A Lasting Way to Give
Donors who leave gifts through their estate to the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation have a tremendous impact on local cancer care and give families facing cancer strength and hope.
For a sixth year, the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation has collaborated with other charitable organizations in Ottawa to offer an estate planning seminar. This year’s seminar was titled “I have a Will: Ensuring my Wishes for Family and Charity.”
This year’s partner organizations included the Perley and Rideau Veterans’ Health Centre Foundation, the National Arts Centre, the YMCA-YWCA of the National Capital Region, the Boys and Girls Club of Ottawa, Youth Services Bureau of Ottawa Charitable Foundation, the Ottawa Food Bank, and Hospice Care Ottawa. The goal was to help those interested in leaving charitable gifts through their estate to understand the many options available to them and how to balance their wishes for family with their passion for the causes they support.
Presenter Elizabeth Lockhart shared the basics of planning a Will and incorporating charitable giving with over 100 participants at the Perley and Rideau Veterans’ Health Centre on September 30. Elizabeth Lockhart is a widely respected barrister, solicitor, and mediator practicing exclusively in the area of estate law. She is also teaches law at the University of Ottawa.
The audience heard about important changes to recent legislation concerning estates and received many useful tips to consider with drafting or updating a Will, including discussing your plans in advance with your family, when you should update your Will and what to consider when choosing an executor. Ms. Lockhart also outlined a few of the different options people have when they choose to leave a gift to charity. Some of these options have significant tax benefits to the estate, even if the estate is modest.
If you would like more information about how to leave a charitable gift in your Will or if you have already included a gift the Cancer Foundation in your Will or other estate plans and would like to join our Visionary Circle, please contact Marianne Loken at 613-247-1920 ex. 263 or at mloken@ottawacancer.ca.
