How do I include a gift in my will?

Speak to your lawyer about drafting or revising your will, an essential step to protect your family’s future and ensure that your assets are distributed according to your wishes.
Add the appropriate wording in your will to leave a gift to SickKids, with which our team can help you.
Let us know about your bequest, so we can show our appreciation and ensure your intentions are properly understood and honoured.

Financial Practice and Transparency

SickKids Foundation is committed to conducting its financial affairs in a responsible, consistent and ethical manner. Read its policy.

Why should I consider a gift to SickKids in my will?

Legacy gifts are a very important source of revenue for SickKids. Historically they have contributed significantly to our ability to deliver lifesaving treatment and research, including a bequest from Toronto philanthropist J.P. Bickell that helped establish our Research Institute, where scientists created Pablum, discovered the cystic fibrosis gene, and continue to crack the code of childhood cancers and heart disease. Bequests continue to play a crucial role in advancing the SickKids vision: Healthier Children and A Better World. A charitable bequest also gives you the comfort of knowing your assets are available today, while enabling you to leave a larger gift than might be possible in your lifetime. It’s also one of the most efficient ways to give: a gift in your will can reduce, or even eliminate, the tax burden on your beneficiaries, since your estate will receive a tax receipt for your gift.

Is it safe to canvass in the malls during the COVID-19 outbreak?

Health and safety are top priorities for both our canvassers and the public. SickKids Foundation has been closely monitoring the developments related to COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease) and will adjust our fundraising activities as needed. The risk to the public is still considered low and our fundraisers continue to follow Public Health Ontario recommendations:

Wash hands often and well
Exercise good hand hygiene (limit hand shaking, use sanitizing wipes or lotions to clean self and any shared equipment, avoid touching eyes, nose or mouth)
Use Lysol wipes to disinfect pitch cards and tablets
Stay home if unwell

What protocols are in place to ensure both donors and fundraisers are kept safe?

Health and safety for all is the top priority and we want to ensure our community is protected.

Any time our SickKids fundraisers speak to the public, they are closely following public health guidelines which means staying 2 metres away, wearing a mask, using hand sanitizers frequently and not sharing any materials or devices during the sign up process.

The fundraisers have been trained on how to engage with the public safely while speaking to the importance of raising much needed funds to build a new, safer SickKids. Canvassers who are fundraising in green, yellow and orange zones also reside in those communities.

Do I need to have previous experience to volunteer?

Many Foundation volunteer opportunities do not require that you have any previous experience, unless otherwise indicated.

Volunteer Newsletter December 2016 - Aro...

SickKids is doing something special this holiday season to help kids in the Hospital miss home a little less.

Why do we do face-to-face fundraising?

Face-to-face fundraising represents our most successful way of growing our monthly donor community. Monthly donations, regardless of size, are crucial because it helps us to build long-term relationships with our donors. Giving monthly lets our donors spread out their giving over the course of the year, and provides SickKids with a strong foundation of support that we can count on every month. It also allows us to save on paper and processing, which increases efficiency and sustainability.