Thank you for supporting your client’s wish to include a bequest to the University of Sydney.
Key information:
Legal name: The University of Sydney
ABN: 15 211 513 464
Status: Body corporate under the University of Sydney Act 1989 (NSW), registered with the ACNC, and endorsed as a deductible gift recipient by the ATO.
Below is sample wording to help your client include the University of Sydney in their Will. Please contact the Planned Giving team for tailored guidance.
"I give [insert % of my residuary estate/insert dollar amount*] to The University of Sydney ABN 15 211 513 464."
If your client is considering a bequest with a specific purpose or conditions, we recommend contacting us.
Our team can provide tailored guidance on wording, feasibility and gift implementation considerations.
We especially encourage contact if your client wishes to:
We can work with you or your client to ensure the bequest is clearly expressed, honours the intent, and can adapt to the University’s evolving needs and structure.
To support your client in expressing their wishes clearly and effectively, we’ve provided suggested wording for some of the most common types of specific bequests.
Preferences are a useful way for your client to communicate their wishes while giving flexibility for gifts to adapt over time and respond to changing circumstances and priorities.
"I give [insert % of my residuary estate/insert dollar amount*] to The University of Sydney ABN 15 211 513 464 (University) to support one or more scholarships at the University. [Opt] It is my preference that the scholarships support the field of [insert broad description of area if required eg medicine, history, music].
[Opt] Each scholarship is to be called [insert name eg Jane Smith Scholarship] or similar."
If further preferencing is required, this can be discussed with our team.
"I give [insert % of my residuary estate/insert dollar amount*] to The University of Sydney ABN 15 211 513 464 (University) to support one or more higher degree research scholarships at the University. It is my preference that the gift support the field of [insert broad description of area if required]."
"I give [insert % of my residuary estate/insert dollar amount*] to The University of Sydney ABN 15 211 513 464 (University) to support research. [Opt] It is my preference that the gift support research in the field of [insert general description if required]."
"I give [insert % of my residuary estate/insert dollar amount*] to The University of Sydney ABN 15 211 513 464 (University) to support research conducted at [insert name of institute, centre or department at the University] or at that part of the University that succeeds or continues the work of [insert name of institute, centre or department]."
Your client may wish to include an inflation clause to ensure that the dollar amount of their bequest grows with inflation, for example:
*Inflation clause
"The gift to the University is to be adjusted for inflation according to the movement of the CPI (All Groups Consumer Price Index for Sydney) or its equivalent, between the date of this Will and the date of my death."
To support flexibility and future-proof the gift, we suggest the following additional provisions:
"If at any time the University considers that it is no longer possible or practical to carry out the purpose of the gift, the University may apply the gift to support a purpose that the University determines closely aligns to the original purpose."
"The costs, including insurance, associated with the delivery to the University of the items gifted to the University will be paid by my estate."
If your client allows, we invite you to notify us of their bequest. This enables us to:
We understand that bequest intentions may change and will always honour your client’s privacy, anonymity, and communication preferences.
To notify the University of a bequest intention, please contact:
Alexandra Miller
Deputy Director, Planned Giving
E: alexandra.miller@sydney.edu.au
P: +61 2 8627 8811
Challis Bequest Society members are invited to special events as a way to say thank you
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LinkThank you for helping to honour the wishes of someone who chose to include the University of Sydney in their Will.
If you are the executor or legal representative of an estate in which a gift has been left to the University, we would be grateful if you can notify us of the gift as soon as possible by calling +61 423 074 242 or emailing bequest.administration@sydney.edu.au.
Please include:
Early engagement allows us to:
Before a bequest is accepted, the University must follow its standard internal policies and procedures relating to gifts, including obtaining internal approvals from relevant areas.
Please note that depending on the complexities of the estate this may take up to three months.
Please see the FAQ below for more information on the process.
As a tax-exempt entity, the University of Sydney can receive Capital Gains Tax (CGT) assets - such as real estate or shares - in specie (i.e. transferred directly, rather than sold). In many cases, this can significantly reduce the overall tax liability of the estate compared to selling the assets first and transferring the proceeds. This process also allows the funds to achieve the maximum impact.
