Including a bequest to St. Joseph’s Home in your will, or by naming St. Joseph’s Home as a beneficiary on your life insurance policy are ways you can make a lasting donation to St. Joseph’s Home without having to spend any money now. When your money is no longer needed it will then be put to work on behalf of St. Joseph’s Home for generations to come. With your support and an impressive 75 year legacy of healing St. Joseph’s Home is well positioned for a future of caring.

You can chose to donate the money without restrictions, in which case St. Joseph’s will use the money as they deem necessary, or you can chose to have St. Joseph’s use only the interest and dividends your donation earns, thus creating a perpetual memorial (Trust) on behalf of St Joseph's Home.

What is a bequest?
A bequest is simply a gift of money or property (real estate, motor vehicle, jewellery, antiques, etc.) that is left to an individual or charitable institution in your Will. Besides a set amount or specified item, you can also bequeath:

• A percentage of your estate - often the better option, since it is difficult to predict what your estate will be worth at the time of your death. By giving a proportion of the total, you will ensure that all your beneficiaries receive their fair share. The residue - what is left after all costs, debts and other bequests have been made - can be bequethed in its entirety to St. Joseph's Home for Children or shared among other worthy causes.
• Usufructuary right and bare dominium - a system whereby a beneficiary given usufructuary right (your spouse or children) may use an asset (such as your house or a motor vehicle) during their lifetime, after which the bare dominium (i.e. ownership) passes to another beneficiary, such as St. Joseph's Home for Children.
• The proceeds of a life assurance policy - often taken out in the early years to safeguard a young family and which may no longer be necessary once the children have grown up.

How to make a bequest
If you add a bequest to an existing Will, this can usually be done by means of a Codicil, which is simply an additional form read in conjunction with the Will. Like the Will itself, the Codicil needs to be correctly worded and witnessed by two persons, neither of whom stand to benefit from either the Will or the Codicil, are 14 years of age or older and, of course, of sound mind.

If you wish to add a bequest to St. Joseph's Home for Children by means of a Codicil, a form is available for you to download and print.

Seek expert advice
Whereas it is possible to draft your own Will, it is far safer to seek professional advice. Even the simplest wishes must be put into proper legal language and correctly signed and witnessed.

A lawyer, accountant, financial advisor, bank or trust company can also help you plan your Will in such a way as to minimize estate duty and Capital Gains Tax and keep it flexible to allow for future events.

Estate planning may save you money!
Upon death two major taxes might come into play - estate duty, which is a 20% tax on your net assets, with a R3,5million primary exemption and capital gains tax (CGT), which is payable at a rate of 20% in a trust, or 10% in your personal capacity. However, there are ways of reducing the amount of tax payable, including:

• Donation of assets during your life time to potential heirs
• Formation of a trust
• Making bequests to charitable organisations, such as St. Joseph’s Home for Children

The "Legacy of Healing Circle"
By joining St. Joseph’s “Legacy of Healing Circle” you achieve one of the most enduring and far-reaching way of ensuring that children with chronic illnesses will continue to be cared for by St. Joseph’s Home for Children.

Thanks to your insightful and compassionate donation, the young child or children you help today will grow, raise families and make the world a better place. By taking this step, you will become a member of the Legacy of Healing Circle of St. Joseph's Home for Children, an exclusive group of people who believe, as you do, that our efforts to heal children and enhance their quality of life must continue beyond our own lifetime.

Please let us know if you have made, or are considering making, provision in your Will for St. Joseph's Home by contacting our Resource Development Office, Telephone 021 934-0352 or Fax 021 934-7404 for further information.

Doing so will not place you under any obligation and any information you provide will be treated in the strictest confidence. Knowing your intentions can help us plan for the future and give us the opportunity to thank you now for your generosity.

Contact us about this proposal.

... bring me back.