Charitable gift annuities provide support to WCS Canada and a secured income stream for your lifetime. Depending on your age, this income may even be tax-free. An annuity is an agreement where you make an irrevocable payment in return for a guaranteed lifetime income, most or all of which is non-taxable.
Part of your total contribution is used to purchase an annuity from a licensed insurance company. You receive fixed guaranteed payments for life with a portion of this income tax-free depending on your age, and WCS Canada receives an immediate cash gift to help address urgent conservation needs today. Gift annuities may also be purchased for others, such as parents or grandparents.
WCS Canada can be a named beneficiary on registered retirement plan documents. A tax receipt for the value of the investment gifted will be issued to the donor's estate and can be applied to the final income tax return. You can avoid probate, and gifts of RRSPs/RRIFs are less susceptible to being contested than a charitable bequest.
Charitable remainder trusts are a way for donors to make a sizable commitment while maintaining the use of their assets for the duration of their life or the term of the trust. Assets placed in the trust can include cash, stocks, bonds, securities, and other investments. If you establish a charitable remainder trust, you will receive a tax receipt for the present value of your assets calculated using life expectancy and prevailing discount rates at the time the trust is established. A charitable tax receipt will also be sent to you at the time the trust is established.
Other benefits of charitable remainder trusts include:
In addition to the many ways of making a personal planned gift to WCS Canada, you can also designate us as a beneficiary of memorial donations. WCS Canada will create a customized memorial donation card and will work with your family or estate trustees to facilitate donations to WCS Canada in your memory. WCS Canada will notify next-of-kin of donations received.
For more information on leaving a legacy gift of any kind, contact Forough Shafiei, Fundraising Manager at supportwcscanada@wcs.org.
All information on this page is general in nature, does not constitute legal or financial advice, and should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional advice. We strongly encourage you to seek professional legal, estate planning and/or financial advice before deciding on your course of action.