Industry Standards
Mary MacKillop Today is a member of the Australian Council for International Development (ACFID) and complies with industry standards of good practice, transparency and accountability.
Leave a gift in your Will and become a Friend of Mary
Saint Mary MacKillop lived by a simple promise: never see a need without doing something about it. When you leave a gift to Mary MacKillop Today in your Will, you carry that courage forward, creating opportunity for people long after your lifetime.
Becoming a Friend of Mary is a quiet, powerful way to turn the values you live by into lasting change. You do not need to be wealthy. A gift of any size can open doors for generations to come.
The Friends of Mary Charter
When you become a Friend of Mary, you place enormous trust in us.
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What it means to be a Friend of Mary
A gift in your Will is a deeply personal choice, but it is not one you make alone. When you include Mary MacKillop Today in your Will, you join the Friends of Mary: a community of people who share a belief in human dignity and a commitment to creating opportunity for others.
Like Mary, Friends of Mary turn their values into action. Their generosity helps future generations gain the education, opportunity and confidence to shape their own futures.
Why leave a gift in your Will
While the world has changed since Mary’s time, real barriers remain. Alongside communities in Australia, Timor-Leste, Fiji and Peru, we use education, sustainable livelihoods and community-led action to open proven pathways out of poverty.
Lasting change comes from walking alongside communities, listening deeply and helping create the opportunities people need to shape their own futures. A gift in your Will helps protect that work for the people we will partner with tomorrow and for years beyond.
The change your legacy makes
Equity In Education
Education is the foundation for a life of choice. We support learning at every stage, from early literacy and teacher training in remote villages to First Nations Scholarships and non-formal pathways that meet people where they are. In Timor-Leste, 12-year-old Marcia walks to school each day, dreaming of becoming a teacher. A gift in your Will helps protect classrooms like hers for the future.
By remembering Mary MacKillop Today in your Will, you help protect these classrooms for future generations, giving children the skills and confidence to shape their own futures.
Economic Independence
Lasting stability grows from the ground up. Through small-business mentoring, skills training and agricultural support, we invest in local initiatives that build secure futures. After a tropical cyclone destroyed his farm, a targeted grant helped Josaia replant his crops, rebuild his income and eventually employ others in his village. A future gift is a quiet promise that families like Josaia’s will always have a way to rebuild.
Active Citizenship
Communities are strongest when every voice is heard. We support leadership training and participation so that women and young people can step forward with confidence. After joining the School for Women Leaders, Ermenegilda, 23, found her voice and now speaks up in local forums to challenge inequity. Your legacy ensures local leaders always have a platform to drive change from within their own communities.
Share your everyday miracle
Mary MacKillop is often called the Saint of Can-Do, a woman whose quiet acts of courage still ripple through lives today. Many people carry a story of Mary: a moment of grace, an answered hope, a small everyday miracle that reminded them they were not alone.
We would love to hear yours. As part of the Friends of Mary community, we invite you to share your everyday miracle, the moment Mary MacKillop’s spirit made a difference in your life. Your story may be the encouragement someone else needs, and a reminder of why this mission is worth carrying forward.
Ways to give
You can choose how your legacy supports future generations. Gifts of all sizes and types create lasting impact, and including a gift to Mary MacKillop Today allows you to care for your loved ones while supporting the causes and communities that matter most to you.
Types of gift
A share of your estate (residuary): leaving a percentage of your estate after your loved ones have been provided for. This is often the most effective way to create lasting impact, as it keeps pace with inflation over time.
A fixed sum (pecuniary): leaving a specific dollar amount in your Will.
A specific asset: leaving a gift such as property, shares or other valuable items.
How you’d like your gift to help
A Legacy of Opportunity (general purpose): a flexible gift we can direct to the areas of greatest need and opportunity.
A Legacy of Purpose (specific impact): supporting a particular program, community or country that holds special meaning for you.
Including a gift in your Will is simple, there are three steps:
Step 1
Choose your gift type
Step 2
Include the wording below in your Will
Step 3
Let us know
To ensure your wishes are legally binding, we recommend speaking with a solicitor.
Suggested wording for your Will
You may provide your solicitor with the following wording:
“I give and bequeath to Mary MacKillop Today (ABN 88 808 531 480), the residue, or […] percent of my whole estate, or […] percent of the residue, or the specific sum of $[…] to be used for general purposes. I declare that an authorised receipt from Mary MacKillop Today will be a sufficient discharge for the executor(s) or trustee.”
