Leave a Legacy

Looking back on your life, many of you hope that you will be remembered by your best qualities, your character and willingness to help others – times when you helped change someone’s life for the better.

For many Habitat homeowner families, it is through the act of kindness of family, friends or colleagues, that they learn of Habitat and it is those same family, friends and colleagues that join them in pouring the foundation and raising the walls on their new Habitat home.

How will you be remembered?

Looking to the future, consider paying it forward by providing families with the opportunity for a hand-up in life. Affordable homeownership would not be possible for many of the families we partner with without generous donors like you.

A legacy gift in your will is a simple way to help Habitat for Humanity Canada support more families on their journey in building strength, stability and independence through affordable homeownership. You can choose to leave cash, real estate, securities. Leaving a legacy gift is the most efficient way to significantly contribute to a charity and ease the burden of your future estate.

Help us plan for the future

Please let us know if you have included a gift in your will. It will give us the opportunity to thank you and, more importantly, to discuss how you would like to direct your donation and what you hope it will accomplish. Every legacy gift makes a difference.

Create a lasting legacy by making a planned gift

Leaving a bequest in your will is the easiest and most important way to support the causes you care about. A gift in your will, known as a bequest, is a gift from your estate—a transfer of cash, securities, or other property made through your will.

Benefits include:

Your cash resources will not be affected while you need them and you retain full control of your assets during your lifetime.
The beneficiary designation is revocable, meaning it can be changed if your financial and/or life circumstances change.
The final taxes to be paid on your estate may be significantly reduced, which can be a significant advantage for your heirs and a great comfort to you.

Habitat for Humanity can provide you with suggested wording that will assist you in discussions with your lawyer.

What happens if you don't have a will?

In Canada, if you die without a will you are considered to have died "intestate." Simply put, this means that the provincial government, not you, decides how your assets will be divided. Each province has intestacy rules that define your estate's beneficiaries and how much each is to receive. For your peace of mind today and your family's peace of mind tomorrow, making or updating your will is an easy, inexpensive solution.

What are your next steps?

Create a will that reflects your wishes. You can make your bequest in honor or in memory of someone special.
If you already have a will and are considering a bequest to Habitat for Humanity, the easiest and least expensive way to make a small change in your existing will is to add a codicil. The codicil will retain all the provisions of your will, except those that are modified by this addition.
Make an appointment with your lawyer to draft or revise your will. Your lawyer will help you with the key information and details. Habitat for Humanity has sample wording available to assist you and your lawyer.
Contact your local or the national Habitat for Humanity office to inform us of your gift to ensure we honour your gift intentions as you wish.

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