Have you ever dropped a pebble into a pond? When the stone hits the water, you will see ripple after ripple spreading out from the point of impact.

Your will could be like that. Properly prepared, your will can create a ripple effect of goodness and generosity to the people and organizations you care about. You could ensure family members can afford the costs of higher education. A piece of jewellery that a friend has long admired could now be hers. You could also leave something to the charities you have respected and supported financially during your lifetime — a charity like The Ottawa Mission. The possibilities are endless but to make these good things happen, you must have a will.

Preparing a will or updating one you already have is easy to put off. There are other priorities. It’s an extra expense. It’s a subject many would simply prefer not to deal with. If you don’t have a will, however, you lose control of what happens to your assets. Gifts to specific individuals or to organizations will not occur. Your estate will be divided according to provincial statute and may go to close relatives who may not need the money or, worse, from whom you are estranged.

A will is just an essential document to have for the above reasons and more. Think of a pebble hitting the water. Think of the potential for good a gift in your will could have. Then, contact a lawyer and get the conversation started. If leaving a gift in your will to The Ottawa Mission Foundation is something you would like to consider, we would be pleased to speak with you in confidence to explore options.

Your gift can be life-changing for Mission guests like Kerry

Most people, regardless the amount of planning they do, will have some assets to disburse through their estate. However, when you include a gift to The Ottawa Mission Foundation in your will, your estate receives a charitable tax receipt for the full amount of your gift. Your executor or trustee may then use that receipt to offset taxes that arise during the liquidation and distribution of your estate’s assets. In most circumstances, the tax credits can be used against the taxes in the year of your death, the year prior to your death or in your estate in either the year that the donation was made or any earlier taxation year.

For example, if you leave a gift in your will of $10,000 for The Ottawa Mission, the tax credits are significant.

• For a legacy gift of $10,000, The Ottawa Mission Foundation will issue a tax receipt to your estate for the full amount.
• Assuming a combined federal and provincial income tax rate of 45% and provided that you have sufficient tax obligations, your estate will save up to $4,500 in taxes. Note – depending on the province you live in this rate is typically between 40% and 50%.
• Your gift of $10,000 may cost your estate as little as $5,500.

Every gift in your will matters, whether it’s small, large or in between. The Ottawa Mission Foundation has been the fortunate recipient of a number of such legacy gifts over the years and their impact has been significant. Legacy gifts help provide life-changing programs to people like Kerry.

For much of his adult years, Kerry’s life seemed quite normal. He held steady work doing everything from commercial house painting, to working on oilrigs, to sales and retail management. But Kerry was homeless, a state of living that does not always see someone on the streets, but enduring an unstable and vulnerable existence. In Kerry’s case, that meant couch surfing, sleeping in vehicles or motels, or using shelters when no other option was available. It is a mentally and physically stressful way to live — and a direct path to chronic addiction.

Kerry came to The Ottawa Mission in his mid-fifties after a lifetime of struggle. A single night in another local shelter convinced Kerry that he finally needed to seek help. He walked through the blue doors on Waller Street and was met by The Mission’s Front Line staff. There he found shelter, a good meal, and a range of programs designed to change lives for the better.

Kerry entered The Mission’s LifeHouse program, our 5-month residential treatment facility. LifeHouse serves men with a history of trauma and addictions and starts from the premise that addiction often develops as a way of coping with abusive relationships. Kerry succeeded in graduating from the program as a self-sufficient individual ready for a new life. He then worked with one of our housing case managers to find an apartment, was guided through the paperwork and the process, and finally, after all those years, moved into his own home. Our staff also helped Kerry acquire furniture and appliances to get him started in his new and independent life.

One act of generosity on your part could make a world of difference in the lives of people like Kerry, far into the future.

Need more information? Would you like to discuss ideas? Please contact Christina Hunter Cadieux at 613 277-4902 or by email at chuntercadieux@ottawamission.com. And do check with your financial advisors to ensure that the gift you make is exactly right for you.

If leaving a gift in your will to The Ottawa Mission Foundation is something you would like to consider, we would be pleased to speak with you in confidence to explore options.

This article was written by Becky Turcotte, CPA, CA, TEP, CLU
Vice-President, Estate & Succession Planning
The Millar Corporation

Becky is a member of The Ottawa Mission Foundation’s Allied Professionals Network.  This group of volunteers from various professions – law, accounting, financial planning – bring their professional knowledge and technical expertise to The Foundation’s legacy giving program.  Learn more about Becky and our other allied professionals.

