May marks the true beginning of spring, but it also hosts Leave a Legacy Month – a national awareness campaign designed to help Canadians understand how to support the causes they care about through legacy giving in their wills. 

Planning your legacy is always important, but this time of year offers a natural moment to reflect on what you want to leave behind. Supporting charitable causes and groups, legacy gifting is a simple way to make sure your life’s work is honoured. 

Here is everything you need to know about it.

What legacy gifting actually is

Legacy gifting is all about allowing your life’s work to continue making a difference. Typically included in a will, a legacy gift is a charitable donation that reflects the values you want to pass on and helps support future generations.

It’s a thoughtful way to care for both your loved ones and the causes that matter to you, while ensuring your wishes are respected. Here in Canada, more than three million people have already chosen to leave a charitable gift in their will.

Leaving a legacy gift for a cause that reflects your values is at the heart of the message. Heart & Stroke embodies values like dedication and strength, and has been leading the fight against heart disease and stroke for more than 70 years.

That mission remains as important as ever. While significant progress has been made in awareness, prevention, and treatment, the need remains urgent. Canada’s population is aging, and more younger people are now being diagnosed with heart conditions and stroke.

Supporting families, worthy causes, and the community 

It’s a common misconception that leaving a legacy gift takes away from your family. In reality, thoughtful estate planning allows you to provide for loved ones while also supporting the causes that matter to you. Try consulting with your tax professional to fully understand how those benefits may apply to your individual circumstances. 

With proper planning, you can decide which cause to support, determine the amount of your legacy gift, and ensure everything is clearly documented. This helps ensure your estate is distributed intentionally and in line with your values.

Many families also find comfort in knowing a loved one’s legacy is contributing to a healthier future for generations to come. Heart & Stroke has invested more than $1.7 billion into lifesaving heart and brain research and, over the past seven decades, has helped reduce the death rate from heart disease and stroke in Canada by 80 per cent — and every legacy gift played a role in that progress.

Funding remains urgent in Canada, where heart disease and stroke are leading causes of death. Right now, more than six million people in Canada are living with heart disease and stroke.

Legacy gifting is for everyone 

Legacy gifting is for everyone, not just the wealthy. No matter the size of your gift, it will help fund important research and care. 

The details are simple: a legacy gift can be left in many forms, including cash savings, property, life insurance, or appreciated investments. 

Plus, charitable gifts made through a will can help reduce the overall tax burden on your estate. 

Leave a Legacy Month is especially important to Heart & Stroke, which relies on the goodwill and donations of others. If legacy gifting sounds like something you would be interested in, visit heartandstroke.ca/legacy to learn more.