Ways to Give – Will Power

At Brant Community Foundation, our commitment to doing more for charities across our community means thinking more creatively about charitable giving. That’s why we’ve partnered with Will Power – a public awareness campaign inspiring Canadians to think differently about the way they donate to charity, and use their Wills to make a powerful contribution.

Did you know that you can include a charitable gift as part of your Will? Often called planned or legacy giving, this approach is gaining momentum. A Will Power study found that the number of Canadians leaving gifts in their Wills has grown from 5% to 10%, representing an additional 1.2 million donors and an estimated $37 billion in future charitable support.

Why donate to a charity in your Will? Donating in your Will lets you make a big difference without using the money you need now. Even 1% in your Will could make quite the impact. Try the Will Power legacy calculator to see what 1% of your Will could do. 

Continue the good work you have done. When donors share that they have included a gift in their Will, the conversation often turns to why. They see their contributions of time and money as a meaningful investment in the causes they care about most. Extending that impact into the future feels like a natural next step by ensuring their values continue to make a difference for years to come.

Keep your memory alive in a unique way. When your loved ones can connect your memory to something tangible, meaningful, and greater than yourself, such as a gift in your Will, you create a legacy that future generations can truly be inspired by.

Tax breaks. Taxes probably aren’t the first thing that come to mind when you think about giving, but in Canada, they can make a meaningful difference. Canada offers some of the most generous charitable tax incentives in the world. When you make a donation, you receive a charitable tax credit that can go a long way toward reducing what you owe. With thoughtful planning, you can also structure your gift in ways that maximize the available tax advantages. A popular approach is to name a charity as a beneficiary of your RRSP.

To find out more about how your legacy can support our communities, contact Anne Marie Peirce at (519) 756-2499 or ampeirce@brantcf.ca.