What legacy will you leave?

206 reasons to build a legacy – your 206 bones and the joints that connect them

When well-fuelled and well-maintained, our 206 bones carry us through our lives. When they’re not, the simplest and most enjoyable of movements can be painful or impossible. This is the challenge for hundreds of thousands of Canadians living with a bone and joint disorder who need surgery to regain mobility.

That’s why the Canadian Orthopaedic Foundation is dedicated solely to helping people build, maintain, and restore their bone and joint health.  Supporting our critical programming is an investment in a vibrant Canada – keeping Canadians on the move.

Our education and peer support programs help Canadians along their road from disability to mobility. Our research funding stimulates answers to new questions about disease, treatments, and improved outcomes. Help us help Canadians have a lifetime of movement by making a planned gift.

You can make a difference in the lives of Canadians in so many ways. Your gift can inspire a new graduate to a career in research, fuel our patient support programs, and allow us to continue to deliver education to the public and to patients across the nation.

Planned Giving

Planned gifts are charitable donations that are pledged during your lifetime, but are usually not available to the Canadian Orthopaedic Foundation until some time in the future. Planned or legacy gifts allow you to make a larger gift in the future than would be possible if you made a gift today.

What’s more, a planned gift today could greatly reduce your final tax bill. Making the Canadian Orthopaedic Foundation a beneficiary in your current estate planning will allow you to significantly assist these programs, while contributing in the most tax-effective way possible.

Planned giving options include those listed here.

Bequests

A bequest directed to the Canadian Orthopaedic Foundation through your will is the most common planned gift. It allows you to:

  • Leave a pre-determined sum of money, securities, real estate or a percentage of your estate.
  • Designate funds to a program of personal interest or to the area of greatest need.
  • Receive a tax credit for the value of the bequest that can be applied to your final income tax return, if properly structured, for the value of the bequest.

Sample Bequest Wording – Click here for an example of wording for a Bequest.

Life Insurance

A gift of life insurance, with the Foundation named as the beneficiary or owner, is a deferred donation with favourable tax benefits available to you today. An existing or newly-purchased life insurance policy allows you to magnify your donation through tax credits:

  • For annual premiums.
  • For proceeds at death to estate.
  • For the cash value of a fully paid life insurance policy.

Gifts of Stock or Securities

Gifts of publicly traded stocks and securities offer immediate tax advantages. Donating stock, bonds, and mutual funds to the Canadian Orthopaedic Foundation allows you to:

  • Eliminate the capital gains tax on the increase in the value of the asset.
  • Qualify for a tax credit based on the asset’s fair market value.

Click here for further information about Gifts of Stock or Securities (Tax Benefits).

RRSP’s

Naming the Foundation as a beneficiary on an existing RRSP or RRIF will provide an immediate tax receipt to offset the deferred income taxes and provide a life-time gift to the Foundation.

Endowments

A self-sustaining endowment fund is a living memorial that continues to support the Foundation in perpetuity. Endowments can be established in the name of donors or their loved ones to provide financial assistance to designated programs.

Planned Gift Advisement

Let us know of your intent for Planned Giving. Click here for a downloadable form you can print, complete and mail. 

206 Reasons to Leave a Lasting Legacy

To learn more about planned gifts, please contact the Canadian Orthopaedic Foundation at (800) 461-3639 x 225 or email giving@canorth.org.

This information about planned giving has been obtained from professional sources, however we encourage you to consult your legal and financial advisors when making any estate and gift planning arrangements.