Living with intention and giving with purpose
MA grad Vivian Binnema believes it’s never too early to leave a legacy. Her planned gift to UVic reflects the values that guide her life today.
For Vivian Binnema, leaving a gift to the Ó£»¨Ó°ÊÓ in her will is about more than deciding what she leaves behind. It’s about living with intention today.
“Estate planning has been a powerful exercise for thinking about what I value,” she says.
Vivian, who earned her Master of Arts in English from UVic, has spent the past decade of her career as a communications professional with the Alberta government. Her work has spanned multiple departments, including public health, labour, immigration and justice. In each role, she has relied heavily on the analytical and writing skills she developed in graduate school.
“Working on policy initiatives means reading lengthy, complex documents, developing communication strategies and thinking through their implications for the public,” she says.
“The reading skills, the synthesizing of information and being able to repackage it under a tight deadline—I think I needed my graduate degree for that level of work.”
‘It’s just part of adulting’
Vivian was still quite early in her career when her financial advisor encouraged her to think ahead and incorporate estate planning into her long-term goals.
“I was in my 30s, and my financial advisor said, ‘It's just part of adulting.’ That really stuck with me,” she says. “It made the idea of creating a will feel less intimidating and more like a responsible, empowering step.”
Motivated by the positive experience she had at UVic that helped shape and support her professional path, Vivian was drawn to give back to a university that continues to reflect her values. A legacy gift, also known as a “planned gift,” is a charitable contribution arranged during one’s lifetime and typically gifted through an individual’s will. These gifts come in many forms, and some can offer tax benefits during the donor’s lifetime.
“Thinking about my legacy, leaving gifts to post-secondary institutions is a meaningful area for me to contribute to, because they feel hopeful and future-oriented. People are doing research. Students are taking the steps to fulfill their career aspirations. It feels like a way to invest positively in the future, which is a nice thing to leave behind.”
Vivian’s legacy gift supports the Faculty of Health, which is a choice inspired by both her family and professional background.
“My mom was a registered nurse, and one of my first postings in the Alberta government was with the public health team, which was very meaningful work for me,” she says.
Never too early to make a plan
Supported by the UVic legacy giving team, Vivian also discovered that making a planned gift didn’t have to be complicated.
“It was a relatively smooth process, and the legacy team were great people to work with. Everyone I met was cheerful, loved talking to people, and genuinely wanted to help,” she says.
Vivian hopes more people—especially younger alumni—will consider setting up a will and including a gift to their favourite charity in it.
“It's a good idea to have a will, even if you know you're likely to live for a long time. You just never know what could happen, and it makes your family's life easier if you have something in writing.”
And for anyone feeling overwhelmed by the idea of having it all figured out, she recommends taking any step that will move them in the right direction.
“If people are intimidated by it, my personal advice would be to not worry about all the details,” Vivian says. “I don’t have a list of where every possession is going, and I haven’t planned out my funeral. But I do have the basics in place around my financial intentions, and that’s a great place to start.”