When talking about her life, Louise Rochette says she is grateful for her good fortune. “I feel very privileged,” she says. “I’m healthy and so are my children and grandchildren. I’ve always had a great network of people around me. Throughout my career, I have held positions that corresponded to my interests and for which my skills were recognized.”
Motivated by values of social justice and generosity, this Montrealer was determined to give back. In addition to her monthly donations to Centraide of Greater Montreal, she decided to add the organization to her will. She made this choice so that people who have not been so fortunate can take care of life’s essentials.
However, a gift in her will was not always part of her plan. “For a long time, I thought about leaving everything to my family,” she admits. “My income was not excessive, but I managed my finances very carefully so that I could leave as much as possible to my children. I then started mulling over the idea of giving back to people who are less fortunate.”
A life change that spurred a planned gift
This septuagenarian continued to think about leaving a philanthropic gift in her will. Her idea became a reality once it came time to sell her house. After meeting with her financial planner, she contacted a planned giving advisor at Centraide of Greater Montreal. “The call was very informative,” says the donor. “I felt very taken care of and wasn’t pressured at all.” A few months later, she officially added the bequest to her will to benefit Greater Montreal’s future generations.
As she is close to her children, she took the time to discuss this decision with them. “Learning that I was giving to Centraide did not surprise them, as they know how important this cause is to me,” she says. “They said that this gift really reflects who I am.”
Great confidence in Centraide
For years, Louise Rochette volunteered with the compliance unit of Centraide of Greater Montreal. “I got to know the organization from the inside,” she says. “I’m aware of how seriously they take the decision process. That’s why I have great confidence in them. Centraide’s work helps hundreds of thousands of people. Every dollar raised amounts to a bigger impact as the team puts a lot of thought and analysis into these investments.”
It didn’t take her long to decide which cause she would put down in black and white in her will. “I’m leaving part of my estate to Centraide because I care in particular about the future of children, families and women,” she says. “I know that these groups are a focus of the organization’s priorities in the fight against poverty and social exclusion.”
Louise is confident that the portion of her estate that she bequeaths to Centraide of Greater Montreal will be invested where it matters most. And that reassures her.
“Leaving a philanthropic gift in my will lets me divide my estate between my family and people who are less fortunate.”
-Louise Rochette — Member of the Generation’s Circle
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