If you saw or heard of someone inflicting pain and suffering on an animal, you'd step in to help, wouldn't you? But what if something you did now had the power to protect animals way into the future, even beyond your own lifetime?

Leaving a bequest to the Cape of Good Hope SPCA in your Will is a way of ensuring that your compassion towards our fellow creatures lives on – and you'll be remembered for your kindness for a long, long time to come.

What is a bequest?
A bequest is simply a gift of money or property left to a person or organisation after your death. It provides an opportunity to benefit others in a way that you might not be able to afford to do right now; only when you no longer need it is the gift used to help someone else.

What about my family?
When you draw up your Will, your first concern is naturally for your loved ones. You will want to make sure your partner is left financially secure. And if you have young children, you need to provide for them.

Outside your immediate family, there will be relatives and friends to whom you wish to leave a special item of jewellery or other possession you know they will treasure.

But if you children are grown up and comfortably settled, or if you have no immediate family you need to provide for, you may wish to include a bequest to your SPCA - to ensure our valuable work continues into the future.

Estate planning
Including a bequest to a charitable institution can also help reduce the amount of tax payable when you die. This is why it is important to seek expert advice from your accountant, financial planner or bank when you draw up your Will. On no account should you attempt the task yourself, since the document has to be legally stated and properly signed and witnessed in order to be valid.

How would the SPCA use a gift from me?
Depending on the size of the gift, it could be used to enhance the facilities at the Cape of Good Hope SPCA, to purchase an item of equipment for the Animal Hospital or to buy and/or equip a Mobile Clinic. Naming rights may exist on these options. Smaller gifts are equally useful in providing for the ongoing care of animals that are brought to us.

If you would like to discuss in detail how a bequest from you could best be put to use, kindly contact Carol Brand on 021 700-4140/4150 or email bequestofficer@spca-ct.co.za

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