At the WindsorEssex Community Foundation, we are incredibly fortunate that so many people give their time, money and energy to us. Some are now taking their contributions one step further, by including the Foundation in their wills and estate plans.

There are many reasons to consider a legacy gift. It is a great way to ensure your memory lives on. It is also a way of acknowledging an organization that has had an impact on your life or the lives of those important to you while helping the charity to continue their important work. In addition, there are the financial benefits associated with charitable contributions.

A planned gift is a charitable donation which can be arranged during your lifetime but is not available to the charity until sometime in the future. Your gift can be directed generally, or it can be used to establish an endowment fund, or be directed to a cause you care about.

Community Foundations provide you with the opportunity and flexibility to create your own personal philanthropic fund suited specifically to your needs and interests. Every donation to an endowment fund at the WECF is kept in perpetuity. This means that only the proceeds earned from investment of your donation are used to grant back to the community. An endowment is an everlasting gift to the community, continuing to give year after year to the causes and charities you care about.