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Wills and Charitable Bequests
Why Plan Your Will?
Many people avoid making a will because they
feel they are
Too busy, too healthy, or
too young to worry about writing their will. Others think making a will
is complicated or costly.
Clergy on the front lines caring for families where a
will has not been written know the pain and family turmoil and
on-going family estrangement that can be fostered when there is no will.
A will saves your loved ones from suffering and shows
them you really care.
For the Christian, a will is personally very satisfying
to write.
A will is a statement of
who you are and what you value most in life. A will gives you the opportunity
to summarize what has been in important to you in life. It is the exclamation
point to the meaning you bring to life and a statement of faith.
A will is a gift to yourself. It brings peace of
mind and meaning to life.
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If You Have No Will...
- The province will direct the distribution of your estate according
to existing laws.
- Your heirs will go through an unnecessary legal maze.
When You Make Your Will...
- YOU direct the distribution of your property and assets.
- You provide for those you love and avoid misunderstanding among
them.
- You may suggest guardians for your children, where necessary.
- You can reduce taxes.
- You can support your church and/or other charities dear to your
heart.
- Preparing a will is a simple process
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Transforming Lives...
We all want to make a difference.
A charitable bequest to your favourite charity or charities
will put your assets at work transforming lives.
While the church encourages the writing of a will for
pastoral reasons mentioned earlier in this pamphlet, the church has
many ministries that will benefit from your generosity.
A BEQUEST TO THE CHURCH IS THEOLOGICALLY SOUND
It's all about building God's reign. The theology behind
making a gift to your church is sound and simple. By virtue of our baptism,
Christians are called to be co-creators with God of a better world in
the here and now and to future generations.
There is so much to be done.
YOU CAN BE AN AGENT OF HEALING, COMFORT, AND HOPE!
The church's ministries exist to bring about healing,
to promote justice, to speak out and act against oppression and poverty,
bring comfort to the sick and hope to those who have yet to hear the
Good News that we find in Jesus Christ.
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So Many Ministries Need Your Support...
Anglicans in Niagara have many options when making gifts
to the church. Those include:
- The local parish which often has Endowment funds set up, or you
may dedicate your gift to a parish ministry by the wording of your
will.
- The Anglican Church Ministries (ACM) Foundation - the foundation
for this diocese - the Diocese of Niagara. The ACM Foundation has
several endowment funds
- Youth Ministry Fund
- Outreach in the Name of Christ Fund
- Education & Training Fund
- Divinity Students' Fund
- Evangelism Fund
- Clergy in Transition Fund
- Bishop's Company Endowment
- The Diocese (Synod) of Niagara
- The Primate's World Relief & Development Fund (PWRDF)
- The Anglican Church of Canada
So Many Ways to Give...
Many people assume the only way to make a planned
gift to the church is a cash gift left in the will. There are many other
vehicles for giving that may be more appropriate for your personal situation.
Gifts of life insurance, gift annuities, residual interest in property,
and securities may be more appropriate for you. We can help you explore
these options.
Charitable Gifts Save Taxes
There may be significant taxes payable by your estate
at death. For example capital gains on cottages, rental property, shares,
mutual funds and RRSP/RRIF balances are taxable income. These taxes
can be reduced or even eliminated by a gift or bequest in your will
to the ministries of the Anglican Church. The tax receipt for the bequest
can be claimed by your estate against up to 100% of income on your final
two tax returns.
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