Leave a legacy gift
Support future generations of students and fund research in the areas you care about most.
Legacy gifts don’t require great wealth. With forward thinking and planning, you can make a strategic and affordable charitable donation that creates maximum impact.
Leave a gift in your will
Leaving a gift in your will (a bequest) is one of the easiest ways to ensure your legacy supports UVic’s future. It’s a way to make a lasting impact that doesn’t change your finances today. There are also possible tax savings for your estate.
A bequest is made through a special clause in your will. Leave a gift of cash, publicly traded securities, personal property or real estate. You can denote a dollar amount, a percentage of your estate or a specific asset.
Learn more about leaving a gift in your will, as well as other options and benefits. Get in touch with our legacy giving team to discuss next steps.
Already have a gift to UVic in your will? Let us know so we can invite you to be part of the T.S. McPherson Legacy Society, one of our special donor communities.
Did you know? When Thomas Shanks McPherson passed away in 1962, a bequest of almost $3 million built the core of the UVic campus. His legacy is still strong today. That’s the potential impact of a legacy gift.
Planned giving options
A gift in your will is not the only way to make a planned gift. Explore these options to see what aligns with your charitable goals, tax plans and financial situation. Contact the legacy giving team to discuss any of these options.
Retirement funds
Naming UVic as a beneficiary of your RRSP or RRIF is a tax-efficient way to support the university’s future success. These gifts can also reduce tax burdens on your estate, while ensuring your savings make a meaningful impact.
Residual interest
Pledge an asset to UVic after you pass on, while you retain its use during your lifetime or a set term. You benefit from a charitable tax receipt now and avoid estate tax on the asset in the future.
Charitable remainder trusts
Receive income during your lifetime, with the remainder supporting UVic after you pass away.
Gifts of property
Give personal property, like real estate, to UVic while still enjoying it during your lifetime. This type of gift removes the asset from your estate and reduces taxes.
Gifts of life insurance
Designate UVic as a beneficiary of your life insurance policy, turning an affordable policy today into a significant future gift. This option allows you to make a large contribution without affecting your current finances.
During my four years at UVic, I discovered what I loved, studied things I had never considered before, learned new ways of thinking, and challenged many of my preconceptions.
When I consider what my life has become as a result of my time at UVic, it occurs to me how important it is that others have a chance to find what I did. In my own humble way, I want to give back to a school that has given me everything.
Where to direct a legacy gift
Designate your gift to any area you choose. Let us help you find the perfect match!
Bequest options:
- Unrestricted/undesignated: Apply to a priority area of need at the time it’s realized.
- Restricted: Specify that the gift will be used for a specific purpose (such as a student award). Align with your education or passion, designating any of UVic’s faculties, research areas or libraries to receive your gift.
- Specific bequest: Designate a specific dollar amount, or property such as real estate, securities or artworks that you wish to leave to the university.
- Residual bequest: Donate the remainder—or a portion of the remainder—of your estate to the university after all debts, taxes, expenses and other bequests (gifts to loved ones) have been looked after.
- Expendable funds: These are used in their entirety, generally within a relatively short time frame. Some larger expendable gifts are used over longer periods.
- Endowed funds: These provide income every year in perpetuity to carry out the designated purpose of the fund. The minimum amount to create an endowed fund is $25,000. Contact the legacy giving team if you are considering a bequest to establish an endowed fund.
Information for professional advisors
Setting up legacy gifts
We work closely with lawyers, notaries, trust officers, financial planners, accountants, brokers and other advisors to help streamline setting up legacy gifts for your clients.
Processing estate gifts
We administer all estate gifts that come to the university, including bequests directed to a specific faculty, department or unit. We will manage the transaction and ensure the gift reaches its intended recipient. All documentation and payment(s) can be sent to the legacy giving team.
Key information
Legal name: University of Victoria
Charitable Registration Number: 10816 2470 RR0001
Clients filing: US tax returns/ US citizens
Sample will wording
“To pay or transfer (____%, or _____ share(s) of ____ equal shares of the rest and residue, OR the sum of $________) to the University of Victoria for its general purposes.”
Restricted bequests
“To pay or transfer (____%, or _____ share(s) of ____ equal shares of the rest and residue, OR the sum of $________) to the University of Victoria for the benefit of __________________ (specific department, program or project). In the event that unforeseen circumstances make the specified use of this bequest no longer practical or desirable, the University of Victoria is hereby authorized to make such changes as are in keeping as far as possible with the spirit and general intent of this bequest.”
“To pay or transfer (___%, or _____ share(s) of ____ equal shares of the rest and residue, OR the sum of $________) to the University of Victoria to be added to the Unrestricted Endowment Fund. The income is to be used for the University’s general purposes.”
Restricted endowed fund
“To pay or transfer (___%, or _____ share(s) of ____ equal shares of the rest and residue, OR the sum of $________) to the University of Victoria to establish an endowed fund to be known as the ___(name of fund)___. The income is to be used for ___(purpose) ___ in the ___(name of department/ unit)___ of ____(name of department and/or faculty) ____. In the event that unforeseen circumstances make the specified use of this bequest no longer practical or desirable, the University of Victoria is hereby authorized to make such changes as are in keeping as far as possible with the spirit and general intent of this bequest."
Legacy giving stories
Claire and Will Cupples
UVic alumni and scientists Claire and Will Cupples pledged $2 million to support a new Life Sciences Innovation Fund.
Living with intention and giving with purpose
MA grad Vivian Binnema believes it’s never too early to leave a legacy. Her planned gift to UVic reflects the values that guide her life today.
Wings on my Wheels
The graphic biography, Wings on my Wheels, memorializes the story of UVic donor Donna Pistell, who attained her dream of attending UVic to study anthropology while in her forties.
Contact us
Ready to find out more? Get in touch today with a member of our legacy giving team.
Legacy Giving and Estate Administration
Development Officer, Legacy Giving
All inquiries are kept strictly confidential. Please consult your financial and/or legal advisors and refer to UVic’s gift acceptance policies before arranging a legacy gift.