What will your legacy be?

One of the easiest ways to support WISH not only today, but into the future, is to leave a gift to WISH in your will.

What is legacy giving?

A legacy gift is a planned future gift to a charity given through a will or other form of designation. It’s a decision that you can make in your financial planning process to provide future support to the causes that are important to you.

Please consider a legacy gift to WISH when you are evaluating your personal, family and financial needs, as well as your long-term charitable giving.

Every legacy gift, regardless of the amount, has a huge impact and ensures we can continue our work improving the health, safety, and well-being of women involved in Vancouver’s street-based sex trade. After taking care of your loved ones, please consider a charitable gift to WISH as part of your legacy.

You don’t have to be wealthy to leave a legacy. Gifts of three, five, or ten per cent of what remains from your estate, after deducting expenses and specific gifts to friends and family, can do so much.

Legacy giving changes lives

Donors create legacy gifts for many different reasons. By providing future support to the causes that mean the most to you, you ensure your memory or the memory of a loved one lives on. From a tax perspective, arranging for a planned charitable gift is also sound financial planning.

Through a legacy, you are making an important contribution to the future sustainability of WISH. Plan a charitable gift today – leave a legacy for tomorrow.

Who can leave a gift?

Anyone who is passionate about a cause can leave a planned gift. No gift is too small and each contribution goes directly towards improving the health, well-being and safety of street-based sex workers.

How to leave a gift

Take the time to carefully consider your options. Plan your gift in consultation with a qualified legal and financial advisor.

Plan a legacy gift now and have peace of mind knowing that an organization you feel strongly about will continue to receive support after you have passed. Advanced planning can also have beneficial tax implications.

There are different ways you can leave your mark, here are some options to consider:

• Bequests
  A bequest is a gift given through your will. You can leave instructions indicating how the capital or interest (or both) may be spent on either general or specific purposes. The following sentences could be included in your new will, or added as a codicil to your existing will.
  • Specific Bequest: “I give the sum of ($amount) to the WISH Drop-In Centre Society.” *This sample wording is provided as information only and does not constitute legal advice. Please contact your lawyer
• Estate Residue:
  You can also leave instructions regarding an estate.
  • “I give all (or __%) of the residue of my estate to the WISH Drop-In Centre Society.” *This sample wording is provided as information only and does not constitute legal advice. Please contact your lawyer.
• Endowments
  An Endowment is a donation of money or property you can make now and is usually structured so that the principal amount is kept intact while the investment income is available for use by the charity. This allows for your donation to have an impact over a longer period than if it were spent all at once. Endowments may be established in memory of a loved one or for a special occasion.
• Life insurance policies
  You can name WISH as a beneficiary on a new policy or donate an existing policy and receive a significant year-end charitable deduction. There are also estate tax savings. This provides WISH with a significant gift at a low cost to you.
• Charitable gift annuities and trusts
  These are gifts that allow donors to leave a bequest or make a gift while receiving an immediate tax receipt.
• Stocks, bonds & other gifts of property
  If you have stocks, bonds, real estate or other securities that are worth more now than when you acquired them, you can maximize the tax benefit by transferring them directly to WISH. You will receive fair market value for your gift based on the gift date, and in most cases, avoid capital gains taxes on the appreciated value.
• Cash gifts
  You may leave a cash gift, either in a lump sum or over a specific period of time.

We would be honoured to be included in your legacy giving plans. For more information on leaving a legacy, please email development[at]wishdropincentre.org or call us at 604-669-9474 (Ext. 123)