Smiling Nepalese children wearing school uniforms on their way to school.

Will donation to the Red Cross

Photo: Jarkko Mikkonen / Suomen Punainen Risti

By making a will, you can take care of people and issues important to you even after your passing. Making a will to the benefit of the Finnish Red Cross enables the aid to support future generations.

Even a small share of what you leave behind can save another person’s life.

When I made this decision, a strange inner peace settled over me. This gives attitude to aging.
A 69-year-old man who made a will
A bequest to the Red Cross enables help to continue for the benefit of future generations. Photo: Saara Mansikkamäki / Suomen Punainen Risti

Free advice on making a will

If you are considering making a bequest to the Finnish Red Cross, you can also receive assistance on drawing up your will free of charge. We are happy to provide you with the contact information of lawyers who will help you free of charge.

Please do not hesitate to contact us

Mia Ekström

Will specialist
Tel. +358 (0)40 562 2472
mia.ekstrom@redcross.fi

More information

When you are considering whether you should draw up a will, first find out how your estate would be divided without one. If the Code of Inheritance does not lead to a desired result, you should draw up a will.

Without a will, your estate is divided among your inheritors in the specified order. If the closest relative you have is a cousin, your property will go to the state.

A will is usually quite simple to draw up. However, for a will to be valid, it must comply with legal formalities. This is why you should use a specialist to help you.

We are happy to recommend lawyers that can help you reliably and free of charge to draw up your will.

When you make a donation to the Finnish Red Cross in your will, you should clearly state whether it is intended for the Disaster Relief Fund or volunteer activities in Finland.

You can also support regional or local activities. In this case, the recipient can be the Finnish Red Cross district or local branch of your choosing.

Two elderly women sitting side by side on a park bench.
You can also make a will donation to Red Cross activities in Finland. Donors enable support for lonely people, among other things. Photo: Jarkko Mikkonen / Suomen Punainen Risti

The Red Cross usually sells the immovable property through buy and sell shops. If a Red Cross Kontti second-hand department store is located nearby, the immovable property is sold there.

Real estate is sold through real estate companies in the free market. The more personal items, such as photos, are usually offered to members of the family. If they do not want them, we destroy the items to prevent them from ending up in the wrong hands. We always dispose of letters, unless the will includes separate instructions on the matter.

It is advisable to store the original will preferably in a sealed envelope, for example in a bank safe deposit box, or at home in a place where it can be found if necessary. You can write on the envelope that it contains a will and at the same time stipulate that the envelope may only be opened in the presence of two witnesses.

It is a good idea to tell your loved ones about the existence of the will and where it is stored. If you decide to remember the Red Cross in your will, you may wish to send a copy to the organisation for information.

It may be necessary to update the will if your will or life situation changes. When you make a new will, you should destroy the old one to avoid misunderstandings.