Wise estate planning will let you provide for the ministry of EHC, while also making provisions for your family and possibly reducing potential tax burdens.
EHC works with a trusted planned-giving specialist to help you with your estate planning and to help you make the right choice for a planned gift. The service is free and confidential and the advisor is well qualified to help you with these sensitive plans. To learn more or to arrange for a consultation on providing a planned gift to EHC, please call 1-800-265-7326 or email us.
The following overview provides highlights of the types of legacy gifts you can make to EHC.
By designating a gift in their will, many donors are able to make a contribution to the ministry of EHC, which might not have been possible during their lifetime.
A donor can provide a charitable bequest in the form of bonds or securities, life insurance, real estate or other assets, either as a specific sum of money or as a percentage of the estate.
In addition, a donor can also make a residual gift to EHC after all expenses and other disbursements have been made. It is easy to do and effective.
Some donors use a revocable charitable remainder trust to give EHC a legacy. In this type of giving, the donor transfers some money into a trust where it is held and managed by EHC.
The EHC Revocable Trust functions much like a savings account. The donor can receive a regular income from the trust and, if the donor ever needs some or all the money for any reason, it is available.
Some donors use an EHC Revocable Trust to reduce potential probate fees. A revocable charitable remainder trust does that well because it passes outside of the estate without probate fees and is private.
If donors want to place money in a trust in memory of a loved one, such as a spouse, parent or child, they can use a living (inter vivios) trust.
The donor can receive an immediate tax receipt for the donation placed into the trust. The memorial trust generates income each year, and that income is used to advance the Gospel through the ministry of EHC.
This type of trust can be set up to continue for a specified number of years. Or it can be set up so that, upon the donor’s passing, the living trust would be collapsed and the money used where most needed in the advancement of ministry through EHC.
A donor who would like to have both a regular income for life and make a gift to EHC can do so through EHC’s gift and annuity program. The donor receives a tax receipt for the gift portion of the funds put into the charitable gift annuity.
A portion or all of the monthly income received by the donor may be tax-free and the income is guaranteed for the life of the annuitant.
In the case of a joint and survivorship annuity, the surviving spouse will continue to receive the regular and constant income for his or her lifetime.
Canadians who have registered retirement savings plans (RRSPs) or registered retirement income funds (RRIFs) can use these to support ministry advancement through EHC. Some donors may prefer to give their RRSP or RRIF to EHC at their death.
The donor does this by naming EHC as the beneficiary of their RRSP or RRIF and then on their death the funds go to EHC.
Some donors use life insurance as a way to make a significant impact on the ministry of EHC at a responsible cost. They purchase a life insurance policy and then transfer the ownership of the policy to EHC. The donor continues paying the premiums. After the donor pays the first month’s premium, a tax receipt is issued for the premiums paid following the policy ownership transfer.
Some donors transfer the ownership of an existing policy to EHC; they would receive a tax receipt for the cash surrender value.
In some situations, a donor can make a gift and continue using it. For example, if a donor decides to gift a home, he or she would transfer the ownership to EHC and continue to pay the property taxes and keep the house in good repair. The donor would receive a reduced tax receipt based upon the current value of the home.
This could help reduce a donor’s tax obligations for years, while the donor continues to live in the house.
Donors can give a gift of publicly traded stock, mutual funds or securities to a registered Canadian charity, like EHC. When they do, they may receive a significant benefit in the form of tax relief.
The gift means the donor does not have to pay tax on capital gains when he or she disposes of the asset. If, for example, a donor sold stock, mutual funds or securities, and donated the money to EHC, the donor would be faced with a 50% capital gains tax. If, however, the donor gave the stock, mutual funds or securities to EHC, the donor pays no taxes. The person also receives a tax receipt for the full market value of the securities, which includes the gain on the securities. This is a significant advantage for the donor.
A donor may choose to make a gift of real estate such as a house, an investment property, a cottage or a condo and receive a tax receipt for the value of the property at the time of the donation.
