Stradivarius Legacy Circle

Plan Your Legacy Gift to Make a Difference

Let music be your legacy!

You may enjoy coming to concerts or find stimulation in music lessons.

You may already donate annually or monthly to the VSO or the VSO School of Music.

Planning a legacy gift may be an ideal way for you to support the power of music and make a difference for generations to come. Please consider giving the gift of music to future generations at no cost to yourself right now through planning a legacy gift in your will or by other means.

A planned gift is an amount that generally comes from one’s estate. People’s estates include things of value that they control, such as a home, investments, and other valuable items. These things of value in an estate may be subject to tax of various kinds. Giving legacy gifts to registered charities like the VSO, first,helps the community, andsecond, may improve the tax position of an estate’s beneficiaries, including family members, who also receive funds from the estate.

Planned legacy gifts can support the music-making and educational activities of the VSO or the VSO School of Music, both of which are registered charities. Another option is to leave a legacy gift to the Vancouver Symphony Foundation (VSF), also a registered charity.

The VSF provides financial support for the VSO’s musicians, music education and community projects, as well as for the VSO School of Music’s wide-ranging education programs. Legacy gifts bequeathed to the VSF may also qualify for matching funds from the Canadian federal government’s Endowment Incentives program.

Your planned legacy gift to the VSF will:

  • Help the VSO and VSO School of Music attract and retain the highest quality musicians, music teachers, and leadership in our community.
  • Provide long-term stable funding to the VSO and VSO School of Music, making possible longer-term planning and new initiatives.
  • Support inspiring music education and community engagement programs, ensuring accessibility to live music performance and music education for all.

Ways to Plan Your Legacy

1. Plan a legacy gift in your Will

Writing a Will, whether simple or complex, helps ensure that your loved ones follow your financial wishes when dealing with your estate.

When preparing your Will (on your own or with help from professionals), should you want to plan a legacy gift to any of the three VSO charities, we are happy to share prepared legacy gift clauses. You can insert one of these clauses easily into your Will with minor adjustments. Please contact us to receive the appropriate legacy gift clause.

2. Donate a life insurance policy

Plan to give a generous legacy gift by naming a charity as the beneficiary of a life insurance policy. Life insurance policies are not subject to taxes or probate costs and can make a substantial impact through relatively small monthly or annual payments. Additionally, if your life insurance policy names a charity as the beneficiary, the Canada Revenue Agency treats all premium payments on that policy as charitable donations, which therefore are eligible for a charitable tax receipt.

Three Ways to donate a life insurance policy to the VSO as a legacy gift:

  1. Take out a new life insurance policy and name one of the VSO charities as beneficiary.
  2. Name one of the three VSO charities as the beneficiary of an existing life insurance policy.
  3.  Transfer ownership of an existing life insurance policy to one of the three VSO charities.

3. Donate an investment fund as a legacy gift

By naming one of the three VSO registered charities as the beneficiary of a set number of stocks and shares, securities and equities, your TFSA, RRSP, RRIF, or Pension, your legacy gift will ease the tax burden that your estate and/or other beneficiaries would otherwise have to pay on these assets. Please discuss this option with your financial advisor and/or lawyer to determine if it is the right tax-reduction and philanthropic gift solution for you and your other beneficiaries.

If you wish to tell us about a planned legacy gift or if you have legacy gift questions, please contact:

Paris Simons
Senior Officer, Planned Giving
VSO, VSO School of Music, VSF
(604) 684 9100 ext. 265
paris@vancouversymphony.ca

Vancouver Symphony Foundation
500-833 Seymour Street
Vancouver, BC  V6B 0G4
Charitable Registration Number 85410 7554 RR0001