Bequests + Wills

A bequest is a gift that is part of your will that costs nothing now, yet gives you the satisfaction of knowing you are providing for the University of Alberta in the future.

Think of it as one of the most significant and flexible ways to support the university. Charitable bequests can be an easy way to give — not altering your current lifestyle — and may include cash, publicly traded securities, real estate or tangible personal property.

A bequest is one of the most common types of legacy gifts that the University of Alberta receives from its alumni and friends. The most common types of bequests are:

Residual bequests: Designate all or part of your estate to the U of A. The advantage is that there is no need to update that part of your will, even as your estate adjusts in size.

Specific bequests: Designate a fixed dollar amount or a specific property to the U of A. The advantage is that the size of the gift remains fixed and is the first to be distributed.

Benefits of making a gift through a bequest

  • You can make a larger gift through accumulated assets
  • You maintain control and use of your assets during your lifetime
  • You can modify your bequest if circumstances change
  • Your estate is entitled to a charitable tax receipt for the full gift value
  • Making a charitable bequest will recognize you as a member of the Quaecumque Vera Honour Society and you can learn how you will make a difference in the future

How it Works

A donor leaves $150,000 to the University of Alberta in her will. Assuming the total net income on her final tax return was $100,000, and her net income the previous year was $75,000:

  1. A donation of $100,000 can be claimed on her final tax return.
  2. A donation for the remaining $50,000 can be claimed on her previous year's return.
  3. Her estate receives a total tax credit* of $75,000 between her final two tax returns.

* Tax credit depends on donor's income and specific circumstances

Contact Us

Kathy Fitzgerald

Kathy Fitzgerald

Manager, Major Gifts & Planned Giving
780-492-2616
kathy.fitzgerald@ualberta.ca

Hilary Fabrizio

Hilary Fabrizio

Development Associate, Planned Giving
780-492-8225
hilary.fabrizio@ualberta.ca

Donna Ma

Donna Ma

Development Associate, Planned Giving
780-492-6783
donna.ma@ualberta.ca

Krista Aune

Krista Aune

Development Officer, Planned Giving
780-492-1124
krista.aune@ualberta.ca

Michelle Ngo

Michelle Murray

Development Officer, Planned Giving
780-492-9487
michelle.murray@ualberta.ca

Office of Major Gifts & Planned Giving

3-600 Enterprise Square, 10230 Jasper Ave NW
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada  T5J 4P6
Phone: 780-492-7400  Toll-free: 1-888-799-9899
MyLegacy@ualberta.ca

Ensure your estate plans are on track

Need help planning your estate? Download our step-by-step estate planning organizer.

Already included the university in your will?

Have you already included the U of A in your estate plans and not yet told us about it? Thank you! We would love to hear from you and learn about the impact you plan to make at the University of Alberta.

How to Inform Us of a Legacy Gift

We're committed to leaving things better than we found them. It was important to us, given our experiences, to provide financial support to students in need. Now we're in a position to help facilitate their studies. The scholarship endowment we set up also honours important women in our lives — both Jody’s grandmothers and Ken’s mother worked hard to support their families.

Jody and Ken Peck

Jody and Ken Peck