New Website Helps Answer Your Questions about Legacy Giving
Published Monday, November 9, 2020
Legacy Giving Thunder Bay’s updated website is an excellent resource where you can learn more about leaving a gift in your Will. Visit legacygivingthunderbay.com
When it comes time to write or update your Will, you may think about the opportunity to leave a gift to one of your favourite charities. However, do you know how? Do you feel confident knowing the impact your gift may have?
One group that was designed to help you answer those questions is Legacy Giving Thunder Bay.
Formed in 2010 by 5 local charities, Legacy Giving Thunder Bay’s goal was to get people to start thinking about leaving a gift in their Will to their favourite local charities. The group has grown and is now comprised of members from six partner organizations – the Thunder Bay Community Foundation, the Northern Ontario School of Medicine, St. Joseph’s Foundation, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation, Confederation College and The George Jeffrey Children’s Foundation.
“We’re hoping people will think about making a gift in their Will so future generations have access to exceptional healthcare, outstanding education and supportive social services, in our community,” said Terri Hrkac, Sr. Director, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation. “That’s why our organizations joined together to form Legacy Giving Thunder Bay – we want to educate and inspire people on the benefits of legacy giving.”
Legacy Giving Thunder Bay is specifically able to help you when you may think:
- “I want to make a gift in my Will, but I don’t know how.” or
- “I’m not sure how to proceed, but I don’t want to ask a charity specifically.”
Recently, the group updated its website to help you access information in an even easier way.
They invite you to view it now at: legacygivingthunderbay.com
More About Legacy Giving Thunder Bay
There are multiple options when it comes to making a legacy gift, and Legacy Giving Thunder Bay encourages people to speak with their lawyers or financial planners to determine what’s right for them. “I also think it’s important that the donor speak with the organization(s) where they wish to designate their gift(s),” said Gail Brescia, Executive Director, St. Joseph’s Foundation “When donors are able to speak with us, we can help them decide, exactly, how they wish to designate their gift so that it reflects their beliefs and passions.”
“Additionally, when donors let us know their intentions, we can better thank and honour them in their lifetime,” added Brescia. “We have the very trusted role of ensuring that a person’s life or family’s history is preserved through this gift, and when we can talk with them in advance, we can provide the reassurance that their gift will be used exactly as they envision.
“For our community to advance, legacy gifts are critical, and each of us takes our responsibility very seriously when we meet with donors to determine how their gift will play a role in our future,” said Alexandra Calderon, Executive Director, Thunder Bay Community Foundation. “We find that once donors become more aware of the impact and ease of leaving a gift in their Will, they frequently wish to give to several charities. Our group is very keen on working together to ensure that donors in our community are well-informed about the options they have when choosing where to assign their gift, and I think it’s important that donors are aware that we’re working collaboratively. There’s no competition between us as charities because we know it’s the overall spirit of philanthropy that makes a community great and we want to encourage that specifically.”
“Conversations about legacy giving aren’t always the easiest to have,” added Hrkac, “but I think people can feel more comfortable knowing there’s a group in our community who are presenting this information in a way that highlights the importance of legacy gifts, without pressure for a gift to any one particular organization. We truly want to work together, with donors, to better services in Thunder Bay – and we’re proud of the work we do collectively.”