Serving community needs through a relationship built on trust.
By Olivia Piché
Ron Law has been a financial advisor for over 35 years. It doesn’t take long to notice his passion for proper estate planning and genuine care for his clients. “I’m a fanatic about people’s wills,” he says. With decades of experience as an estate executor, Law has witnessed both the atrocities of poor estate planning and the incredible impacts of thoughtful planning.
When Law met Gorden C. Barber, they were co-executors on Barber’s father’s estate. Barber later appointed Law as his executor also.
Barber passed away in June 2020, leaving behind a substantial estate. Aside from the spousal trust for his wife Hazel, the estate was to be donated to charity. While people often make generous charitable contributions in their wills, it’s unusual to leave the decisions for which charities and how much to donate up to a sole executor. But this was the case with Law and Barber.
Widely respected as an experienced financial advisor, Law is known for his humility and his personal charitable giving. His involvement with various charities helped guide his decision on where to direct Barber’s estate money.
To date, Law has directed $12 million to the Community Fund at the Calgary Foundation which gives the Foundation the flexibility to support prioritized and emerging community needs. Hazel’s spousal trust will also be directed to the Foundation after her passing.
Appreciating their long history of supporting a broad range of community programs and initiatives, Law says, “Calgary Foundation does incredible things in the city. Part of it is the way they’re organized. They have a good, strong board of directors, people who donate their time to be directors, and a great staff. They’re able to do considerable research into the charities.”
Law also chose 10 charities to directly support and made generous contributions on behalf of Barber’s estate. Thanks to Law’s thoughtful planning and careful discretion, the estate has provided funding for multiple charities in multiple capacities across the city.
Believing in giving to charities without any strings attached, Law trusts they can make their own decisions on using the money effectively. “I felt the need to leave it to them, and they can assess where the needs are. I was happy to rely on the leadership of these charities to use the money in the best way, and that’s what has happened.”
Incorporating charitable contributions into your will provides many tax benefits, Law explains. But more than that, it makes a difference for causes close to your heart. “The more money they get, the more people they can help,” he affirms.
Intentional and thoughtful estate planning is a great way to leave a lasting legacy and make a difference, just as Barber has.
Law notes that there’s a strong need for this kind of planned giving. And, there is no such thing as too early when it comes to planning your estate, and no amount is too small to make a difference.