LEGACY GIVING

Leaving a gift in your will can create a meaningful legacy

A gift in your will can help ensure that women and gender-diverse people continue to have access to safety, justice, and legal support for generations to come.

By including Rise Women's Legal Centre in your estate plans, you can create a lasting legacy that advances access to justice long into the future.

Why leave a legacy?

✓ Create lasting change for future generations

✓ Continue supporting access to justice beyond your lifetime

✓ Retain control of your assets during your lifetime

✓ Potential tax benefits for your estate

✓ Join Rise's Trailblazer Circle

Each generation of women and their supporters has paved the way for the next. Thanks to past and present trailblazers, women now have more access to justice than ever before. Though we’ve made a lot of progress, there is still work to do. Legacy giving allows you to become a trailblazer of your generation, creating new pathways for those who come next. Legacy gifts help sustain legal services, public legal education, law reform initiatives, and advocacy efforts that improve access to justice for women and gender-diverse people across British Columbia.

Looking back at the rights women have gained in the last 50 years alone, we know how important the fight for our rights, freedoms, and entitlements is. You can continue that fight as part of your legacy.

For those looking to make a difference, legacy giving can help ensure that you make a major contribution to a charity of your choice, without using any of the money you need now or may need in the future. After you have provided for your family and loved ones, you can make a contribution of any amount to Rise. Even small gifts make a difference. There are also tax benefits to leaving a legacy gift. A legacy gift does not need to be large to make a meaningful difference. Gifts of all sizes contribute to a future where women and gender-diverse people can access legal information, advice, and representation when they need it most.

Types of planned gifts

  • A bequest is a donation made through your will and is the most common planned gift.

    You can:

    • Give cash, an asset, or a share of whatever remains after estate expenses and other bequests are paid. This could be a specific dollar amount or percentage of the residue.

    • Set up a trust that pays income to a loved one for life with a gift of the remainder to one of more charities.

    • Make your gift contingent, payable only if your other beneficiaries do not survive you.

    It is best to discuss the different tax benefits of leaving different types of bequests in your will with a lawyer. Giving securities or registered investments may have significant tax benefits, for example.

  • Endowments create ongoing support for Rise’s services and work in perpetuity. An endowment is a gift that is invested long-term, with the annual interest from your gift being distributed according to your instructions.

    Various tax benefits apply depending on how you make the donation. You can feel confident that your gift will be maximized over time and responsibly invested with the guidance and oversight of Rise’s Board of Directors and in accordance with Rise’s policies.

  • Adding Rise as a designated beneficiary of a life insurance policy ensures a future gift and can mean a tax benefit for your estate.

How do I include a gift in my will?

We always recommend speaking to a lawyer when creating your will or estate plan to ensure that, no matter the approach you choose, your gift will be used as you intended.

When making a legacy gift, please ensure you include the following information in your documents:

Our legal name: Rise Women’s Legal Centre

Our address: Suite #820, 510 Burrard St., Vancouver, BC V6C 3A8

Our charitable registration number:763368099 RR 0001

Here is some sample bequest language you can share with your legal advisor:

"I give to Rise Women's Legal Centre (Charitable Registration Number 763368099 RR 0001) the sum of $_____ (or _____% of the residue of my estate) to be used for their own use absolutely."

Join Rise’s Trailblazer Circle

When you leave a legacy gift to Rise, you join our Trailblazer Circle — a group of philanthropists committed to making a generational impact on access to justice. You will be part of a special community of supporters who have included Rise in their wills or estate plans.

If you have left a gift to us, please let us know. Trailblazers receive:

  • Regular, exclusive updates on Rise’s work, including our annual report by mail

  • Invitations to exclusive events

  • Recognition on our website, annual report, and quarterly newsletter

Reach out and let us know if you are joining the Trailblazer Circle.

Join the Circle:

Questions?

You can reach us at: development@womenslegalcentre.ca, or at: (604) 757 5002