As you grow older, your estate can become more complex. You own more property. You have more assets. Because of this, when you pass away your estate could incur higher probate costs. Probate fees are the financial charges levied by government to confirm the appointment of your estate executor or trustee and to prove your will is valid. Since these fees are paid out of your estate, they reduce the amount you can leave to the people you love and the charities that you value — charities such as The Ottawa Mission.

Careful planning with your professional advisors can help reduce the amount of probate fees your estate has to pay. Here are some steps you can take to pass more of your assets on to your beneficiaries.

Name Beneficiaries

Leave your life insurance policies, annuities, retirement funds such as RRSPs, RIFFs and pension benefits to a beneficiary that you name. When you do this, the assets will not fall into your estate and therefore will not be subject to probate fees. Your insurance company or financial institution can advise you and provide the necessary forms for you to complete.

Joint Ownership

When items for personal use are jointly owned — things like homes, cottages, bank accounts, GICs, mutual funds – these items will go directly to your survivor, not your estate, and thereby circumvent probate fees.

Trusts

If you own a business, you can transfer it to a trust or create a separate will that leaves the business to a named individual, such as your spouse. For some assets, it may be necessary to set up a revocable trust. These procedures can also reduce probate fees, but you should seek a lawyer’s advice before proceeding.

Inter Vivos Trusts

Inter vivos trusts enable you to transfer ownership of an asset when you die, yet retain full use and control of the property while you are alive. Such trusts can be arranged through your financial advisor and only after careful consultation.

Immediate Charitable Gifts

Donating gifts of cash, securities, life insurance, gift annuities and charitable trusts during your lifetime instead of through your estate exempts those assets from probate. It also allows you to enjoy the immediate tax benefits of giving.

Power of Attorney

You can ensure your wishes are followed by giving someone you trust power of attorney over your financial affairs. Should you become ill or otherwise incapacitated, your power of attorney will act on your behalf.

These are proven tips that reduce probate fees. Again, discuss any of these options with your professional advisors. In this way, you can protect your survivors from unnecessary financial hardships and maximize your legacy intentions. And these are all good things to do.

Gratitude.

It’s been a watchword for Shirley Rochon all her life. It’s a reason she supports the Ottawa Mission with annual gifts. It’s also why she and her husband remembered the Ottawa Mission Foundation with gifts in their wills.

Shirley has had a good life, and she knows it. Born in Quebec City and raised near Montreal, she trained as a secretary after completing secondary school. When she met her husband Reg, her life took a different but very exciting turn.

Reg worked as an accountant in the international division of a major bank. His responsibilities took the Rochons to Beirut, Paris, and Amsterdam. Shirley loved it. “It still astonishes me,” she says, “that such a shy little girl could have had all those wonderful experiences around the world.” When they settled in Ottawa, Reg continued his work with the bank, and Shirley joined the civil service. It was a highly satisfying time for them both. It was also when they began their association with The Ottawa Mission.

The Rochons started to support The Mission with annual gifts in 1999. They also decided to help at The Mission’s Christmas dinners. They didn’t exchange gifts themselves so they chose to give to the Mission instead — an experience they enjoyed and found most gratifying. They volunteered for several years until Reg’s health declined.

It was around this time that Shirley and Reg decided to remember The Ottawa Mission Foundation with a charitable gift in their estate plans. For them, it was simply the right thing to do. “We had no children, had been blessed with a good life, and both felt strongly that we wanted to give back.” They left their future gifts undesignated for use where the need is greatest. As Shirley comments, “Who knows what the future will bring, and we both know the staff do simply outstanding work.” Shirley also strongly encourages others to remember The Ottawa Mission Foundation with a legacy gift. “Just do it!” she says. “It’s a way to help others who have been less fortunate than we have been. Besides, The Mission can’t survive on a wing and a prayer!” How right she is.

For Shirley, life remains good. She exercises regularly, does aqua fit, and plays a mean game of darts. She fondly remembers her time with Reg— sadly, he died in September 2019 — and continues her association with The Ottawa Mission. And The Mission couldn’t be more grateful.

Won’t you join Shirley Rochon and remember The Ottawa Mission Foundation with a gift of any amount in your own estate plans? You may direct your gift to any area of the Mission’s work that you wish or leave it undesignated. The choice is yours. If you have already remembered The Ottawa Mission Foundation with a legacy gift, would you let us know? We would like to offer you recognition—or not—as you wish and ensure we use your future gift precisely as you like.

And to the Rochons, thank you for your generous support of The Ottawa Mission Foundation — past, present and future!

Ottawa’s Caivan Communities and The Ottawa Mission have joined forces to build a better tomorrow for individuals experiencing homelessness in our city. Caivan recognizes that a home of one’s own is a challenging dream for guests who come to The Ottawa Mission, which is why Caivan has partnered with The Ottawa Mission to create the Building Tomorrow Together initiative.

