Your legacy matters.

Create a lasting impact with your Will.

Through our partnership with Epilogue, Canada’s leading online Will platform, you can easily include a gift to WoodGreen Foundation in your legacy plans — and receive 20% off as part of this collaboration.

Start my Will

Your legacy matters.

Create a lasting impact with your Will.

Through our partnership with Epilogue, Canada’s leading online Will platform, you can easily include a gift to WoodGreen Foundation in your legacy plans — and receive 20% off as part of this collaboration.

Start my Will

Why Leave a gift in your Will?

By including the WoodGreen Foundation in your estate plans, you can leave a lasting legacy that uplifts lives for generations to come. Your gift ensures that our vital social services—supporting families, empowering individuals, and building stronger communities—will continue well into the future in helping meet the UNMET needs of Toronto.

 

Whether you choose to include a bequest in your will, designate us as a beneficiary of your retirement plan or life insurance, or explore other planned giving options, your legacy will reflect your values and compassion.

 

Together, we can build a more just, caring, and equitable future.

Legacy giving options

  • Bequest

    If you want to create a will reflect your wishes. You can make your bequest in honour or in memory of someone special.

     

    What should be considered:

    • In case you already have a will and are considering a bequest to the WoodGreen Foundation, the easiest and least expensive way to make a small change in your existing will is to add a codicil. The codicil will retain all the provisions of your will, except those that are modified by this addition.
    • Make an appointment with your lawyer to draft or revise your will. Your lawyer will help you with the key information and details. The WoodGreen Foundation has sample wording available to assist you and your lawyer.
    • Please contact the WoodGreen Foundation to inform us of your intentions.
    • Gifts made by will are deemed to have been made in the year of death. Therefore, the estate receives the charitable tax credit and can offset any tax owing.

     

    Download the information sheet Bequests

     

     

    How to create a bequest for the WoodGreen Foundation:

    • Step 1: Determine the type of gift and amount you wish to give and if you would like to have it used for WoodGreen’s area of greatest need or for a specific program.
    • Step 2: Contact your lawyer and request that they include a codicil in your will that establishes a gift for The WoodGreen Foundation. Provide your lawyer with the legal name and address of the WoodGreen Foundation as follows:

     

    The WoodGreen Foundation

    815 Danforth Ave., Suite 402 Toronto ON M4J 1L2

     

    Your lawyer will handle the remaining details. Many lawyers will include a codicil in your will without cost.

    • Step 3: If you feel comfortable, contact us to inform us of your planned gift so that we can express our gratitude.

  • Life beneficiary

    There are a number of other legacy gift options that you may consider. These include charitable remainder trusts, endowments, gifts of real estate as well as other types of assets.

     

    Download the information sheet Life beneficiary

  • Life insurance

    Giving a new or existing insurance policy allows people of even modest means to make a sizable gift with only a small annual or monthly outlay. You will not reduce your family’s share of your assets through this form of giving because you provide the funds through premium payments out of your current income.

     

    The insurance benefit will eventually be paid to The WoodGreen Foundation. It is separate from your estate so there are no administrative costs or probate fees. Your gift has no effect on your estate’s assets. You will receive a charitable tax receipt that can be used either during your lifetime or for your estate.

     

    Download the information sheet Life Insurance

     

    Advantages

     

    • Easily arranged with your life insurance specialist
    • An inexpensive way to make a larger gift without depleting your current assets or your estate
    • The ultimate value of your policy will far exceed the premiums you pay
    • Receive immediate tax relief in the form of charitable tax receipts for the premiums you pay
    • Know that your gift will occur as planned
    • Your gift is not on public record; unlike a will, your gift cannot be contested
    • Your gift can be honoured during your lifetime

     

    Ways to donate

     

    • Name The WoodGreen Foundation as beneficiary of your life insurance policy. Your estate will receive a tax receipt for the proceeds of the policy.
    • Transfer ownership of a paid-up policy to The WoodGreen Foundation. You can receive a current tax receipt for the fair market value of the policy or defer the tax receipt for your estate.
    • Transfer ownership of a partially paid-up policy to The WoodGreen You will receive a tax receipt for the fair market value of the policy and annual tax receipts for your ongoing premium payments.
    • Take out a new policy with The WoodGreen Foundation as the owner and beneficiary and receive annual tax receipts for your ongoing premium payments.

Need help?

Contact information

Julie Brown

Director of Major Gifts

(647) 713-4709
[email protected]

Professional Advisors

The WoodGreen Foundation

815 Danforth Ave., Suite 402 Toronto ON M4J 1L2

CRA# 891038507 RR0001

FAQ

  • How to create a Will?

    The WoodGreen Foundation and Epilogue have partnered to offer a streamlined process for individuals gifting their wills. The process itself requires only three steps:

    1. Answer a few questions about you and your wishes.
    2. In seconds, Epilogue generates your custom Will.
    3. Follow simple signing instructions to make it legally binding.

     

    IMPORTANT: WoodGreen and Epilogue are currently offering a 20% discount on Wills, which is automatically applied at the checkout.

  • Who can leave a gift in a Will?

    To make a Will, a person needs to be over the age of majority and have the requisite mental capacity to make a Will.

     

    In Ontario, only lawyers can give professional advice in the context of drafting a Will (for example, a financial advisor cannot draft a Will). In some other provinces, notaries can draft Wills, but in Ontario it’s only lawyers. Alternatives to lawyers are for a person to write their Will themselves (generally not recommended), or using an online service like Epilogue to help them create their Will.

  • How long will it take?

    You can use Epilogue to create a Will in as little as 20 minutes, and you can also download a sample codicil to make changes to an existing Will .

  • Why leave a gift to The WoodGreen Foundation in your Will?

    • Every year, WoodGreen provides support for more than 40,000 Toronto residents
    • Leaving a gift to The WoodGreen Foundation in your Will can help us meet the unmet needs of people living in the GTA
    • It can be a way to express love, compassion, and hope for the future
    • It can be a way to create a lasting legacy that extends beyond your lifetime

  • How can I learn more?

    • You can call The WoodGreen Foundation at (647) 713-4709
    • You can email Julie Brown, Director of Major Gifts at [email protected]