Living bequests
A new way to build your legacy
Living bequests
A living bequest is a special gift made up of two parts. The first part begins during your lifetime, with a series of tax-deductible donations. These donations are kept in a separate named account and invested according to the University investment policy, with all investment income recapitalised. The second part, a gift in your will, tops up your contribution to complete your living bequest.
Living bequests can be an effective way to increase the impact of your charitable giving, as each year the income of your living bequest contributions is recapitalised, allowing the total value to grow. Combined with a gift in your will, this can result in a substantially larger gift than what might be achieved by donation or bequest alone.
A bequest is a freely given gift that comes out of gratitude, without a sense of obligation. And it helps to make the world a more caring and joyful place. Dr John Harriot, donor, living bequestor and UWA graduate
Dr. Harriott is a retired anaesthetist whose own experience with mental health has significantly shaped his philanthropic journey. He supports scholarships for medical students and was the inaugural donor to UWA's Young Lives Matter Foundation, which has since evolved into the WA Suicide Prevention and Resilience Research Centre (SPARRC).
In 2005, John made an extraordinary commitment through his living bequest to establish a future Chair in Mental Health Research, to be permanently based at UWA. For nearly 20 years, he contributed to a separate investment fund at the University, with the intention of completing the final donation via his bequest.
This incredible legacy has now been realized during his lifetime, and recruitment is underway for the inaugural John and Lynlee Harriott Chair in Mental Health Research. Ever generous in spirit and vision, he now intends for his bequest to support the research led by this Chair with an aim of breaking new ground in the fields of mental health, wellbeing, and resilience, for the benefit of our entire community.
How can we help?
If you have any questions, or would like to discuss your intentions in complete confidence, please reach out to the UWA Bequests team