Leaving a Legacy of Altruism: An Interview with a Legacy Donor

Your legacy is an extension of who you are and what you care about, and important consideration goes into deciding how to build your legacy to reflect your values. Jim Brown is a long-time volunteer and donor with Calgary Meals on Wheels. We asked him to share some of the factors he considered when deciding to include a gift to Calgary Meals on Wheels in his Will.

What first led you to consider leaving a gift to charity in your Will?

I first was exposed to legacy giving as a director of a local charity, as that was a primary source of fundraising for that organization. Today, legacy giving is becoming a much more familiar concept, and many Canadians are choosing to leave gifts to charity in their Wills.

What inspired you to leave a legacy gift for Calgary Meals on Wheels?

I’ve been a volunteer with Calgary Meals on Wheels for twelve years, both as a director and as a delivery volunteer with my wife Linda. As a director, I’ve seen the yearly funding challenges facing the organization, and delivering meals have allowed us to see first-hand the impact our service has on people’s lives. For many of our clients, we are their only consistent contact with the outside world, and they come to rely on us for that. The many personal thank yous and notes left on their doors are a very personal reminder of how much they appreciate what we do for them. Our school programs also provide much-needed support for children who would struggle to learn on an empty stomach. Linda and I chose to include a legacy gift for Meals on Wheels in our Wills to continue our support of this work into the future.

What about your loved ones?

While we of course wanted to provide an inheritance for our family, we knew that we wanted to include a gift for Meals on Wheels as well – it doesn’t have to be one or the other, we can do both. Knowing that our legacy will continue to support the important work that Meals on Wheels does give us a great sense of satisfaction and will encourage future generations in our family to support their community as well.

Who helped you make this decision?

My wife and I discussed and agreed we wanted to support a small group of charities in our wills, and our lawyer knew exactly how to do it. We let our family know of our intentions, so everyone understands the support we are leaving.

To learn more about legacy giving, please visit www.mealsonwheels.com/give-tomorrow.