Why build the wheel when it’s already been built! - Wayne MacDonald
Wayne MacDonald
Why build the wheel when it’s already been built!
Wayne is a giving guy. He’s always been that way and still wants to be that way when he’s gone. So when he was sorting out his will and his lawyer mentioned London Community Foundation to him less than two years ago, it seemed like a good fit for him from the start.
“I got my first suggestion through a lawyer who was one of the founders of The Sunshine Foundation, so he knows a thing or two about foundations! He suggested LCF to me and said the way it’s structured means more of what you want to do is going to happen.”
This pragmatic approach to philanthropy sums up Wayne’s giving well. Having established regular donations to several local charities since moving to London in 2015, Wayne set up a Donor-Advised Fund with LCF in 2021 with the aim of growing his fund to the point where it can give out regular bursaries. “It’s in its infancy, so I’m still really working through the way I want to see it structured”, Wayne says.
And this is just as well, because Wayne has a wide range of charities that he’d like to support, ranging from ChildCan, which supports children with cancer and their families, to Freedom’s Wings, which offers flight training for people with disabilities.
“I’m a glider pilot and there’s a program for people with disabilities to learn how to fly gliders, so I’d create a bursary to that charity for example.”
Following a life-altering workplace accident in 1999 which resulted in paraplegia, Wayne has been humbled by what life can give and take away: “I’ve grown in body and soul because of the support and vision of others. I feel it’s a privilege to pay it forward and give back to those who could benefit from a hand-up at their most difficult times.”
Recently, Wayne took the decision to take his giving one step further by making a bequest to LCF in his will, maximizing the legacy he’ll be leaving.
“Death is not a round table topic, but it’s better to be proactive than reactive, and if you want your life to have some meaning beyond the grave then this is the best way to do it”, Wayne says, noting that “Unfortunately we’ve got two guarantees; death and taxes”.
Despite working with LCF for a relatively short amount of time, Wayne feels comfortable in this decision because of how working with London Community Foundation has helped him grow the impact of his philanthropy so far, and the in-house expertise that comes along with it.
“To me, London Community Foundation is my mentor,” Wayne says. “They’re going to show me, they’re going to guide me. Any time I’ve had a question Diane’s always been there no matter what.”
For Wayne, the net result of leaving a bequest to LCF is that he’s able to ensure his legacy is in safe, experienced and trusted hands without taking his focus away from his day to day giving and charitable activities in the here and now;
“I can concentrate on what I want to do with my particular fund and they’re looking after all the essentials outside of it when it comes to the taxing and all the other stuff that I couldn’t do if I was trying to start up my own foundation. Why build the wheel when it’s already been built!”
For more information about how London Community Foundation can help you leave a legacy by making a bequest in your will, contact Diane Silva, Director of Philanthropy, at dsilva@lcf.on.ca.