Honouring your loved one with a legacy endowment

Gifts in Memory Of

Forever Funds

A gift in honour of your loved one could continuously help families with a seriously ill child in desperate need for support, building a never-ending legacy.

How you can leave a legacy for your loved one.

Giving in memory of a loved one

We know that your child with NKH must be so very loved – we‘ are very grateful that you are considering honouring your loved one through a legacy gift at this very difficult time.

What is a forever fund? Typically, all the donations and gifts we receive are used for NKH Research, and to support children and families living with NKH. However, some families have donated funds to build a legacy for their loved one. These funds are not spent and are instead invested in perpetuity (forever).

The income generated from the forever fund is used support the Mikaere Foundation mission: to give children with NKH a future. It allows continuous, never ending income, in your loved ones honour. A legacy of giving, so we can change the face of NKH across generations, whatever may come.

Forever Fund questions

What is the difference between a forever fund donation and a regular donation?

A regular donation is spent, usually on NKH Research or supporting children and families living with NKH.
A forever fund donation is not spent, it is invested. The income from this investment is then used as per the charity mission: on NKH Research, or to support children and families living with NKH. Because the capital of the forever fund donation stays in the investment fund, it provides a continuous source of income over the long term.

This is ideal for legacy building – a fund that continuously supports NKH Research, and children living with NKH.

Why is a forever fund donation better than a regular donation?

A regular donation is spent once, and is gone. A forever fund donation continues on, forever. While usually we would recommend a regular donation, so the impact of your funds can be immediate, we know that in the face of loss, there can be a desire to create a sense of meaning, and to have your loved ones presence known and remembered. A long term legacy, where the gift continues to give, can support those needs.

Is there a minimum donation required to build a legacy fund?

No, you can give as little or as much as you’d like towards the forever fund in your loved ones name. We do have a minimum needed to add the funds to the investment (~£2.5k), but can wait until we have enough funds to make the top up.

How will you acknowledge my forever fund gift?

In short – however you like.
If you would like to donate anonymously, we will respect that.
If you would like to be acknowledged privately, we can send regular updates via email or post (as you prefer) about the impact of your gift.
If you would like public acknowledgement, we can remember your loved one on our remembrance page, in our annual reports, and through our newsletters and socials.

How do I give a forever fund gift?

We can collect gifts in many ways, but the most important thing is to reach out to us – hello@mikaerefoundation.org – and tell us that you’re making a gift (or collecting donations) in memory of your loved one, and you would like to the proceeds to go to the forever fund.

Only Gifts that have been explicitly asked to be added to the forever fund will be used in this way.

Gifts can be made:
– Directly, via our bank account. (Account Name: Mikaere Foundation, Account Number: 31192394, Sort Code: 50-21-01)
– Online, through our donation portal
– Through our tribute partner, Much Loved
– Through fundraising partners, such as JustGiving, GoFundMe, Paypal or Facebook

Why we need you

The Mikaere Foundation needs your support more than ever. By fundraising, you’ll help fund:

Groundbreaking research into effective treatment and gene therapy therapy for Nonketotic Hyperglycinemia (NKH) – drastically changing the outcome for children born with NKH.
Support services for children and families living with NKH. With NKH comes seizures, dystonia, pain and developmental delay.
Outreach to newly diagnosed families, so they have support in their corner, right when they need it.
Getting NKH specific information to families, nurses, therapists, carers and doctors.

£50

could fund special restriction enzymes, used in NKH Research. These work like molecular scissors to cut up the long strands of DNA in our cells. This is vital in helping us learn more about the genetic mutations of NKH.

£100

could fund a months worth of outreach, providing NKH information to newly diagnosed families right when they need it most.

£1250

could fund a week of a post doc researcher, analysing sample assays, which tell us if NKH gene therapy is working in our models, getting us closer to a cure.