What is a legacy gift in your will?
A legacy gift – also known as a gift in your will or a charitable bequest – is a future gift you choose today as part of your estate plans. It’s a flexible way to support the causes you care about, without affecting your finances today. Whether your estate is large or small, your gift can help create long-term change and a world where all children can grow up healthy, learning, and safe.
If you have questions, you can explore our FAQs.
A gift that lasts
The world feels less predictable than it once did, and it’s made me reflect on what endures."
– Vaughan Keenan, a Plan legacy donor
How do I leave a gift in my will?
When you’re ready, you can include Plan International Canada in your will using clear legal wording, with support from a lawyer, a notary, or an online will‑making tool. You remain in control of your plans and can update your will at any time. There are several ways to create a legacy gift, depending on your goals and circumstances.
Ways to give
A gift in your will:Sample wording and guidance
This document provides sample wording you can use when creating or updating your will. It outlines common types of gifts, explains undesignated bequests, and provides Plan International Canada’s legal details for reference.
Gifts of life insurance: How they work
Learn how a life insurance policy can be used to create a meaningful future gift, including common options and tax considerations.
Gifts of RRSPs, RRIFs, and TFSAs:How they work
You can also donate registered funds such as RRSPs or TFSAs by naming Plan International Canada as a beneficiary. Explore how this type of a gift affects your taxes and the next steps.
Give a gift of securities
Donate publicly traded securities in a tax-efficient way to support children and communities.
Choose the approach that works best for you
The online will-making tool
If you’re writing your will for the first time or updating it, our partner Epilogue Wills offers an online will-making tool to help you create or update a legal will efficiently and confidently.
» Get started nowWork with a lawyer or notary
You can also have your will prepared by a lawyer or a notary. To include a gift to Plan International Canada, your will preparer may ask for our legal name, address, and charitable registration number.
What to include in your will
Your lawyer, notary, or will-making tool may ask for our legal name, address, and charitable registration number:
Legal name: Plan International Canada
Address: 245 Eglinton Ave. East, Suite 300,Toronto, ON M4P 0B3
Charitable registration number: 11892 8993 RR0001
Example legal wording:
I give to Plan International Canada Inc., currently located at 245 Eglinton Ave East Suite 300, Toronto, Ontario M4P 0B3, ____%) of the rest, residue, and remainder of my estate to be used for its general charitable purposes
What your gift can make possible
Legacy gifts provide long‑term, reliable support for programs that help children and communities thrive.
Clean water
One Plan supporter set aside 25% of their estate to fund clean water in schools and communities – so girls can learn in classrooms instead of spending mornings walking for water.
Food and nutrition
Your gift of 5% of your estate could support school feeding programs that provide regular, nutritious meals to hundreds of children so they can focus on learning.
Education
Your gift of 10% of your estate could help build and equip classrooms in communities where schools have been washed out by flooding caused by torrential rain.
Health care
One supporter has committed 20% of their estate to Plan to help fund health care by training medical staff, stocking clinics, and meeting communities’ most urgent needs.
An extension of my values
Vaughn grew up with opportunities he knew not every child had – access to education, support, and the chance to imagine his future. That stayed with him. At 16, he started sponsoring children through Plan International Canada and continued that commitment over time.
Leaving a gift in my will felt like a natural extension of the values I’ve lived by.”
What you begin lives on
A legacy gift allows you to make that extra contribution, and for me it’s a way to make sure that what I started when I was alive is still echoing in the universe afterwards.”
– Beverly Marchand, a Plan legacy donor
Frequently asked questions about gifts in wills
Do I need a lawyer to include a gift in my will?
Not necessarily. Many people choose to work with a lawyer or notary to create or update their will, but you can also use an online will-making tool. What matters most is using clear legal wording and including our name, address, and charitable registration number so that your wishes are carried out as intended.
Do I need to be wealthy to leave a gift in my will?
No. A gift in your will can be any size. Many people choose to leave a percentage of their estate or a modest amount that’s meaningful to them. Every legacy gift helps create long-term change for children and their communities.
Will leaving a gift in my will affect my finances now?
No. A gift in your will comes into effect in the future and does not affect your finances or lifestyle today. You remain in full control of your assets during your lifetime.
I don’t have a will yet – where do I start?
You’re not alone. Many Canadians begin by simply thinking about their values and the example they want to set. Creating or updating a will can come later, when the time feels right. Considering legacy giving is often a first step, not the final one.
Can I change my mind after I include a gift in my will?
Yes. Your will is not final until it takes effect, and you can update it at any time. If your circumstances or priorities change, you’re free to revise your plans whenever you wish.
You don’t need to rewrite your entire will to make a change. Many people update an existing will by adding a codicil, which is a simple legal document used to make amendments – such as adding or changing a charitable gift. A codicil must be signed and witnessed in the same way as the original will and is commonly used to add, update, or remove beneficiaries as your wishes evolve.
Is donating to charity a tax write-off in Canada?
Leaving a gift in your will is a powerful way to create lasting change while also offering meaningful tax benefits for your estate. A charitable gift to Plan International Canada may be claimed against up to 100% of net income in your final two lifetime tax returns. In some cases, this can reduce taxes owed by your estate, helping preserve the value of the gifts you leave to your loved ones while supporting a more just and equal future for children and communities around the world. We recommend speaking with a financial advisor to understand how this could apply to your situation.
Meet our planned giving team
Rhona Rahmani
Director of Planned Giving
Tel: 437-828-8785
Email: Rrahmani@plancanada.ca
Thandi Walcott
Manager, Estates Administration
Tel: 437-828-9090
Email: twalcott@plancanada.ca
Jessica London
Senior Manager of Planned Giving
Tel: 437-828-8814
Email: JLondon@plancanada.ca
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