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Estate Planning & Legacy Giving
Leave a lasting legacy
Imagine leaving a legacy that transforms lives, disrupting cycles of violence and poverty so women and their children can build a brighter, hopeful future. It’s the kind of impact that lasts, generation after generation.
Nellie’s is a place where every woman and their children who turn to us can find a pathway to a violence-free life. Beyond providing safe housing, we help women reclaim their strength and tap into their resilience.
While government funding maintains our shelter and its beds, the essential programs and services we deliver to meet the ever-changing and complex needs of our community members are only possible because of generous donors like you.
When you remember Nellie’s in your will or as a life insurance beneficiary, you are leaving a legacy that honours your hope for a brighter future — one where women have the support to leave violence, poverty and homelessness behind for good.
Your legacy will help us get there.
*This information is not financial or legal advice. Please speak with your independent financial advisor and lawyer about estate planning to make the choices that best suit your personal values and financial goals.
The most common way to make a legacy gift is to leave a bequest of money or property in your will, payable after your death. There are three types of bequests, each offering different options to suit your wishes for your estate.
Specific Bequest
You can leave Nellie’s a specific sum of money (e.g., $10,000), a percentage of your estate (e.g., 25%), or specific non-cash assets, such as securities, property, jewellery, artwork, or other valuables.
Residual Bequest
After making provisions for your family, friends, and any other legacies, all or a percentage of the balance of your estate is donated to Nellie’s.
Contingent Bequest
This bequest only comes into effect if the primary intentions of your will cannot be met — for example, if a named beneficiary has not survived you, the donor.
We recommend you speak with your lawyer and financial advisor about your wish to leave a bequest to Nellie’s, to ensure your financial and estate planning are in alignment.
How do I arrange this?
Once you’ve decided on your bequest, your lawyer will need to add it to your will.
To discuss making a bequest, please contact Ingrid Graham, Executive Director at ingrid@nellies.org or 416-645-1419.
Essential information for your lawyer
Here are the details your lawyer will need to include a bequest to Nellie’s in your will:
Legal name: Women’s Hostels Incorporated (Nellie’s)
Charitable registration number: 11930-2727-RR0001
Mailing address: 970 Queen St. E., P.O. Box 98118, Toronto, ON M4M 1J8
You may stipulate your bequest be used for a specific program, service, or other purpose, or you can make a bequest without conditions with wording in your will such as: “to be used for general purposes” or “to be applied by Nellie’s as its directors see fit.”
When you gift your life insurance by naming Nellie’s the beneficiary of the policy, you’re choosing a tax-efficient way to make a large and lasting donation.
This gift is separate from your estate, so it avoids probate taxes on the value of the death benefit, maximizing your donation to Nellie’s and protecting your gift from any estate challenges. You’ll also retain ownership of the life insurance policy, ensuring you have flexibility should you need to make changes in your financial planning in future. (If flexibility is not a concern, you may want to transfer ownership of your life insurance to Nellie’s to benefit from tax savings during your lifetime.)
We recommend you speak with your financial advisor about making Nellie’s a beneficiary of a life insurance policy to ensure your choice supports your personal finances and estate planning.
How do I arrange this?
You’ll need to name Nellie’s as the beneficiary of your existing or new life insurance policy. Your insurance provider will be able to help you do this.
To discuss donating a life insurance policy, please contact Ingrid Graham, Executive Director at ingrid@nellies.org or 416-645-1419.
Essential information for your insurance provider
Here are the details your insurer will need to make Nellie’s the beneficiary of your life insurance policy:
Legal name: Women’s Hostels Incorporated (Nellie’s)
Charitable registration number: 11930-2727-RR0001
Mailing address: 970 Queen St. E., P.O. Box 98118, Toronto, ON M4M 1J8
Donating your funds from an RRSP or RRIF can both do good and be a tax-smart strategy for your family and estate.
While it may be possible to transfer your RRSP or RRIF to a spouse or dependent child or grandchild, in most cases, your retirement funds will be heavily taxed.
If you’ve made other arrangements to provide for your family, donating leftover RRSP or RRIF funds to charity avoids probate fees and reduces overall estate taxes, leaving more for your loved ones.
We recommend you speak with your lawyer and financial advisor to develop a plan that supports your family, your estate, and your philanthropic goals.
How do I arrange this?
Speak to your plan provider to change the beneficiary of some or all of your RRSPs or RRIFs to Nellie’s.
To discuss donating RRSPs or RRIFs, please contact Ingrid Graham, Executive Director at ingrid@nellies.org or 416-645-1419.
Essential information for your plan provider
Here are the details you will need to make Nellie’s the beneficiary of an RRSP or RRIF:
Legal name: Women’s Hostels Incorporated (Nellie’s)
Charitable registration number: 11930-2727-RR0001
Mailing address: 970 Queen St. E., P.O. Box 98118, Toronto, ON M4M 1J8
With a Charitable Remainder Trust, you get the benefit of immediate tax savings from the gift you give today, while also retaining use of your assets during your lifetime.
When the trust is set up, you’ll place assets such as real estate, investments or cash into the trust to be managed by a trustee, and you’ll name Nellie’s the remainder beneficiary of the trust. The trust will provide you with income generated by the assets, while the property donated by you remains in trust. The assets in the trust will be transferred to Nellie’s when the trust ends, either after a set period of time or upon your death. (It may be possible to set up a trust that can also provide an income for your surviving spouse after your death.)
When you set up the trust, you’ll receive a charitable tax receipt for the fair market value of the residual interest in the property, usually determined based on the value of the assets, interest rates, your age, and the terms outlined in the trust.
This approach can provide you with an income and reduces your current and estate taxes, all while making a substantial gift to Nellie’s, helping us ensure we can always provide a safe space to the women and children in our community who need us.
How do I arrange this?
We recommend you speak with your lawyer and financial advisor about whether establishing a Charitable Remainder Trust is right for your financial goals and estate plans.
To set up the trust, you will need to work with your lawyer to create a trust agreement, which must be signed by the donor (you) and the trustee. The trustee may be a trust company, an individual named by the donor, or the donor.
To discuss creating a Charitable Remainder Trust that supports Nellie’s, please contact Ingrid Graham, Executive Director at ingrid@nellies.org or 416-645-1419.
Essential information for your lawyer
Here are the details your lawyer will need to establish a Charitable Remainder Trust that names Nellie’s as a charitable beneficiary:
Legal name: Women’s Hostels Incorporated (Nellie’s)
Charitable registration number: 11930-2727-RR0001
Mailing address: 970 Queen St. E., P.O. Box 98118, Toronto, ON M4M 1J8