May is “Leave a Legacy Month” and YWCA Muskoka and the Muskoka Community Foundation have partnered to create a brand new fund to help community members do just that.
The two organizations have partnered to introduce the YWCA Muskoka Legacy Fund to help ensure the sustainability of YWCA community programs that prevent gender-based violence, build economic resilience and promote mental health and wellbeing.
“The YWCA Muskoka Legacy Fund was established for those who share our vision to build a world in which girls, women and gender-diverse people thrive in a safe and equitable society.” said Hannah Lin, Executive Director of YWCA Muskoka.
A legacy gift, or planned gift, can be cash, investments (securities, mutual funds), property, life insurance or other assets that can either be gifted now or gifted as a bequest in your will. In addition to supporting the charity, the gift can also reduce estate taxes for your family. People often make planned gifts to create a legacy for themselves, their family, or as a memorial to someone they loved.
The YWCA Legacy Fund will be held and managed by the Muskoka Community Foundation (MCF). The organizations have set a goal to raise 25 thousand dollars for YWCA Muskoka’s 25th Anniversary in 2023 and then grow the fund steadily each year. Thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor, along with a matching contribution, they have already raised $17 thousand dollars for the fund.
“MCF is a trusted and reputable organization with the experience needed to manage funds for families and charitable organizations in our region,” said Lynn DeCaro, Executive Director of MCF. “Local charities, like YWCA Muskoka, often fill critical gaps in communities, which makes it especially important to ensure these organizations have long-term, sustainable funds.”
YWCA Muskoka is currently funded entirely by short-term grants and individual donations and has no consistent, core stream of funding from any national sources.
Supporting local charities is more important than ever. According to The Canada Helps 2023 Giving Report, the rising cost of living and the prolonged impact of the pandemic have more Canadians in need of charitable services. 22 per cent of Canadians (that’s two in ten) expect to rely on charitable organizations to help meet basic needs. The gaps that charities fill in communities are diverse and invaluable.
“A legacy fund is not a one-time, splashy fundraising campaign. It is a stable source of funding that is managed and invested carefully and grows over time into an invaluable source of funding that will help ensure YWCA Muskoka is here for another 25 years – and well beyond,” said Lin. “Even leaving 1 per cent to a local charity in your will can have an enormous impact on our community’s most vulnerable population.”
To learn more about leaving a gift in your will and the YWCA Muskoka Legacy Fund, you can visit https://www.ywcamuskoka.com/ywca-legacy-fund or call YWCA Muskoka at 705-645-9827.