If the estate includes CGT assets intended for the University, we recommend discussing the option of an in specie transfer with a tax adviser or the Bequest Administration team to ensure the most tax-effective outcome.
For Bequest Administration, please contact:
Isabella Andrews
Senior Associate Director, Planned Giving
E: bequest.administration@sydney.edu.au
M: +61 423 074 242
Your client can support a wide range of areas across the University, depending on their personal interests and values. Some of the most common areas supported through bequests include:
We can work with you and your client to align their intentions with an area of need or interest, and provide guidance on flexibility and long-term impact.
Yes. While we encourage general purpose gifts to ensure long-term impact, your client may express a preference for an area of interest – whether that's supporting a scholarship, research, or field of study.
General gifts or unrestricted gifts that give us flexibility to address University priorities are extremely valued as they allow the University to respond to changing needs and priorities over time.
Our Planned Giving team works closely with colleagues across the University and can support your client in shaping their bequest. While we can't provide legal advice, we can offer practical guidance to help ensure the gift has the greatest possible impact.
Please contact us if your client has a specific purpose in mind. We're here to help shape their legacy in a meaningful and enduring way.
We can provide:
We will always respect your client's wishes, including if they prefer to remain anonymous. If your client chooses to speak with us and share details of their bequest intention - such as the specific or anticipated size of the gift - we're happy to receive that information, but it is entirely at their discretion.
While we don't provide legal or financial advice, we can offer suggested Will wording and other guidance to help ensure the gift is clearly expressed and stands the test of time.
Expert investment management
Our in-house team, Investment and Capital Management (ICM) manages the University's long-term and endowment funds. These are invested in carefully selected portfolios to generate consistent income and long-term growth. Shorter-term philanthropic funds are managed by our Financial Control and Treasury team.
Perpetual gifts
Perpetual gifts are invested in perpetuity, generating annual income. The investment approach seeks to:
Yes. Gifts can be named in honour of a person or family, subject to University policy and procedures. Scholarships and awards are common naming opportunities; larger gifts may support naming rights for spaces or programs (subject to approval at the time the bequest is received).
The most straightforward way to include naming is to state in your client's Will that they would like a name associated with their gift.
Yes. Gifts in kind can include artworks, books, instruments, or other significant items that enrich the University's teaching, research, and collections.
To help us consider such gifts, we ask that you or your client:
Please note that acceptance of a gift in kind is not guaranteed. Final decisions are made after the item is formally offered through the estate, based on relevance, provenance, condition, storage capacity, and intended use.
Many legacy donors choose to support the University during their lifetime in addition to leaving a bequest.
Our Planned Giving team would be pleased to assist your client if they wish to support the University during their lifetime. Please contact:
Alexandra Miller
Deputy Director, Planned Giving
Email: alexandra.miller@sydney.edu.au
Phone: +61 2 8627 8811
As most bequests are received many years after a Will is drafted, it's difficult to predict with certainty whether a fixed or anticipated amount will be sufficient to support a specific initiative - such as a scholarship - at the time the gift is received.
We can provide indicative guidance based on current costs; however, these may increase significantly over time. That's why we recommend:
Our Planned Giving team would be happy to talk through your client's goals and suggest options.
We are deeply grateful for every gift left to the University and strive to honour each legacy with care and respect.
We rely on the estate's executor or legal representative to let us know if family would like to be contacted, acknowledged, or included in future updates. Not all families wish to stay connected in this way – and we aim to respect all preferences.
If you would like to know more about your family member's bequest or discuss possible ways to honour their legacy, please let us know. We would be delighted to connect and share what we can.
For Will wording and general enquiries:
planned.giving@sydney.edu.au
+61 2 8627 8811
For Bequest Administration matters:
Isabella Andrews
Senior Associate Director, Planned Giving
Isabella.andrews@sydney.edu.au
bequest.administration@sydney.edu.au
+61 423 074 242
Mailing address:
Planned Giving
The Advancement Portfolio
Level 2, The Michael Spence Building (F23)
The UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY NSW 2006