Leaving a gift in your will is a powerful way for everyday Canadians to champion the values they live by while paying it forward to future generations.
With one in two people expected to face cancer in their lifetime—and with cancer incidences increasing by 35 percent over the next decade—advancing cancer care in B.C. is a deeply personal mission.
Last year, BC Cancer Foundation donors gave more than $15 million through their estate plans. These funds are helping advance cancer research, improve treatment options and support patients and their families across the province.
More Canadians are choosing to create this kind of lasting impact through legacy giving.
According to the Canadian Association of Gift Planners, the number of people leaving charitable donations in their will has doubled from 5 percent in 2019 to 10 percent in 2025, with 44 percent of Canadians saying that they plan to leave a gift in their will to a charity.
Nearly one in four Canadians will be over 65 within the next decade. As baby boomers pass down an estimated $1.6 trillion in wealth by 2030—the largest intergenerational wealth transfer in Canadian history—there is a unique opportunity to reduce, or even eliminate, the tax burden on your estate, allowing you to protect your loved ones while fuelling breakthrough treatments and saving lives for years to come.
After teaching computer science and programming at Vancouver Technical Secondary School, Richard Hewitt founded a thriving business. He’s paid that success forward as a long-time donor to the BC Cancer Foundation, supporting immunotherapy research for decades and gynecologic cancer research after losing his partner of 35 years, Lee Curell, to a rare endometrial cancer in 2023.
“Prior to Lee’s illness, I didn’t even have a will,” says Richard. “But over time, I started thinking about how I could continue supporting BC Cancer’s work long into the future.”
For Richard, legacy giving gives him confidence that his gift will help drive cutting-edge cancer research well beyond his lifetime, while also honouring Lee, who was dedicated to giving back to her community.
“Including a legacy gift in my will to the BC Cancer Foundation is my way of ensuring that Lee’s legacy—and the hope it represents—continues,” he says.
Leaving a gift in your will may be much simpler than you think. Learn more at bccancerfoundation.com/legacygiving.
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