The Caivan team is proud that the sale of each new home represents a donation to The Ottawa Mission Foundation and the Building Tomorrow Together initiative.

For every new home sold, Caivan Communities will contribute a donation to The Ottawa Mission to support its life-changing services. Caivan has set a target of $150,000 by the end of 2020. For the remainder of 2020, Caivan is offering special incentives to get more families into the home of their dreams. The Building Together Tomorrow initiative with The Ottawa Mission is Caivan’s way of helping everyone achieve the dream of a warm and safe place to shelter.

Now more than ever, it is important to reflect, to be thankful, and to work collectively for a better tomorrow. Our homes and neighbourhoods form part of a broader community and help shape the City we love. To address those of us that are less fortunate and share the same dream of a warm and safe place to shelter, Caivan and The Ottawa Mission are pleased to announce the establishment of the Building Tomorrow Together initiative.

For every new home sold, Caivan Communities will contribute a donation to The Mission to support its life-changing services. Caivan has set a donation target of $150,000 by the end of 2020. The Building Tomorrow Together initiative creates a way of including everyone in the pursuit of a warm and safe place to call home.

“We are honoured to continue supporting the amazing programs and services that the Ottawa Mission provides to those in need. The Ottawa Mission is truly a world class organization making a difference here in Ottawa” Susan Murphy, Homebuilding Ottawa President.

The Ottawa Mission is the city’s oldest and largest emergency shelter and has been at the forefront of caring for the homeless and those in need since 1906. The Mission provides the basic necessities of life, including food, shelter and clothing as well as programs and services to help vulnerable community members rebuild their lives. Last year, The Mission served 495,360 meals and provided safe shelter to 2,121 people. Its programs include addiction and trauma treatment, mental health services, medical and dental care, education and job training, housing support, and care for terminally ill patients in its hospice.

“This generous partnership with Caivan Communities will truly make a positive difference in the lives of those in our city who really need a helping hand,” says Sean Wong, Executive Director of The Ottawa Mission Foundation. “A big, sincere thank you on behalf of The Mission community and its guests.”

Learn more about Caivan Communities

Here at the Ottawa Mission, “Our Vision is to become a collaborative leader and innovator in empowering those we serve in transitioning to wholeness,” and part of our core purpose is to “reflect Jesus’ love”. Jesus made it clear that one of the reasons he was sent by God was to “set the oppressed free” (Luke 4:18). In our commitment to transition those we serve to wholeness, here at the Ottawa Mission we are privileged to come alongside a wide diversity of people including an increasing number of Black individuals, who benefit from our services.

As an act of witness to God’s work of setting “the oppressed free”, we the Board of the Ottawa Mission denounce the systemic anti-Black racism that poisons our society and this world that God so loves. With humility and courage, we commit to praying and to learning how God would have us combat the systemic injustice that undermines the dignity, God-given rights and well-being, of human beings made in the image of God.

“Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me…whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.”    

• Jesus (Matt. 25:40, 45)

Here’s hoping that you and your family have been well, or as well as can be expected, during these unprecedented times. It is hard to believe that it was only months ago that the entire world, and life as we know it here in Ottawa, was ‘turned upside down’ by COVID-19. Rest assured that The Mission immediately implemented all necessary protocols and procedures – under the guidance and direction of Ottawa Public Health and Ottawa Inner City Health – to ensure the safety and protection of our guests, staff and volunteers.

Through God’s grace and direction, and your devotion and support, we were able to provide services under the most challenging circumstances. In particular, I wanted to highlight the ‘above and beyond the call of duty’ spirit of every single staff member who rose to the occasion and put in the extra time and effort to ensure that The Mission was a refuge for those who needed us.

It was only this past January that Ottawa City Council recognized that homelessness in our community had risen to levels never before seen in our time and, in spite of the City’s ten-year plan to end homelessness, declared homelessness to be in a state of emergency. Only thanks to the unwavering support of you, our loyal community, have we been able to continue to care for those in need.

On behalf of the Board of Directors, the staff, volunteers and, most importantly, the guests we serve under our roof here at 35 Waller Street, I wanted to extend our deepest appreciation to every one of you who was able to reach out – in one form or another – and provide the necessary assistance to support our guests through these unprecedented times. Your generosity has made all the difference in their lives, particularly during a ‘perfect storm’ of hardship for the homeless.

May you and your families be safe and well, and as the saying goes, may sunshine light your way, and may summer warm your hearts.

God bless and thank you!

Peter Tilley