Meliora Petens Legacy Society (2018)

MELIORA PETENS LEGACY SOCIETY

Your

Legacy

THEIR STORY BEGINS WITH YOU Choosing to leave a legacy brings meaning, dignity, and purpose to a life well lived. Personal philanthropy through a gift in your will can be an additional way to ensure that your memory will live on.

Legacy gifts guarantee Balmoral Hall School prospers for generations to come. Beginning with our founding gift from Sir James A.M. Aikins – a provision of $100,000 to create and maintain a girls school in Winnipeg – the school has relied for decades on estate gifts to thrive in pursuit of excellence.

Today, we encourage donors to consider gifts to The Balmoral Hall School Foundation to be endowed for financial aid. This means that your gift will never be spent, but rather invested in perpetuity so that interest generated each year provides bursaries to girls of promise. These girls are academically strong, well-rounded students who not only elevate our learning environment, but also have the potential to impact their city, their country, and the world. They do not, however, have the financial means to attend Balmoral Hall, which is why they need your help to access this transformative educational experience.

Whatever your goals, however your means, you can make a difference for these girls of promise.

No gift is too small.

BECOME A MEMBER Since our centennial in 2001, Meliora Petens Legacy Society has been recognizing individual donors who have made a commitment to the future; although charitable bequests may not be realized for many years, members of the society are recognized now.

WHY INFORM US OF YOUR GIFT? • Membership encourages others, inspiring them to give.

• Appreciation can be shown during your lifetime.

• Your wishes can be discussed and aligned with student needs.

PREFER TO REMAIN ANONYMOUS? • Public recognition is not necessary, and your anonymity will be taken seriously.

• Nonetheless, disclosure of your gift helps us to plan for the future, sustaining important programs.

WE INVITE YOU TO BECOME A MEMBER OF THE MELIORA PETENS LEGACY SOCIETY TODAY.

Your Legacy

A TALE OF THREE SISTERS Three sisters enter a funeral home after they lost their mother. The funeral director asks, “May I see a copy of her will?” One sister says, “I don’t have a copy of Mom’s will,” and then the others respond in turn, “Neither do I!” They agree that she must have had a will, and so they leave the funeral home to obtain the will, believing that she must have kept it in a safe place inside her home.

After tearing apart the house, searching the attic, every nook and cranny, they come up with nothing.

The following day, the sisters meet with the funeral director again, informing him that their mother must not have had a will. One sister claims, “Mom wanted to be buried next to Dad.” Another sister argues, “No. Mom always wanted to be cremated and have her ashes spread at sea.” The third recalls, “No. She feared the ocean! Mom couldn’t swim, so there’s no way she wanted her ashes spread at sea!”

This, and ensuing quarrels about her wishes, tore their family apart. The sisters inherited a family-owned business. It was the largest employer in town; eventually, it closed because of all that tension, and 100 townspeople lost their jobs.

The three sisters? They never spoke again. By not having a will, and in never gathering her family to discuss her wishes, their mother destroyed the sisters’ relationships.

An estimated 12.5 million Canadians do not have a will.

Are you one of them?

to Act

WORDING YOUR WILL

Share this information with your lawyer.

UNRESTRICTED SPECIFIC BEQUEST I direct my Executor or Trustee to pay to Balmoral Hall School Foundation Inc. at Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada (the whole of my Estate; percentage (%) of my Estate; the sum of $____; or the residue of my Estate) for the general use and purposes of Balmoral Hall School Foundation Inc. in its absolute discretion. The Receipt of the Comptroller or other designated officer of Balmoral Hall School Foundation Inc. shall be a good and sufficient discharge to my Executor or Trustee.

A WILL OF YOUR OWN One of the most important documents to be signed in your lifetime A valid, up-to-date will ensures property is distributed according to preference, eases family dissension over how to divide assets, and relieves stress for loved ones who are surely going through a difficult time. After providing for your family, you may wish to consider leaving a charitable bequest to not-for-profit organizations that share your values. While providing tax credits to preserve your estate for heirs, legacy gifts also benefit your community.

Consider the following aspects of an effective estate plan.

1. THE WILL 2. PLANNING WHILE ALIVE (i.e. holding assets jointly­, naming individuals as designated beneficiaries of insurance policies, etc.)

3. GENERAL (ENDURING) POWER OF ATTORNEY 4. HEALTH CARE DIRECTIVE OR LIVING WILL The objectives of an effective estate plan are as follows.

• Maximize proceeds available for heirs.

What if I do not have a will?

• Distribute assets according to your wishes.

The Intestate Succession Act applies, and, while in most cases the rules are not unreasonable, your wishes are not taken into account, meaning you lose control over the disbursement of your estate.

• Name a trusted personal or corporate executor to administer your estate to avoid family strife, legal challenges, delays in settling the estate, probate fees charged by the province or state, unnecessary taxes, and ultimate loss of control of familial assets.

HOW TO PREPARE AN ESTATE PLAN MEET WITH YOUR LAWYER When planning your estate, your lawyer will remind you of regulations affecting the arrangement of your affairs.

While it is possible to make a will without involving a lawyer, either through a holographic will (i.e. a dated and signed handwritten document) or a pre-printed will (i.e. will kit), expenses may be incurred in the long run.

SPECIFY YOUR LEGACY • Consult financial professionals to maximize advantages to you and nonprofit(s).

• Leave a bequest (i.e. a dollar amount, percentage, or residue of assets) to nonprofit(s) of choice.

• Name a nonprofit as a beneficiary of your RRSP, RRIF, pension plan, existing life insurance policy, et cetera.

• Purchase a new life insurance policy, naming a nonprofit as a beneficiary.

• Establish a gift annuity, charitable remainder trust, or gift of securities.

TALK TO YOUR LOVED ONES Make family members aware of your intentions so they are able to support, celebrate, and honour your intentions.

ORIGINAL CRESTS

REDRAWN CRESTS

REDRAWN CRESTS

Our heritage will never be forgotten.

Our legacy is a shared commitment to philanthropy. Inform us of your charitable bequest in order to be gratefully recognized (publicly or anonymously) as a member of Meliora Petens Legacy Society.