The Launch of the 2025 JBWere Bequest Report

This article was sourced from the JBWere New Zealand LinkedIn post, found HERE 

JBWere New Zealand is proud to launch its 2025 Bequest Report, quantifying the size of New Zealand’s inter-generational wealth transfer for the first time, and the opportunity this presents for Kiwis to drive social impact and broader community well-being.

Key Insights:

• It’s estimated inheritances will grow from the $27 billion passed in 2024 to a massive total of $1.6 trillion over the next 25 years, presenting an opportunity to support and transform our communities through increased giving.
• Under current participation rates only 1.3% of this amount will go to charities and other for purpose organisations (compared to 4.4% in US and 3.7% in UK).
• 55% of New Zealand adults have a will yet only 6% of wills include a charitable gift through inheritance.
• Increased awareness and normalising giving-in-wills could unlock $2.4 billion annually in two decades – an almost eight fold increase.

Why It’s Important:
This report quantifies the importance of and opportunity to grow legacy gift-giving – a once in a generation opportunity to unlock significant pools of capital, which have accumulated in many New Zealand households, for community impact.

We hope it will encourage New Zealanders to talk about the role that giving through inheritance can play when considering their legacy, and enable for-purpose organisations to further shape their fundraising strategies.

Our aspiration is that this report provides valuable insights to all of our clients – individuals, families, corporations, charities and other for-purpose organisations. It is through quality research, tailored advice and access to our network that we fulfil our purpose to ‘give clients confidence to do what matters.’

To read The Bequest Report, Aotearoa New Zealand, CLICK HERE:

For more information or if you want to discuss how we can partner with you please contact your JBWere Advisory team or our Head of Philanthropic Services at john.morrow@jbwere.co.nz

We thank and acknowledge the voices in the field that are profiled in the Report. Ronald McDonald House Charities, The Fred Hollows Foundation NZ, The Salvation Army Momentum Waikato Community Foundation Malaghan Institute of Medical Research, Breast Cancer Foundation NZ, Tōtara Hospice, The Christchurch Foundation, KidsCan Charitable Trust, Wakatipu Community Foundation, Hato Hone St John, Royal NZ Society Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Auckland Foundation, Diabetes NZ, and Heart Foundation NZ

We also acknowledge Public Trust for their contribution to the report.

And thank you to John McLeod as author, for your critical work in researching and delivering this report, with contributions from John Morrow.