The decision to make a legacy gift is a highly personal one, and one that starts with considerations for your spouse, children and grandchildren. But just as it's significant to pass along a family heirloom like a ring or a watch, there are some less tangible treasures that permit us to become part of a greater legacy.
Through your gift, Laurier can continue to support student success, nurture great ideas and create an innovative learning environment that inspires generations to come. Get in touch to learn more.
Planned gifts require careful thought and discussion with your family, attorney, accountant, or financial advisor.
If you have made, or plan to make, a gift to Laurier in your will, please let us know by filling out the Confidential Statement of Intent form.
It is important for the university to receive information about your legacy gift to ensure your exact wishes are carried out when the gift is received. Our team is ready to work with you and your advisor in confidence and without obligation to help you explore the best possible method of giving for your circumstance.
Kathryn Jeffrey
Associate Director,
Legacy Giving & Development (Music)
Office:548.889.4861
kajeffrey@wlu.ca
Address:
Wilfrid Laurier University
75 University Avenue West
Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3C5
Charitable number:
10820 8786 RR0002
“Unrestricted” gifts support the university’s highest priority needs at the time they are received. These gifts enable us to be flexible and responsive in stewarding your gift.
Consider an unrestricted gift designation to provide a stable foundation for Laurier into the future.
The William Ross Macdonald Legacy Council recognizes and honors thoughtful individuals who have indicated their intent to support Laurier with a deferred gift such as a bequest in their will or a gift of life insurance.
Council members receive these gestures of appreciation:
We greatly appreciate their vision in making a long-term commitment to Laurier’s continued success.
No gift is a small gift. Each gift makes a difference.
If you are planning to make a deferred gift to Wilfrid Laurier University, and would like to become a member of the William Ross Macdonald Legacy Council, or would like more information, please do not hesitate to contact Kathryn Jeffrey at kajeffrey@wlu.ca. She would be pleased to help you.
One of the simplest, most effective, and most flexible ways of making a substantial gift to Wilfrid Laurier University is to leave a bequest in your will.
Through a bequest you may be able to make a much larger donation than you could have afforded in your lifetime. And you are not limited to gifts of cash – you can also leave stocks, bonds, real estate, or other assets.
In return, your estate will receive a tax receipt for the full value of your bequest, saving tax dollars. Careful planning can maximize the benefits for your estate and beneficiaries.
Your will is highly personal. While we understand and respect that you may not be comfortable sharing the details of your bequest, we encourage you or your advisors to contact us to make sure your gift is designated in the way you intend so that we can make sure your wishes are carried out when the gift is received.
Will bequests can be arranged in a variety of ways. Seek advice from your lawyer and financial advisor to ensure that your gift meets your goals and provides the maximum benefit to your beneficiaries and the university.
A good will...
Life insurance is an economical way to give a larger and more lasting gift to Laurier than you might otherwise be able to make. And you don’t have to draw on your assets now or deplete your estate. A gift of life insurance allows those of even modest means to make a sizable gift with only a small annual or monthly payment. Life insurance gifts can be structured to suit any financial situation.
There are three ways to give the gift of life insurance.
The policy can be assigned to Laurier and the cash value in the policy is tax deductible. All premiums that you continue to pay would also be eligible for tax receipts.
You can maintain ownership of a life insurance policy and name Laurier as beneficiary. Your estate will receive a tax receipt upon death for the insurance proceeds.
The annual premium paid by you is tax deductible and tax credits are available for donations up to 75 per cent of your income.
Gifts of securities (gifts of stock, bonds, and mutual funds) are a popular choice for donors. They are an easy way for you to support what matters most to you and be involved in Laurier’s exciting initiatives. And you or your estate can benefit from substantial tax savings.
Laurier follows CRA legislation and guidance on gifts of shares. Under current legislation, charitable gifts of publicly traded securities are exempt from capital gains tax. Whether you give a gift of securities now or through a gift in your will, you won’t pay any tax on the gains.
Valuation of the gift of shares will be determined at the time of transfer of ownership. Laurier will send you a tax receipt for this amount. If you wish to donate stock held in a private company, please contact us to discuss valuation and acceptance.
Due to the tax advantages, there can be up to 40% less cost to you as the donor when donating shares vs cash. Please speak with your financial advisor.
You may designate your gift to an area that is important to you, such as scholarships, capital projects, programs or athletics. If this is for a new designation, please contact us to discuss how you wish to designate the funds.
Alternatively, you may decide against putting restrictions on your gift, allowing the university to apply the funds to its highest priority needs.
It is important that the university be aware of this transaction. Contact us at: 519.884.0710 x3866 or give@wlu.ca.
Brokerage Contact:
Diane Looman, Administrative Assistant to Chris Kitchen
Kitchen Wealth Management, RBC Wealth Management, RBC Dominion Securities Inc.
T: 519.747.4252 | Toll free: 1.800.265.8720
F: 519.747.1808
95 King St. South, 3rd Floor, Waterloo, ON N2J 5A2
www.chriskitchen.ca
Endowments are powerful ways to invest in Laurier’s future because they provide a permanent source of funding for educational programs, research initiatives, scholarships and more.
