Bequests

Across Aotearoa New Zealand, more than 2,000 Coastguard volunteers respond when someone needs help on the water. Any time, in any conditions. We’re a charity, and your support is what keeps our crews trained, equipped and ready to bring Kiwi boaties home safely.

Adding Coastguard to your Will, and becoming a Coastguardian is a simple way to help make sure our volunteers can keep doing this lifesaving work in the years ahead.

If you’d like to talk to us about leaving a gift, our team is here to help answer any questions.

Enquire here

You can also write your Will online with Safewill, Coastguard’s will‑writing partner. It’s simple, secure and lawyer‑reviewed, and makes it easy to include a gift to Coastguard nationally or to your local unit.

Write your will for free today.

Write your Will

HOW YOUR WILL HELPS COASTGUARD

When someone needs help on the water, our volunteers must be ready: fuel in the tank, engines maintained, rescue gear working, radios manned, and crews highly-trained for every scenario.

By including Coastguard in your will, you’ll be leaving a lasting gift that helps ensure our crews can continue saving lives on the water for generations to come.

The service your legacy protects

What Coastguard delivered last year, and what we must be ready for tomorrow:

2,785 total incidents responded to
6,792 lives assisted
61 lives saved
201,585 radio calls received
265,602 total volunteer hours

_{Source: Coastguard Performance Report 2025}

CHOOSE WHERE YOUR GIFT GOES

You can direct your gift to either:

Coastguard nationally
Your gift supports Coastguard as a whole, helping fund the specialised training, equipment, operational support and essential services that keep every unit ready across Aotearoa. This includes national programmes that strengthen and support local volunteers.
Your local Coastguard Unit
Your gift supports the volunteers in your own community, helping fund the boat, equipment and day‑to‑day resources your local crew relies on when someone needs help on the water. It’s a direct way to support the people who look after your area.

How to specify a unit:
In your Will, name “Coastguard and the Unit name"

Find your unit here

WRITE YOUR WILL TODAY

YOUR LEGACY, THEIR LIFELINE.

We’ve partnered with Safewill, New Zealand’s leading online will-writing platform, to make creating your will simple, secure, and affordable.

In just 20 minutes, you can write a legally valid will from the comfort of your home and leave a lasting impact on the safety of our boating community.

Write your will for free today.

WRITE YOUR WILL

It's such a worthwhile cause.

“Knowing that Coastguard is there provides reassurance. I want my legacy to support a service that needs the funding and relies on volunteers who do a bloody good job.”

- Frank Warnock, Coastguardian

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Do I need to tell Coastguard I’ve included a gift?

You don’t have to, but we’d be deeply grateful if you do. Knowing about your gift helps us plan for the future and gives us the chance to thank you properly for such a meaningful contribution to Coastguard’s work.
Can I choose my local Coastguard unit?

Yes. You can direct your gift to a specific Coastguard Unit by adding the unit name and location in your will.
Can I change my Will later?

Yes. You can update or remove a bequest at any time. Your lawyer or Safewill can help you amend your Will.
Safewill's subscription service allows you to make an unlimited number of changes to your Will to keep it up to date with your current situation, and receive a new Will free of charge every time. Every time you make a new Will, it is reviewed by their legal advisers, and a new PDF copy is sent to you - entirely free of charge. On top of this, their legal team makes sure that any changes in law are reflected in your Will. When this occurs, they will either send you an updated version of your Will to execute, or notify you that you need to address a new legal requirement.
Is this legal advice?

No. We’re sharing general information about charitable gifts in Wills, not legal advice. If you need legal guidance, please speak with an independent lawyer or use Safewill’s lawyer‑reviewed service for specific support when preparing your Will.
How will my gift be used?

If you give nationally, your gift supports Coastguard’s lifesaving work across Aotearoa, including the specialised training, equipment and operational support that strengthen and sustain all of our units.
If you give to a local unit, your gift directly supports the volunteers in that community: funding their boat, equipment and resources the local crew relies on when someone needs help on the water.