Diocese of Fredericton to Launch Legacy Gifts Initiative The Anglican Diocese of Fredericton is pleased to announce that it has partnered with the Anglican Church of Canada (ACC) on a special legacy gifts program to be launched in May to coincide with Leave-a-Legacy month (an initiative of the Canadian Association of Gift Planners). “This is an exciting opportunity to reach out to members of our diocesan family who have indicated an interest in providing financial support through estate planning” said Archbishop Claude Miller. Bishop Miller adds that this is also an excellent opportunity for the diocese to enter into a deeper relationship with those donors who express an interest in planned giving, “we can get to know them, talk about their interests, answer their questions and find ways to work together to address immediate needs within their parish and the diocese.” Holland Hendrix, Executive Director of the ACC’s Department of Philanthropy, says this initiative is of greatest benefit to parishes as they are most likely to be the beneficiaries of legacy gifts. “After our pilot project with the Diocese of Toronto we learned that the lion’s share of the more than $3 million in identified gifts had been designated to parishes in that diocese.” Dr. Hendrix points out that the ability to identify and anticipate funds from legacy gifts is helpful to parishes and dioceses as they develop their own ministry and stewardship plans. The initiative is also expected to have a morale-boosting effect in individual dioceses where it is deployed. Hendrix says “this is one of the best ways for us, practically-speaking, to move away from a culture of scarcity towards one of abundance; this will be a really good news story for churches in the Diocese of Fredericton, and will help us to truly celebrate the generosity of our faith community.” All subscribers of The New Brunswick Anglican will receive a joint letter from Bishop Miller as well as Archbishop Fred Hiltz and will be provided with a declaration card that enables them to identify whether or not they have provided for a legacy gift to their parish, the Diocese, or the national church. They can also make their declaration using an online form which is accessible via the Legacy Gifts page. At the time of this release, the Dioceses of Rupert’s Land, Ontario, and Niagara will all take part in the spring initiative. Talks are currently underway with additional dioceses, and a number of others are expected to come on board as well. See also Legacy Gifts Initiative - ACC 10 March 2010 Martha Jo Hoyt Dick Black (The Rev'd) Michelle Hauser
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