Support your Museum

Leave a lasting legacy

Every gift, no matter the size, is a contribution of extraordinary value to the generations that follow us.
 

Your support will help to ensure that we can continue to act as kaitiaki (guardians) for our more than 4.5 million taonga (treasures), be a place to reflect and remember those lost in war, grow research, and inspire and educate for generations to come. 

A gift in your Will to Auckland Museum will help to see the Museum’s vision realised: "He oranga tangata Ka Ao: Enriching Lives, Inspiring Discoveries". 

Leaving a legacy
PLANNED GIVING

Leaving a legacy

Remembering Auckland Museum by leaving a gift in your Will is a generous way to contribute to the Museum’s future. Your legacy, large or small, will enrich the lives of future generations by ensuring that they can enjoy all that you love and value at Auckland Museum today.

As a registered charity, the Museum is built on the generosity of many. The gifts we receive enable us to fund research projects, develop educational programmes, revitalise engagement and enhance innovation, care for our collections and maintain our iconic heritage building.

Through planned giving, you can support the Museum in an area that means the most to you, or leave your gift to be used by the Museum where it is needed the most. Whatever you choose, we will honour your wishes.

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Meet others leaving a legacy


By remembering the Museum in your Will, you’ll join a community of people who have and still are, positively shaping the future of Auckland Museum. 

We invite you to join others by remembering the Auckland Museum as you plan for the future.

Marguerite Durling's gift
A financial gift for general purposes

Marguerite Durling's gift

The Museum holds many personal memories for Marguerite. 

"I have been a donor and a volunteer for many years and being the last to carry my family's name, I wanted to give something back to the city that has given so much to me (great life, great health, great community). I could not find anywhere better than supporting the Institution that has been the background of my family so that this Museum can meet the needs of the next generation."

Learn more

James Fawcett's legacy
Herpetological Research Fund & Awards

James Fawcett's legacy

Dr James Fawcett (1933-2020) was a lifelong stalwart of herpetological research who made significant contributions to our understanding of the reptile fauna of Aotearoa and the world. He was also a member of the Auckland Museum Institute.

The James Fawcett Herpetological Research Fund and the Postgraduate Research Awards have been enabled by a generous bequest from James Fawcett (with thanks to Georgene Fawcett).

Learn more

Ray Shannon's legacy
Butterfly Collection

Ray Shannon's legacy

Ray Shannon (1917-2008) started collecting butterflies while stationed in the Solomon Islands during the Second World War and during his lifetime acquired thousands of specimens from across the globe.

Ray gifted his 13,000-strong collection of butterflies to Auckland Museum, along with many butterfly books. He also provided funding for his collection to be appropriately stored and classified, enabling it to be used as as a reference source for a worldwide audience. The collection is used today by entomologists and border officials for butterfly identification and classification.

Learn more

Our promise to you
OUR COMMITMENT

Our promise to you

  • We promise to use your legacy for the purpose for which it is given.
  • Information about your gift will be handled with respect and confidentiality unless otherwise stated by you.
  • We will keep you informed of our vision and will provide access to our financial statements.
  • We will keep you updated on the collections and exhibitions, many of which have been made possible by legacies received in the past from people just like you.
  • We promise to use your legacy wisely so that it has the greatest impact on the lives of future generations.

 

 

Auckland Museum is our nation’s biggest treasure house. Every donation, no matter what size, is a contribution of extraordinary value to the generations that follow us. The memories in the taonga and the War Memorial flow back and forth. We learn and lest we forget.

Lyndy Sainsbury, Museum Patron

 

 

Jane Sheetz
DISCUSS YOUR WISHES

Head of Development

Jane Sheetz

Contact Jane using the form or via her details below.

Jane Sheetz
Head of Development
Tāmaki Paenga Hira Auckland War Memorial Museum
Phone +64 21 728 059

 

 

 

Things to consider


We're here to answer any questions you may have. If your question is not answered here, please contact us.

+What can I leave in my Will?

Your Will, Your Wishes

Your Will is a unique and clear record of the way in which you want your possessions, property and money (your estate) to be distributed when you die.

A signed and correctly-worded Will brings peace of mind as you know that you have remembered your loved ones, as well as the charities you choose to support.

As a Will is a legal document, we recommend that you consult your legal advisor to ensure your wishes are clearly and correctly recorded.

Should you wish to leave an unrestricted gift, there are a variety of options available to you, as follows:

  • Residuary – the remainder of your estate after your other beneficiaries have been settled
  • Percentage – of the value of your estate
  • Pecuniary – a specific sum of money
  • Specified – a particular item such as property or objects.


Should you wish to gift a particular item to the Museum, we encourage you to share this with Jane Sheetz (click here to contact her) or the relevant curator first.

+What should the wording in my Will say?

Suggested wording for your Will

To ensure your wishes are met, your intention to leave a gift to the Museum should be worded clearly within your Will.

We suggest you use the following format:

“I give to the Auckland Museum Trust Board, the Domain, Auckland, the sum of $………. (or percentage of my estate, or the remainder of my estate, or a description of assets or property) for its general purposes, for which the receipt of the Director or other proper officer shall be full and sufficient discharge for my trustees.”

Charities Commission Number CC11225

Should you wish your legacy to benefit a specific purpose or wish to gift a particular object to the Museum, we encourage you to share this with Jane Sheetz (click here to contact her) or the relevant curator first. This will ensure that we will be able to adhere to your wishes so that they align with the Museum’s Collections policy.

+How is the Museum funded?

The Museum is built on the generosity of many.  As a registered charity, the support we receive from people just like you enables us to give more back to our community and realise the Museum's future vision. 

Governed by a Trust Board created under an act of parliament in 1996, the Museum receives no funding from central Government. Instead, we are funded by Auckland ratepayers and from revenue generated by the Museum itself, such as donations and gifts and Wills. We also receive generous support from corporate sponsors, charitable trusts and private individuals.