The Archives Must Exist Beyond Lifetimes
Thank you for considering how you can leave a legacy through The ArQuives. Including The ArQuives in your will means future generations will know the stories of the struggles and achievements of 2SLGBTQIA+ communities. After you have provided for your loved ones, please consider a bequest to The ArQuives to continue our important work.
Find out how to leave a legacy to The ArQuives and what you need to get started. For more information, please reach out to our Development Officer at development@arquives.ca.
Common Gifts in Wills:
- A gift of cash. You may choose to designate a specific dollar amount, or a percentage of the residue of your estate to give to The ArQuives. This is called a ‘bequest’ and is the most common way to leave a gift in your estate.
- A gift of securities. If you own publicly listed securities, donating them to The ArQuives can have significant tax advantages. Your estate would receive a donation receipt to help reduce taxes owed, plus the elimination of taxes you would normally have to pay on capital gains.
- Registered funds like RRSPs, RRIFs, or TFSAs. You may donate the remainder of your RRSP, RRIF, or TFSA to charity simply by naming The ArQuives as the beneficiary of your registered funds.
- A gift of life insurance. You can name The ArQuives as the beneficiary of your life insurance policy. When you transfer ownership, the premium payment is treated as a donation, and you will receive an immediate donation receipt to apply against your current tax bill.
Example Text
Talk to your advisor about how you would like your gift to take shape. While they can provide you with the final text, you can consider the examples below:
Residual Bequest
“I give to The ArQuives all (or __ %) of the residue of my estate, to be used at the discretion of the organization as its directors see fit.”
Specific Bequest
“I give to The ArQuives the sum of (e.g. a specific cash gift or number of shares of securities, etc.) to be used at the discretion of the organization as its directors see fit.”
Discretion to Transfer Shares
“In making any payment to a charitable institution pursuant to the provisions of this Will, my Trustees may transfer any shares held by my estate in any publicly traded company or corporation in lieu of cash, provided that the shares transferred shall have a fair market value on the effective date of the transfer equal to the amount payable to the charitable institution. In exercising their discretion, my Trustees shall take into consideration the tax benefits, if any, which may be enjoyed by my estate by
transferring such shares in specie.”
Directed Legacy
“I direct my Trustees to pay or transfer the sum of $ ____________ of my estate to The ArQuives and I direct The ArQuives to apply such sum towards _________ . In the event that circumstances make the specific use of this gift no longer practical or desirable, the directors of The ArQuives are hereby authorized to make changes in its use which remain in agreement with the spirit and general intent of the gift.”
Donations of Materials to The ArQuives
“My Trustees may transfer specific materials held by my estate to The ArQuives as personal property: as the sole and absolute owner of these materials, I do hereby transfer, give, grant, and assign to The ArQuives: Canada’s Queer Archives (herein referred to as The ArQuives) and its successors the materials described as follows
(Please use additional space if necessary, or attach a box or item listing):
This donation includes:
▢ Personal Papers ▢ Books or Monographs ▢ Periodicals
▢ Organizational Records ▢ Artifacts and Ephemera ▢ Works of Art
▢ Equipment or Supplies ▢ Photographs ▢ A/V Material
▢ Electronic Records ▢ Posters ▢ Other (describe)
For all materials that I have created and/or hold copyright over, I transfer, give, grant, and assign copyrights of these materials (i.e. photos, artworks, writings, etc.) to The ArQuives.”
Retirement Plan Beneficiary Language:
“Should my death occur before I receive the benefits of my Registered Retirement Savings Plans, I declare that The ArQuives is my designated beneficiary of any RRSPs, RRIFs or similar plans within the meaning of the Income Tax Savings Plan Act, to be used at the discretion of the organization as its directors see fit.”
Legacy Circle
The ArQuives gratefully acknowledges the following Legacy Circle donors for donations received in 2025. Their legacies will benefit our communities for years to come.
Estate of Gerald Hannon
Estate of Arthur Wood
We also acknowledge the generosity and thoughtfulness of supporters who have included The ArQuives in their future estate plans.
Harold Averill
Lionel Collier
Robert Coates and Dan McKay
Dennis Findlay
Michael Halleran
Don Haslam
Richard Isaac and Brian Sambourne
Ed Jackson
Stephen Johnson
Claude Jutras and Gilles Provost
Richard McLellan
Alan Miller
John Montague and Alan Ray
David Myers and Bill Houghton
Don Oravec and Jim Harper
Robert Wallace
Tom Warner