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Will donation

How do I want what I have built up in my life to continue in future generations? Writing a will gives you the opportunity to decide for yourself how you want your life's work to continue to have an impact for the rest of your life. If the welfare of the world's poorest children is an issue close to your heart, you can make a special contribution to the fight against child poverty by making a donation in your will.

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In short...

Interesting facts about our work for a better future for children and young people in Namibia and Zimbabwe.

When does a will make sense?

A will always makes sense if you want to make different arrangements for your estate than those provided for in the statutory order of succession, for example if you want to make a bequest to people to whom you are not related, if you want specific assets to go to specific people or if you want to make a bequest to a charitable organization.

Heirs not only receive the right to have access to your estate, but also the obligations that come with accepting it, such as the administration of the estate or the repayment of debts. A bequest transfers a specific asset without creating any obligations for the legatee. 

steps for children can be bequeathed money or material assets. As a small foundation with low administrative expenses, we want to ensure that legacy donations directly benefit the children. If a property is bequeathed to us, we would use an external administration solution so that the bureaucratic work is handled professionally.

A will can be written in person (i.e. independently and exclusively by hand) or "publicly" (i.e. notarized by a notary or dictated to a notary).

Both handwritten and public wills are legally valid if they have been drawn up and formulated correctly. By consulting a notary's office, you can minimize the risk of choosing ambiguous formulations whose legal validity can be contested in case of doubt.

A will can be kept in a safe place in your home, which you should ideally inform your relatives about, or it can be placed in official safekeeping at the local court. This costs €75 for safekeeping and an additional €15 for entry in the central register of wills. (Source: Federal Ministry of Justice, 2024)

You can include steps for children in your will with a bequest of a cash or non-cash value of your choice. Please note the following:

  • The legacy must be clearly designated as such
  • The full name and address of the foundation must be stated
  • The amount/percentage of the legacy must be listed
  • Always provide the following information when making a bequest to the steps for children foundation:
    steps for children foundation
    Bramfelder Strasse 77
    22305 Hamburg
    Germany

You can find sample formulations for a will with a bequest to steps for children in our information brochure on estate donations.

A will can be revoked at any time. If you want to change your will, you should destroy the outdated will and expressly revoke it in your new, most up-to-date will. You can find suitable wording for this in the sample wills in our information brochure.

Information on German inheritance law can be found, for example, in the "Erben und Vererben" (Inheritance and Bequest) guide published by the Federal Ministry of Justice. In complex cases, it is advisable to seek advice from an expert notary's office or a law firm specializing in inheritance law.

The steps for children foundation would like to thank you on behalf of the children for your special commitment!

*Important note: The information on this page has been carefully compiled. However, we cannot accept any liability for the completeness, accuracy and up-to-dateness of the contents of this page. The contents are for non-binding guidance only. It is no substitute for advice on inheritance law in individual cases, which is why we recommend that you consult an expert notary's office or a law firm specializing in inheritance law. steps for children cannot provide legal advice or information.