Philanthropy is for Everyone

Philanthropy is for everyone

Supporting your community can take many forms. One is by simply showing kindness – and in our community, we see people showing their kindness to others each and every day.

No matter what your path in life, everyone who wants to make a difference, even a little, can find a way. Change happens through ripples big and small. And philanthropy – the love of humankind – is one way to affect change.

This is how philanthropy is for everyone.

Whether it’s inspired by gratitude, duty, or our shared humanity, philanthropy is rooted in goodness we want to see nourished for future wellbeing.

During May, there is a focus on Wills and charitable giving as ways to make a difference.

Kelowna residents Jessica Dichow and Tyrel Hansen set about making their Wills as their family grew. Their lawyer asked if they had considered making a charitable bequest. They loved the idea. “When you are young, it’s not often that you think about your “legacy”,” shares Dichow. “It seems as though that’s something decades away. However, planning now, while building a family and ensuring your children are cared for also gives space for introspection about the impact we can make through charitable giving.”

They had trust that their lawyer was onto something and, with confidence, they confirmed a gift in their will to the Kelowna General Hospital Foundation.

As a patient in Labour and Delivery at Kelowna General Hospital (KGH), Jessica saw first-hand how hard everyone was working and how much they cared about their patients. Later in the NICU, which was full, Dichow remarked, “This is something good we can do – provide funds that will help patients and make the nurses’ jobs easier with more or better equipment.” 

A little bit from a lot of people makes a big difference.

Allisa Wu, a lawyer at Montgomery Miles & Stone Law Firm, offers trust and estate planning services. Her clients often raise concerns about whether or not they will have enough for their heirs if they donate a specific amount to a charity.

Wu assures them, “There are different ways of setting up a bequest,” adding, “Some clients who are passionate about a cause decide to share a portion, or percentage, of the residue of the estate, as opposed to a specific gift. This way, they know all the beneficiaries of the estate will receive their proportional share under the estate—their heirs and the cause they care so much about”.

Dichow amplifies this sentiment, “Donating a percentage of our estate eliminates the worry that there might not be enough for everybody. It makes a huge difference in the mental shift to give this way.”

She pushes the logic further, “…even if it’s one percent of somebody’s estate – that’s a little bit from a lot of people, and then, well, what about two percent, three percent, and so on?”

When clients wish to make a charitable bequest but feel their estate isn’t large enough, Wu reassures them, “Every gift makes a difference. Most clients are able to make a bequest possible through a percentage of the estate’s residue.”

Your vision of philanthropic success is what matters most.

There is the groundwork to be done but you are not alone to make it happen. Among others, financial planning professionals, estate lawyers, and planned giving officers at charities are ready to help you.

Working together to leave a gift in your will, you can build on all the good you’ve created in life.

“We want to directly impact our own community,” says Dichow. “We considered giving back for future generations. KGH services every single demographic – every age, gender, socio-economic condition, everyone. Everybody benefits.”

We’re here to help you realize your philanthropic vision.

For more information about making a bequest in your Will to the KGH Foundation, call Colleen Cowman, Director of Planned Giving, at 250-862-4300, ext. 27011.

Since 1978, the KGH Foundation has worked with a generous community to raise funds to support world-class health care close to home for a rapidly expanding and diverse population in the B.C. Interior. Today, the KGH Foundation is the lead fundraising organization for Kelowna General Hospital and its associated facilities, JoeAnna’s House and Central Okanagan Hospice House.

Explore Additional Resources

Follow Us

Share:

KEEP READING

Related Stories

Scroll to Top