When you make an endowed gift, the capital is invested within a Laurier endowment fund. This protected amount earns interest annually, which is used to:
Laurier’s Board of Governors reviews and approves how much can be spent annually depending on fund returns. Laurier’s investment and spending strategies ensure your fund will continue to have the same impact in perpetuity – endowments are forever.
Laurier offers donors a choice of two investment options: a general endowment fund and a fossil-fuel free endowment fund.
The best endowment has minimal restrictions to ensure it can be spent by the university in perpetuity. Perhaps you would like to support a faculty of special interest to you, establish a research chair, support the library or provide financial aid to students.
Whatever area you choose to support, you can be sure that you are leaving a legacy that will benefit Laurier for years to come.
Examples: RRSPs, RRIFs and TFSAs.
Giving retirement assets is one of the easiest, most tax-effective ways to support Laurier. Many do not realize that, upon passing, the total value of your registered retirement accounts must be reported as income. This income is fully taxable, unless the funds can be rolled over to a surviving spouse or dependent child.
While retirement assets can be a costly gift to distribute, they make ideal donations to charitable organizations such as Laurier. By naming Wilfrid Laurier University as a direct beneficiary of your RRSP or RRIF, you will avoid paying probate fees on those assets. This means more of your estate goes to something important to you. A donation to Laurier can also offset taxes owed on other retirement assets. You may designate Laurier as a 100% beneficiary or a partial beneficiary.
Just as with RRSPs and RRIFs, it is possible to name the university as a beneficiary of your Tax Free Savings Account (TFSA).
A gift is easy to make: simply obtain a beneficiary designation form from your plan’s provider and complete the form with Laurier’s legal name (Wilfrid Laurier University) and Charitable Registration Number (80340 7956 RR0001).
If you would like to designate your gift to Laurier, please make your wishes known in a separate letter. Our staff at Laurier, Legacy Giving will be pleased to help.
A gift that pays you an income: You can make a significant gift to Laurier while maintaining or even increasing your income from assets such as cash, securities or other investments.
With a charitable gift annuity, a portion of your contribution is used to purchase an annuity guaranteeing you a fixed monthly income for life while the remainder goes directly to Laurier as a gift with immediate tax benefits.
The fixed monthly payments you receive are a combination of income earned by the investments and the capital of the original investment. Only the income portion is taxable. A gift annuity can be for one or two people, so your spouse can also receive payments for life.
In the case of Residual Interest Gifts, the donor will gift an asset with the full understanding that they will have continued access to or discretion over the use of the asset for a specified term, usually until the time of their death.
The charity will issue an immediate donation receipt to the donor at the time of the donation. The amount of the receipt will be based on the estimated present value of the residual interest of the donated asset when the donor dies. When the donor passes, the gifted asset, which has already been transferred to the charity, will not be subject to probate.
A charitable remainder trust is a deferred giving arrangement under which you may transfer property (cash, securities or real estate) to a trustee.
The trust allows you to make a legacy gift now and receive an immediate charitable tax receipt, while enjoying the interest income for life.
Benefits:
Bursaries, awards and scholarships provide much needed support for our students, recognize their efforts and commitment to their studies, and encourage them to work even harder. Let’s give all Laurier students the best university experience they can have.
Learn more about setting up a student award.
All charitable donations (as defined by CRA) made to Laurier, are eligible for tax receipts. Laurier is committed to forwarding tax receipts as soon as possible following receipt of the donation. The receipt value depends on the type of asset being gifted but is usually based on the current fair market value of the gift.
Laurier is pleased to accept gifts of all sizes. We know and respect that any philanthropic decision must take into consideration your personal and family needs. We have received a range of legacy gifts and all are equally valuable. Every investment from every donor is valued for its thoughtfulness and generosity. Regardless of size, every gift helps students.
You have the option of creating an annual scholarship, bursary or award or establishing an endowed scholarship, bursary or award.
The minimum amounts required for expendable or endowed awards will change in the future. It’s important to plan for this when setting up a financial opportunity through a legacy gift.
Please contact Cec Joyal, Development Officer, at 519.884.0710 x3864 or cjoyal@wlu.ca She will be pleased to assist you in discussing terms of reference.
All donors are encouraged to designate their gift to an area that is important to them and in keeping with Laurier’s mission and vision. In order to ensure your gift is used as you intend, we recommend you contact the Office of Advancement & External Relations early in your decision-making process.
We can work with you to both ensure that your gift is designated to match your needs and interests, and that the university is able to accept and spend the gift.
We are aware that many individuals prefer their gift remain anonymous. We will certainly respect and honour your wishes in this regard.
We realize that circumstances can change throughout the course of your lifetime. We understand that all legacy gifts take into consideration your personal and family circumstances. When these change, so do your estate plans. Good estate planning requires you to keep making changes that reflect your current circumstances.
It is important for the university to receive information about your legacy gift. Records established with the university ensure your wishes are carried out when the gift is received. Knowing in advance of your intentions also permits us to thank and recognize you during your lifetime and allows us the opportunity to let you know how your generosity will impact our students.
