{"id":59568,"date":"2026-09-03T16:04:44","date_gmt":"2026-09-03T20:04:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.canadahelps.org\/?p=59568"},"modified":"2026-09-03T16:04:44","modified_gmt":"2026-09-03T20:04:44","slug":"gifts-in-wills-canada-charity-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.canadahelps.org\/en\/charity-life\/fundraising-2\/gifts-in-wills-canada-charity-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Gifts in Wills in Canada: How Charities Can Get Started"},"content":{"rendered":"

Imagine your phone rings tomorrow.<\/p>\n

A lawyer is calling. One of your long-time supporters has left your charity $35,000 in their Will.<\/p>\n

No fundraising campaign. No gala. No grant application. Just one thoughtful decision made years earlier by someone who cared deeply about your mission.<\/p>\n

What would you do with it?<\/p>\n

For many small and medium-sized charities, funding like this feels out of reach. But it isn’t. New Canadian research on gifts in Wills<\/a> shows they are one of the fastest-growing forms of charitable giving. The number of everyday Canadians who\u2019ve already included a charity in their Will has doubled in the last five years, and nearly one in two are now considering a charity for their Will.<\/p>\n

So there\u2019s a pretty good chance your organization will get that call in the future.<\/p>\n

This is a guest blog by Laurie Fox from WillPower who presented The Rise of Gifts in Wills.<\/strong> Check out the webinar replay and slide deck here.<\/a><\/p>\n

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3 Steps any charity can take to get started in planned giving<\/h2>\n

The research points to one simple truth: more Canadians are thinking about giving through their Wills than ever before.<\/em> For people who care deeply about a cause and want to see change in this world,\u00a0 it\u2019s an easy way to make a big impact without taking away from the money they or their family need.<\/p>\n

The organizations that consistently remind supporters that a gift in a Will is an option are the ones most likely to benefit over time.<\/p>\n

Planned giving (or legacy giving when we\u2019re speaking about gifts in Wills) can sound intimidating, especially if you\u2019re a small team without a specialist on staff. The good news is that you don’t need to build a sophisticated program overnight.<\/p>\n

Here are 3 steps you can take now to get started.<\/p>\n

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Step 1: Identify your best legacy prospects<\/h2>\n

If you\u2019re picturing a wealthy retiree as your best legacy prospect, you wouldn\u2019t be alone. But today\u2019s research tells a different story.<\/p>\n

Younger Canadians are more likely to be interested in the idea of giving through their Will. In fact, more of them have already done it.<\/p>\n

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And yes, it may be years before their gift is realized. But its impact can begin much sooner. Research by Dr. Russell James found that after donors included a charity in their Will, their annual giving increased too – by an average of 75%!<\/p>\n

We\u2019re not just talking about the wealthy elite either. Everyday Canadians, with household incomes between $60,000 and $200,000, are the ones most likely to leave a gift in their Will. Think nurses, teachers and small business owners \u2013 people who may not have significant disposable income now but are building wealth over time through a home, cottage or farm.<\/p>\n

Where to find your best legacy prospects:<\/h3>\n

This research gives you permission to widen the net. But really, your first legacy conversations should be with your biggest champions: your board members, key donors, volunteers and staff depending on your organization.<\/p>\n

Once you\u2019re more comfortable and have more capacity, expand the conversation to your wider audience. Use the research to look beyond giving history alone and bring young and diverse supporters into the fold.<\/p>\n

One way to reach that young and diverse audience? Join the Will Power campaign and get in front of Canadians exploring a gift in their Will<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Step 2: Have the legacy conversation<\/h2>\n

People don’t leave gifts in their Wills because they’re responding to an urgent need. They don\u2019t do it for the tax break either. They do it because they want to make a lasting difference, support causes that reflect their values, and set an example for future generations.<\/p>\n

Legacy giving is different from all other types of giving because it\u2019s tied to a donor\u2019s identity, life story and sense of who they are. Or what Dr. James calls the \u201cautobiographical centre\u201d of the brain.<\/p>\n

And for most people, family is central to that story. That\u2019s why the biggest barrier to legacy giving is concern for loved ones. People assume that including a charity in their Will means taking something away from them.<\/p>\n

One simple message can change that \u201ceven 1% of your estate could make a big difference, while still leaving 99% for the people you love\u201d. <\/strong>You can use the Will Power legacy calculator<\/a> to help them visualize what that looks like. They can even see how their gift could reduce taxes on their estate (though that\u2019s usually a conversation for later).<\/p>\n

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Once people realize they can make a meaningful gift without taking away from family, you can almost see their shoulders relax and their eyes light up at the impact they could have in the world.<\/p>\n

How to have the legacy conversation:<\/h3>\n

Charities are often hesitant to talk to donors about gifts in Wills because they worry it means talking about death. Naturally, they worry about offending a donor.<\/p>\n

But the conversation is never about death. It\u2019s about life, values and impact. Here\u2019s how a typical legacy conversation with a donor may go:<\/p>\n