Investment of a Lifetime

Philanthropy is at heart of every great institution and the Royal Ontario Museum is no exception. We often hear the stories of incredible philanthropists whose significant contributions have had a transformative impact on the Museum, but transformative gifts happen in many ways. Did you know that almost anyone can make a transformational legacy gift? Many individuals choose to make gifts of life insurance by naming the Museum as a beneficiary of a new or existing insurance policy. For a small annual cost today, they can leave a sizeable gift in the future.

In addition to enabling critical initiatives at ROM, gifts of life insurance also make good sense from a tax perspective. On making ROM the owner and beneficiary of the policy, donors receive a tax receipt for annual premiums paid – making it a very effective way to invest in the future while realizing significant tax benefits today.

That was part of the appeal for Michelle Yuen Man Lee who made a $50,000 gift of life insurance to the ROM in honour of her late husband, Nelson. “For me, making a gift of life insurance was an affordable way to maximize my impact,” says Michelle. “I pay the premiums each year and, over time, that will accumulate into a gift much larger than anything I could have made in my lifetime.”

Today, Michelle’s visits to ROM feel even more special. She takes comfort in knowing that her gift will go to something her late husband would appreciate. “Nelson always had a passion for knowledge – he had the mind of a philosopher, an architect and an engineer. The ROM fits all the criteria to honour him.”

To learn more about the power of a gift of life insurance to ROM, contact Janice Correa at janicec@rom.on.ca.