Legacy donations are an increasingly popular method of philanthropy.

Generally written as a bequeathment, it is a chance for residents to leave a lasting gift with a cause close to their hearts.

鈥淔or every charity and non-profit, donations come through in a variety of ways, and one of the really impactful ways that donations can come to agencies such as the CVCDA are legacy donations,鈥� said Comox Valley Child Development Association executive director, Cindy Xavier. 鈥淥ften we see that the individual who has donated to us has had some kind of tie to the work that we do - either through using our services or they believe in the work that we do and they want to support the children and families of the community. Legacy donations that come to us鈥� allow us to do things that we otherwise could not do.

鈥淔or organizations like ours, the true donations are the only way we obtain the additional funds we need to do the things that need to be done - from the maintenance of our buildings, to any additional work that we might need to do that is outside our contract funding. So legacy donations really do contribute so much to an agency like ours.鈥�

Legacy donations can come in a variety of forms - from cash, to land, to properties.

The CVCDA has been the benefactor of such donations in the past, and a major legacy donation will be announced at this year鈥檚 CVCDA Telethon (Nov. 5, noon-8 p.m. at the Sid Williams Theatre).

鈥淪ince my time here, it is the biggest legacy donation I have seen,鈥� said Xavier. 鈥淭his legacy donation that we received this year comes to us as a result of the individual and her family supporting our work in numerous ways - either through donations, or volunteering their time. Their legacy is going to carry on through this donation.鈥�

Xavier said the CVCDA was made aware of the donation in July of this year, and has been holding off on the announcement until Telethon time. The family has donated to the Telethon every year. This year鈥檚 donation will be special.

A video presentation, introducing the family and discussing its ties to the CVCDA, is being prepared for the Telethon.

鈥淥ne of the important things for us, whenever we get a legacy donation, is that if we don鈥檛 already know about the person, we want to get to know them,鈥� said Xavier. 鈥淲hy did they choose our agency? What were they passionate about? Did we impact them and their families? So as much as it is about celebrating the gift that they have given to us, it is about honouring their memory, because that gift obviously meant something very significant to them, and we want to make sure we honour that gift, as well as the memory of the person who gave it to us.鈥�

The presentation will be made at some point during the 2023 CVCDA Telethon, Nov. 5.

Xavier was coy when asked to pin down a specific time for the announcement.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a secret,鈥� she said. 鈥淪o tune in, or come down to the Telethon. You鈥檒l have to watch to find out.

鈥淲e want to make sure that when we make the announcement it is at a time when we know we have a good audience.鈥�

How can you help?

The annual telethon is open to the public. Come down to the Sid and take in the non-stop entertainment, check out the silent auction items, buy raffle tickets and watch the tote board total climb.

Families will also have the opportunity to view from the comforts of their own home or wherever they are in real-time from their TVs or streaming devices.

Donations are already being accepted online at , where raffle tickets can also be purchased. The online auction is also in place at the website, with more than 130 items available.