May is Leave a Legacy Month, a reminder to consider the impact you’d like to leave behind.

At Big Brothers Big Sisters, we’re planting seeds for the future every day. By providing mentoring relationships in our communities to each new generation of youth, we are creating possibilities for years to come.

Leave a Legacy Month prompts us to put intentionality and thoughtfulness into our future last wishes, considering people and causes dearest to us. It encourages us to consider lasting impact through planned giving, such as bequests, beneficiary designations on retirement accounts or life insurance policies, or charitable gifts in Wills.

For some, legacy planning and conversations are put off or avoided. The reality is, in the unfortunate case of your passing without a Will in Ontario, estates and assets will be controlled by provincial law instead of by your loved ones.

Your Will is a statement of what you’d like to carry forward, it’s your rightful intentions and the division of your hard-earned estate.

“Many people mistakenly assume they must be extremely wealthy to make a financial difference to a worthy cause,” says Robert Anderson, Certified Financial Planner, Master Financial Advisor – Philanthropy, and a board member with Big Brothers Big Sisters. “You too can make a charitable gift that matters,” he says

“Donating to causes you care about not only benefits the charities, but also can be deeply rewarding for you, too. For many people, having the power to improve the lives of others is both a privilege and a responsibility that brings a strong sense of purpose,” Rob says.

“Proper planning today can help ensure you meet legal requirements while maximizing the value of your estate,” Rob continues. “A well-designed personal strategy can support the smooth transfer of wealth to your loved ones and allow you to leave a lasting legacy by supporting your favourite charity (now or bequeathing a substantial amount as a future gift).”

Selecting a charity for a planned gift is a generous, highly personal and important decision, should you choose to.

Investments in Big Brothers Big Sisters help to support transformational mentoring relationships that allow young people to believe in themselves, their potential and their future. We’ve proudly been supporting young people in Halton, Hamilton and Grand Erie regions since 1921 and look forward to serving future generations.

If you’d like to consider Big Brothers Big Sisters for a gift now or later, we invite you to connect for a conversation. Please reach out directly to Melissa at M.Pelletier@bigbrothersbigsisters.ca