooth sailing,” she said.
“The next two generations did not have the same financial security as the ‘bank of mum and dad’, which had 60, 70 years of reasonable financial situation.”
Not only does Lansell believe charitable gifts in wills are a good use of older Australians’ wealth, she sees it as a way to give back to the next generation of people in need.
Diagnosed with lymphoma first in 2010, then again several years later, she received incredible treatment and support from Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre.
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Because her cancer is “guaranteed to come back”, she knows she’ll have to lean on the organisation again before she passes.
That’s why she’s adamant about leaving $25,000 to the charity when she dies; to ensure Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre can continue providing vital services to Australians who need the same care and support she did.
“It was easy for me to determine that Peter Mac, and not just my family, was a deserving institution,” she said, “they’re just a wonderful group of people”.
As for the amount of money, Lansell hopes to increase the sum before she dies. Her family are aware of her intentions and she expects “no pushback”.
Though Lansell is all over her posthumous financial plans, up to 60 per cent of Australians – about 10 million individuals – don’t have a legally binding will.
Some feel they’re too young, others just don’t want to talk about dying.
IAC hope to change that by urging Australians to ensure they have a legally binding will and encouraging them to include a charitable gift this Include a Charity Week (September 2 – 8).
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The Australian government wants to double philanthropic giving by 2030 and increasing gifts in wills could play a significant role in achieving that goal.
Gifts in wills currently contribute about $1.6 billion of fundraising revenue annually, according to IAC research, and it’s predicted that revenue could skyrocket by 300 per cent in the next 25 years.
“We want it to become the norm for everybody,” said Helen Beeby, Campaign Director, Include a Charity.
As well as helping fund vital charities around the country, Lansell said charitable gifts in wills can provide some degree of comfort to the loved ones left behind, knowing the deceased was able to make a difference.
But you don’t have to die to make a difference.
Lansell has already been volunteering at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre for 10 years and every year she has family donate to the charity in her name instead of buying her a “frivolous” present.
“I don’t even ask them anymore, they just give me a cheque,” she said, which she then matches with a donation of her own.
The $25,000 she leaves to the charity when she dies will just be the icing on top of the cake, and she hopes other people follow her lead by including charitable gifts in their own wills.
“Until I leave this planet, I will be an ambassador for it.”
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