Planned Giving

A charitable bequest to the University of Ottawa is a gift made through your will that is distributed by your estate. The University will issue a receipt for the bequest, which will result in a tax credit that may be claimed to offset up to 100% of your taxable income in the year of death and the preceding year.  

A charitable bequest can be designated for a specific purpose at University of Ottawa. Bequests can be a dollar amount, a specific asset, or as a percentage or the remainder of your estate.  

Some of the advantages of creating a bequest include: 

• It is possible to realize your philanthropic goals and support University of Ottawa and its students, while caring for your loved ones through your estate plans. 
• A bequest costs nothing now, is asset based, yet it gives you the satisfaction of knowing you have provided for the University of Ottawa and its students in the future. 
• You can provide financial support to the University of Ottawa that you may not be able to contribute during your lifetime. 
• Your bequest can always be modified if your circumstances change. 
• Your estate will receive a receipt for the full value of the bequest, which will reduce, or may even eliminate, the income taxes payable by your estate. 

If you have already left us a gift in your will, please let us know to help us plan for the future, ensure we can honour your wishes, and allow us to recognize your generosity in our prestigious Heritage Circle. 

When including a gift to the University of Ottawa in your will or any other document, it is extremely important that you use our correct legal name charitable registration number.

A gift of life insurance enables you to make a significant, lasting contribution to the University of Ottawa at a modest cost, while benefiting valuable tax benefits. Many of our younger alumni and donors would like to make a significant contribution; however, they may not have the financial resources to make a large gift during their lifetime. A gift of life insurance is the perfect solution. Moreover, you can donate through either a new or existing insurance policy. 

You can name the University of Ottawa as the beneficiary of your Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) or Registered Retirement Income Fund (RRIF). The value of your retirement plan is removed from your estate, which can greatly reduce the tax owing on your final Canada Revenue Agency tax return.  

Due to recent tax changes, you no longer need to designate the recipient charity in your will.* Just sign a declaration provided by your financial institution to designate the University of Ottawa as a beneficiary. 

Once your needs and those of your loved ones have been taken care of, you can donate registered assets such as a Registered Retirement Savings Plan or a Registered Retirement Income Fund to create a legacy that will benefit the University of Ottawa and effectively reduce the taxes payable by your estate. 

* If you are a resident of the Province of Quebec, you must designate the beneficiaries of your RRSPs and RRIFs through a clause in your will. 

You can donate securities directly to the University to eliminate the capital gains tax on your investments. Canadian law and the Canada-U.S. Tax Treaty (if you are a University of Ottawa alumnus/alumna) currently allows you to donate traded securities, mutual funds and bonds to registered charities without having to pay capital gains tax. To avoid paying capital gains tax, the securities must be transferred directly to the University of Ottawa broker and not cashed first. A notification of securities transfer form is required. (PDF)

The Heritage Circle honours our most cherished donors, those who have made planned gifts to uOttawa. Members of this circle are caring visionaries who are passionate about driving uOttawa’s tradition of excellence into the future. Their foresight will have an impact on the lives of students, professors, and the entire uOttawa community for generations to come.  

While membership in the Heritage Circle incurs no obligations, it does entitle donors to certain benefits, including invitations to special events, concerts and lectures. 

Their name may also be recognized in our annual Heritage Newsletter, on the Planned Giving Website and on the University Donor Wall.