Who We Are
The Canadian Association of Gift Planners
The purpose of the Canadian Association of Gift Planners is to support philanthropy by fostering the development and growth of gift planning. The Association creates awareness, provides education and is an advocate of charitable giving.
The Association brings together professionals from various disciplines to ensure that the gift planning process achieves a fair and proper balance between the interests of donors and the aims and objectives of registered charitable organizations in Canada in accordance with the CAGP-ACPDPTM Code of Ethics.
Established in1993 and incorporated in October 1997, the Canadian Association of Gift Planners (CAGP-ACPDPTM) is a federally registered non-profit corporation with no charitable status and is primarily funded by members’ dues.
Association Structure
CAGP-ACPDPTM follows a policy governance model with the basic principle of: the Board determines the ends and the staff determines the means.
The National Board includes representatives from across Canada. All CAGP-ACPDPTM Board Members are required to sit on a Board Committee - which are made up of Board and non-Board members. Board Committees report to the Board and not to the Executive Director. The Executive Director will sit on Board Committees when required.
The National Office
The National Office is run by the CAGP-ACPDPTM Executive Director, who oversees a group of program coordinators namely, membership, education, communication and LEAVE A LEGACYTM. National Office staff is available to assist RoundTable volunteers, individual members and the general public. Service is available in both French and English.
RoundTables
Regional RoundTables operate in every region and most major cities in Canada with objectives to meet their respective needs. A region may have more than one RoundTable. These RoundTables accept, observe and promote the CAGP-ACPDPTM Code of Ethics. RoundTables assist the CAGP-ACPDPTM in developing its programs and materials, and serve as the primary vehicle for delivery of those programs and materials. RoundTables meet on a regular basis either through meetings or educational offerings. All CAGP-ACPDPTM members are also members of a local or regional RoundTable of their choice.
RoundTables are operational committees that report to the Executive Director. And as much as the CAGP-ACPDPTM Board of Directors is interested and oversees the activities of the RoundTables, they are not tasked with approving or making any decisions regarding the activities of the RoundTables. This belongs to the Executive Director - who can seek direction from the Board if he/she so chooses.
What is LEAVE A LEGACYTM?
LEAVE A LEGACYTM is a public awareness initiative that takes place in local communities across the country.
LEAVE A LEGACYTM Committees operate under the guidance of the local Roundtables. There are currently 22 LEAVE A LEGACYTM committees across Canada. Some examples of the local initiatives include: LEAVE A LEGACYTM inserts in local newspapers, radio ads, information booklets etc. - all which are geared toward helping the public become aware that they can consider leaving a gift in their will.
First established by the Central Ohio Planned Giving Council, the LEAVE A LEGACY TM name and logo has been trademarked by the National Committee on Planned Giving (NCPG) in Indianapolis, Indiana (USA). CAGP-ACPDPTM holds the legal rights for LEAVE A LEGACYTM programs in Canada and is in the process of seeking a trademark for its equivalent in French for UN HÉRITAGE À PARTAGERMD . There are now over 130 LEAVE A LEGACYTM - UN HÉRITAGE À PARTAGERMD programs across North America, either in the planning or already launched. In Canada alone, twenty-one groups have entered the planning process - the first one was launched in Halifax in 1998 by the Nova Scotia CAGP-ACPDPTM RoundTable.
For more information on how the public can become more aware of leaving a gift in their will, visit our website: http://www.leavealegacy.ca/