Our promise to you
When you become a Friend of Mary, you place enormous trust in us. We honour that trust with care, respect and transparency.
- We will honour your wishes.
- We will always respect your privacy.
- We understand decisions about Wills are deeply personal.
- We will communicate with care and transparency.
- We will steward your gift responsibly.
- We will continue sharing the impact of your generosity.
Meet the Friends Of Mary
Darcy’s journey began in a regional classroom at St Joseph’s in Numurkah, where the warmth of the Josephite Sisters shaped the person he became. When he saw the challenges facing remote communities today, he used his Will to take a stand, so the same kindness he knew as a child will be waiting for a student tomorrow.
Chris found unexpected strength in Mary’s devotion to others while facing a leukaemia diagnosis, and wanted to pass that feeling on. Patricia sees Mary as proof that one person with enough heart can shift the landscape of poverty; her future gift is her way of rolling up her sleeves for the next generation.
Like Darcy, Chris and Patricia, your life is defined by the values you put into motion. This is your community. Will you walk with us?
Darcy, Friend Of Mary
When you choose to protect this mission, you are in meaningful company. Darcy’s journey began in a regional classroom at St Joseph’s in Numurkah, where the genuine warmth of the Josephite Sisters shaped the person he would become. He grew up believing that compassion isn’t just a feeling, it’s something you do.
When Darcy looked at the challenges facing remote villages today, he didn’t wait for others to step in. He used his Will to take a stand. Because of Darcy, the same kindness he experienced as a child will be waiting for a student tomorrow.
Chris, Friend Of Mary
While facing a leukemia diagnosis, Chris found unexpected strength in Mary’s unwavering devotion to others. He knew he wanted to pass that exact feeling on.
By remembering Mary MacKillop Today in his Will, Chris is actively putting the tools for a better life directly into the hands of isolated families, ensuring they have the means to thrive on their own terms.
Patricia, Friend Of Mary
To Patricia, Mary proved that a single person with enough heart can shift the landscape of poverty. Inspired by that resilient spirit, Patricia’s future gift is her way of rolling up her sleeves for the next generation. She is ensuring that long into tomorrow, local communities will always have a steady, faithful friend in their corner.
Let's start a conversation
If you are considering leaving a gift in your Will, or have already included one, we would be honoured to connect with you. Every conversation is held with the utmost care, confidence and respect. Letting us know gives us the chance to thank you personally and share the lives your legacy will help transform.
Phone: 02 8043 8700
Email: [email protected]
Website: marymackilloptoday.org.au
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to be wealthy to leave a gift in my Will?
No. You do not need to be wealthy to leave a gift in your Will. Gifts of all sizes and types create lasting impact.
Can I still provide for my family?
Yes. Many Friends of Mary leave a share of their estate after their loved ones have been provided for, so they can care for family and support the mission.
Can I choose what my gift supports?
Yes. You can leave a flexible gift for general purposes (a Legacy of Opportunity), or direct your gift to a particular program, community or country (a Legacy of Purpose).
What wording should I use in my Will?
You can share the suggested wording above with your solicitor. We always recommend speaking with a solicitor to ensure your wishes are legally binding.
Do I have to tell you I’ve left a gift?
There is no obligation. If you do let us know, we can thank you personally and keep you connected to the impact of your gift. Every conversation is held in confidence.
What is the Friends of Mary?
The Friends of Mary is a community of supporters who have chosen to leave a gift to Mary MacKillop Today in their Will, turning their values into action that lasts beyond a lifetime.
Where does my gift go?
Your gift supports communities in Australia, Timor-Leste, Fiji and Peru through education, sustainable livelihoods and community-led action.
Would you like to help make everyday miracles possible?
Become a Friend of Mary and help transform the lives of future generations through education and opportunity.
With your help, we can carry forward the work begun by Saint Mary MacKillop and continue to make miracles happen for vulnerable communities in Australia and overseas.
Your gift can make the greatest difference where it is needed most, of if you prefer, you can nominate a program that is close to your heart. No matter how much you choose to leave, know you will be creating a ripple effect of hope and opportunity that will transform lives for generations to come.
