Future giving to the Ottawa School of Art
We believe every artist deserves
a chance to create
For generations, OSA has kept the door to visual arts education open in Ottawa: to first-timers and lifelong artists, to kids and seniors, to people with means and people without. A gift in your will is how that door stays open after you're gone.
Every gift keeps a piece of the school alive.
Future gifts don't fund one class or one term, they fund the parts of OSA that make everything else possible.
Art Programs
Classes, workshops, and community learning, open to every age and every skill level.
Equipment and materials
The kilns, presses, easels, and tools students need to actually do the work.
Bursaries and scholarships
Opening doors for students facing financial barriers to a visual arts education.
Your future gift becomes part of a long tradition of creativity, community, and opportunity at OSA.
Legacies in practice
How Judith Miller started OSA Outreach
Judith Miller believed that the art she'd found as an OSA student could change a young person's life. She brought that belief to OSA, then built the roadmap herself: seed funding, and later the Frances and Benjamin Miller Fund through the Ottawa Community Foundation, in honour of her parents. What started with bursaries, supplies, and rides to class has grown into an outreach program reaching thousands of participants a year across Ottawa.
The Sheila Durno Memorial Scholarship
Sheila Durno spent a lifetime moving between paint, clay, glass, and garden. Never settling on one form because she never had to. When she passed away in 2016, her loved ones created a scholarship in her name to support first-year OSA students. It's one way a future gift keeps working, term after term, long after it's given.
In a student's words
"Receiving two scholarships during my time at the Ottawa School of Art has been an incredibly encouraging. Beyond easing some of the financial pressures of pursuing an arts education, these scholarships gave me confidence that my work and dedication were being recognized, allowing me to focus more on developing my practice.
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I am deeply grateful for this support and for the opportunities it has provided throughout my education."
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- Liana Abou-El-Kheir, Fine Arts Diploma 2026 Graduate
How to leave a gift for the future
Four steps, on your own timeline
You don't need to be a major donor to leave a future gift — you just need a plan.
1
Speak with your advisor
Talk to a legal or financial advisor about the best way to include a charitable gift in your estate plan.
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Share OSA's details with them:
Legal name: Ottawa School of Art
Charitable number: 126510528 RRR0001
Address: 35 George Street, Ottawa, ON K1N 8W5
2
Decide how you want to give
There's more than one way to leave a future gift. Options include:
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A gift in your will
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A percentage of your estate
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A gift of securities
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A gift of life insurance
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A residual gift, after loved ones are cared for
3
Share your intentions with OSA
Letting us know your plans helps us honour your wishes and celebrate your generosity, on your terms.
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4
Explore Will Power resources
Our partner Will Power offers free tools, calculators, and professional guidance to help you decide with confidence.
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Your gift becomes part of every brushstroke, every sculpture, every drawing that comes after.
Provide a young artist with their first set of professional materials
Fund a scholarship that changes a student's life
Support gallery exhibitions for emerging artists
Ensure OSA remains accessible for generations to come
What a future gift can do
Small enough to write into a will.
Big enough to change an artist's path.
Tools and resources to understand future giving
Legal and financial advisors who can help you plan your gift
Clear guidance on how charitable giving fits into your estate plan
Calculators and planning tools to explore your options with confidence
A national movement in planned giving.
OSA is a proud partner of Will Power, a national movement helping Canadians make informed, confident decisions about future giving.
Proud partner
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are the questions we hear most often. Still curious? Just email us — we love talking about this stuff.
Legacy giving (also called planned giving) allows donors to make a future gift to the Ottawa School of Art (OSA) through their will, estate, insurance policy, or other planned arrangements. These gifts help sustain programs, bursaries, upgrade studio equipment and community outreach for generations.
Legacy gifts create long-term impact, support accessible arts education, and ensure OSA can continue offering free art programs to vulnerable communities in our Outreach programs, offer bursaries, and offer fine art diploma and portfolio certificate students with financial assistance in the form of scholarships well into the future.
Most donors add a clause to their will naming OSA as a beneficiary. You can designate a specific amount, a percentage of your estate, or a residual gift. We recommend speaking with your legal advisor to determine the best option. If you do not have an advisor, please ask us as we have both legal and financial advisors in Ottawa that you can contact.
Yes. Donors can choose to support bursaries, scholarships, children’s programs, and help OSA continue to upgrade art equipment. You can also leave an unrestricted gift that supports OSA’s greatest needs.
You are not required to notify us, but sharing your intentions helps us plan for the future and recognize your generosity appropriately.
Yes. Donors can name OSA as a beneficiary of a life insurance policy, RRSP, RRIF, or TFSA. This can be a simple and tax efficient way to leave a legacy.
Your advisor will need OSA’s legal name, charitable registration number, and address.
Legal Name: Ottawa School of Art
Charitable Registration Number: 126510528RR0001Address: 35 George Street, Ottawa, ON K1N 8W5
Yes. Legacy donors may establish named bursaries or scholarships that reflect their values or honour a loved one. OSA can help you explore options to suit your needs.
Legacy gifts can reduce estate taxes and maximize the impact of your charitable giving. Your financial advisor can provide guidance based on your situation.
Share your intentions
Let's talk about your plan to give
We're here to help you explore options that reflect your values and vision, whenever you're ready to talk, and with no obligation.
Ottawa School of Art
Charitable number
126510528RR0001
Address
35 George Street, Ottawa, ON K1N 8W5
Tammy Kohls
Development and Fundraising Officer
613-241-7471 ext. 31
