The announcement marks a first-of-its-kind partnership between SickKids Foundation and an online will provider
TORONTO, Nov. 29, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- On the heels of Giving Tuesday, digital estate planning platform Willful is partnering with SickKids Foundation to enable more legacy gifts in wills across Canada.
Legacy gifts are vital for supporting charities to support the communities they serve, especially during times of economic uncertainty. At SickKids Foundation, legacy gifts account for 10 per cent of its annual revenue, thanks to the generosity of their donor community. Unfortunately, many Canadians remain unaware of this option. In a 2019 survey conducted by Willful and the Angus Reid Forum, only 12 per cent of Canadians planned to leave a gift to charity in their will, and one third (31%) had not considered it yet.
To encourage more legacy gifts in wills, Willful and SickKids Foundation are simplifying legacy giving. Canadians can easily leave a lump sum or a percentage of their estate to a charitable organization when they create their will online using Willful. Donors who leave a legacy gift to SickKids Foundation will also be invited to join the JP Bickell Society, a dedicated community of individuals who support the future of SickKids, as a way of saying thank-you for committing to helping the children of tomorrow.
"We are pleased to partner with Willful to help spread awareness and education on the importance of estate planning," says Jennifer Bernard, President and CEO, SickKids Foundation. "We see great value in teaming up with a like-minded organization that uses the convenience of technology to help Canadians make the important decision to create a legacy that will help support our shared vision of 'Healthier Children. A Better World.'"
To date, more than 6,000 Willful users have left a gift to charity in their will, amounting to over $130 million in cash gifts — this includes hundreds of contributions directed to SickKids, making it a natural partnership. Willful co-founders Erin Bury and Kevin Oulds are also longtime SickKids supporters, having committed one per cent of the company to SickKids through their pledge to The Upside Foundation, and personally pledging gifts to SickKids in their wills. Erin is also the co-chair of #Tech4SickKids, an initiative aimed at raising $25 million for SickKids Foundation from the Canadian technology community.
"At Willful we're passionate about encouraging more gifts to charity in wills, and we're thrilled to partner with SickKids to draw more attention to how powerful legacy gifts can be for charities," said Erin Bury, co-founder and CEO, Willful. "Leaving a gift to charity in your will is an easy way to leave a positive legacy while also reducing your final tax bill, and the goal of this partnership is to encourage more Canadians to leave a gift to causes they care about, just like I've left a gift to SickKids in my will."
To launch the partnership, Willful is honoured to announce SickKids Foundation as its featured charity over the next two months. For donors who choose to leave a gift to SickKids Foundation through Willful's platform, they can choose to share details of their gift with the SickKids team, allowing them to be recognized for their generosity and ensure their wishes can be honoured.
To learn more about the partnership between Willful and SickKids Foundation, go to https://www.willful.co/blog/sickkids-foundation-featured-charity.
About Willful
Willful is on a mission to change the way Canadians prepare for and deal with death. Their first product is an online platform that makes it affordable, convenient, and easy for Canadians to create a legal will online. The platform provides simplified estate planning services, enabling consumers to create a will and/or power of attorney by following a clear step-by-step process. Willful's platform was developed in collaboration with leading estate lawyers, and has pricing plans starting at $99. Willful is based in Toronto, and it is currently available to residents of Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Alberta, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Manitoba. Since launching in 2017, Willful has helped Canadians create over 100,000 documents. To get started, visit willful.co.
About SickKids Foundation
Established in 1972, SickKids Foundation raises funds on behalf of The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) and is the largest charitable funder of child health research, learning and care in Canada. Philanthropy is a critical source of funding for SickKids – one of the world's foremost paediatric health-care institutions. Thanks to the generosity of the community, SickKids Foundation generated more than $205 million in revenue in support of children's health for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2023. Precision health for every child is the future. At SickKids, it's already begun. Join us at HealtheFuture.ca
Media Contact
Joyce Li, Willful, 1 416-414-4797, [email protected], https://www.willful.co/
SOURCE Willful
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