Legacy Giving

1. Simply include Scarborough Health Network Hospital Foundation in your Will. The donation can be a percentage of your estate, or residual gift (what is left of your estate after your loved ones have been cared for and all expenses paid), or a sum of money, or a piece of property such as real estate, jewelry or art.

2. Following your death, Scarborough Health Network Foundation will receive the bequest and issue a tax receipt to your estate to offset taxes.

• Retain control of your assets during your lifetime
• Make a significant contribution with minimal reduction to the inheritance for your loved ones
• Reduce the amount of taxes to be levied against your estate after you pass
• A bequest is revocable and can be modified if your financial circumstances change

“To pay to Scarborough Health Network Foundation (Canadian charitable registration number: 11914 2263 RR0001) _______% of the residue of my estate [or the sum of $____________]. This gift is to be used for such purposes and designs as deemed appropriate by Scarborough Health Network Foundation.

If you’ve already included us in your Will, please let us know by filling out the Legacy Gift Confirmation Form. You can return via email at vchen@shn.ca or mail it to:

Scarborough Health Network Foundation
3030 Lawrence Ave. E., Suite 314
Scarborough, ON M1P 2T7

1. Talk it over with your family and loved ones
2. Speak to your lawyer about drafting or revisiting your Will, or adding a codicil
3. Inform us of your bequest by filling out and returning the Legacy Gift Confirmation Form so that we can show our appreciation. Of course we respect your privacy and confidentiality.

A legacy gift, commonly known as bequest, is a future gift that designates a portion of your estate as a donation to a charity such as Scarborough Health Network (SHN) Foundation. Most legacy gifts are made through Wills. A Will is a legal document that allows you to decide how your assets will be distributed after you pass away, as well as how your dependents and pets will be cared for.

Like most Canadians, you’ve probably spent a lifetime contributing to a cause that’s close to your heart. Now imagine making a bigger contribution than you ever thought possible, without using any of the money you need during your lifetime, or significantly taking away from your loved ones. By giving even a small portion of your estate to SHN Foundation, you can take care of your family while making a significant impact for future generations. You can have the best of both worlds with a charitable gift in your Will. And we can show you how.

Your gift will
– Provide stable funding to meet the needs of patients for the long term.
– Help purchase life-saving medical equipment such as ventilators, portable ultrasounds, baby heart monitors, etc.
– Upgrade aging facilities for better patient experience
– Help attract the best medical professionals we so desperately need.

All bequest gifts have the power to transform the future of health care in Scarborough.

Some people think that including money to a charity in their Will is only an option for the very wealthy. That isn’t the case!

The majority of charitable gifts in Wills are left by Canadians of average means. You may be surprised to find that when all of your assets (e.g. your house, your life insurance policy, your jewellery, your retirement funds, your TFSA…) are added up, you, too, will have a tidy sum for supporting both your loved ones and your favourite causes.

A Will is the easiest, most effective way to ensure the people and causes you care about are provided for and your assets are distributed according to your wishes. A properly crafted Will can also reduce, even eliminate, the taxes on your estate and the burden on your beneficiaries.

The name to include in your Will is Scarborough Health Network Foundation. Our charitable registration number is 11914 2263 RR0001

There are many ways to leave money to a charity in your Will, but these are the two most common:

• Residual bequest: Commonly designated as all or a percentage of the estate’s residue, a residual bequest refers to what is left in an estate after all debts, bills and taxes have been paid and all specific gifts have been distributed.

• Specific bequest: A specific bequest is a gift of a specific dollar amount, or asset such as a house, car, or securities.

You have more power to make a difference than you realize. By giving even a small portion of your estate to charity, you can make a significant impact on the causes you care about, and still support those you love. In short, you can do both.

We encourage you to first consider an unrestricted bequest, which gives us the flexibility to deploy funds where it is needed most. However, if you do decide to designate your gift to a specific hospital or program, contact Verna Chen at 416-438-2911 ext. 6040 or via email at vchen@shn.ca. Verna will help you with the wording and ensure that your gift goes where you want it to after you pass.

Other than a gift in your Will, you can help SHN Foundation by:
• Designating SHN Foundation as the beneficiary and/or owner of a new or existing life insurance policy;
• Naming SHN Foundation as the beneficiary of your pension plan, RRSP, RRIF, or TFSA;
• Making a gift of property such as real estate.

Stocks, bonds, mutual funds or other securities are ways to invest in a healthy financial future. You can transform those assets into a gift that helps ensure the health of the hospital, as part of a tax-smart donation strategy.

Learn More

• Legacy of Life Newsletter
• Charlie’s story 留一份永恆的愛心禮物
• FAQ – Chinese
• Life Stages – Chinese