Anne Taylor, a 77-year-old aid worker from Wellington, has spent over two decades with Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF), completing 21 missions in some of the world’s most difficult environments. Since joining the organisation in 2002, Taylor has worked in countries including Palestine, Haiti, Nigeria, Nepal, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ivory Coast, and Indonesia.
Starting her career with MSF as a logistician—a role essential for enabling medical operations—Taylor has since advanced to leadership positions, overseeing missions through conflicts, disease outbreaks, and disasters. Despite global travel restrictions in 2020, she continued her commitment to aid work, emphasizing that the organisation’s independence, funded by loyal supporters, allows MSF to operate impartially and respond where the need is greatest.
Josephine Gee, based in Auckland, also credits MSF’s ability to respond to urgent humanitarian crises as a motivating factor in both her involvement and decision to include the organisation in her Will. Having taught overseas in countries such as China, Turkey, and Egypt, and with plans to work in Ethiopia, Afghanistan, and Syria disrupted by political upheaval, Gee reflects on witnessing the hardships experienced by many communities. She chose to support MSF after seeing the organisation’s impact firsthand and found the process of adding a charitable legacy to her Will straightforward and reassuring.
Teneale Cameron, senior fundraising manager for Gifts in Wills at MSF, highlighted the crucial role bequests play in sustaining the organisation’s work amid ongoing global challenges such as conflict, displacement, and disease. Cameron noted that while 60 percent of New Zealanders make financial donations to charities annually, only six percent include charitable gifts in their Wills. With an estimated NZ$1.6 trillion set to transfer between generations in the next 25 years, she described Gifts in Wills as a significant opportunity for New Zealanders to continue supporting causes important to them.
MSF operates as an independent and impartial international medical humanitarian organisation, receiving no government funding in New Zealand or Australia and relying entirely on public donations. Last year, it deployed more than 65,000 staff worldwide across over 70 countries, with New Zealand and Australian personnel contributing through 132 assignments in 27 nations.
September, designated as Wills Month in New Zealand, serves as a prompt for individuals to consider their legacy. According to the 2025 JBWere Bequest Report, charitable bequests currently account for approximately NZ$320 million annually in the country.
Cameron emphasized that even small portions of estates left after caring for loved ones can make a meaningful difference by supporting MSF’s mission to deliver essential medical assistance to those in urgent need. For those interested in learning more about leaving a legacy gift, MSF’s Gifts in Wills team can be contacted via phone or email.