Building legacies: new appointment a boon to UVic fundraising

by Chris Thackray

Cameron

What does Norma Cameron have to do with your will? Quite a lot, if you're thinking of leaving a bequest to UVic.

As the newly appointed manager of planned giving in UVic's development office, Cameron is responsible for managing and expanding a fundraising program that contributes millions of dollars in donations to UVic annually.

Working with individual donors and UVic development officers, Cameron helps arrange donations of financial assets to the university through wills and other financial instruments.

Cameron brings a wealth of experience to the job. A native of Glasgow, Scotland, she moved to Canada and began her career in the banking industry. In 1995 she became a consultant with Vancouver-based consulting firm Spectrum Marketing, negotiating strategic alliances between suppliers of branded products and services and many postsecondary institutions in Western Canada. In 1998, she became director of alumni, development and public relations at the University of Prince Edward Island. Prior to joining UVic, Cameron was manager of planned giving at the University of Manitoba.

"Her experience will be a great advantage," says Birgit Castledine, director of central development services. "We look forward to having someone fully dedicated to raising awareness of planned giving and increasing the number of gifts to the university."

Planned giving to a university can be a complicated business, normally involving the administration of the assets of an estate according to the will of a donor. And planned gifts can take many forms.

"The most common form is including a gift in your will," explains Cameron. "In such cases, the most important step is to determine what the donor wants to achieve—the ‘why' of the gift. This step is often confused with ‘how' the gift is made—whether through gifts of securities, charitable annuities, real estate, trusts, life insurance policies, or simply cash."

While it's important to understand the various giving methods and options, and to work effectively with donors' financial and legal advisors, the most important goal for any planned giving officer is to work with the donor and provide them with the comfort that their gift will have the desired impact.

"Gifts can come in many forms—jewelry, cars, china, real estate, cultural property of all kinds, paintings and manuscripts, and archival or research materials," says Cameron. When asked why people make planned gifts, the answer, according to Cameron, is simple. "They want to leave a legacy and make a difference," she says. "For example, many people establish scholarships and bursaries with their planned gifts. It's deeply meaningful when you know your gift will help future generations and perpetuate your legacy forever."