A gift in your will is a simple way to leave a gift to your charity of choice. No matter how much money you have, you can leave something to charity through a will or trust.
Be sure to use the correct legal name
It is very important to use the full and proper legal name of the charity in your bequest language. CNIB's correct legal name is 'The Canadian National Institute for the Blind'
How to name CNIB in your will
There are many ways to designate a charitable gift in your will. Below are examples of wording for a specific charitable gift.
- You may leave all or part of the remainder (residue) of your estate: 'to pay or transfer ______ per cent of the residue of my Estate to The Canadian National Institute for the Blind.
- You may leave a specific asset: 'If at the time of my death, I am still the registered owner of [fill in name and number of shares here] common shares to pay and transfer such shares to The Canadian National Institute for the Blind.' OR 'to pay or transfer the net proceeds of sale from my real property municipally known as [fill in property address here] to The Canadian National Institute for the Blind.'
- You may leave a specific dollar amount: 'to pay or transfer the sum of _____ Dollars [$] to The Canadian National Institute for the Blind.'
- You may leave money to a person in a trust and leave the remainder to CNIB after that person passes away (a testamentary trust): 'to keep invested the rest and residue of my estate and to pay the net income derived therefrom to or for my said husband, [full name] during his lifetime. Upon the death of my said husband to pay or transfer the remaining residue of my estate to The Canadian National Institute for the Blind.'
- You may leave money to CNIB if one of the people you leave money to in your will dies before you (contingency beneficiary): 'If in the event [name of person] predeceases me, to pay or transfer that portion of my estate to which [name of person] would have been entitled if they had lived to The Canadian National Institute for the Blind.'
You don't need to tell us if CNIB is named in your will
It is not necessary to notify CNIB that you have included a bequest in your will. If you wish to tell us of your plan to leave a gift in your will, CNIB welcomes the chance to thank you through special recognition and services.
You may wish to get expert advice
Canadian tax law changes frequently. There may be a tax advantage to the way you make a gift to charity in your will. For example, you may be able to leave more of your money to your friends and family if you give a gift of stock [securities] in your will because of how the capital gains are treated in this situation.
Be sure to consult a trusted financial advisor like your banker or lawyer. You may also wish to let your family know if you are making a gift to a charity in your will to help avoid a problem in the future.
Thank You – CNIB Friends for Life
CNIB 'Friends for Life' is a program that recognizes special friends of CNIB who have made commitments through wills and estate planning.
For more information about making a gift in your will or about Friends for Life, read some Common Myths about Legacy Giving or contact:
Ruth D'Souza
1-800-563-2642 or
416-486-2500, ext. 7006