In the Company of Elders

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Who is an LGBT Elder?
What is the Company of Elders?
I'm in a relationship, and if I die first, I want all of my estate (not just 90%) to be available for my partner. So how can I make this pledge?
What is the Pledge?
Is the Pledge legally binding?
What are the obligations of membership in the Company of Elders?
What are the benefits of membership?
If I want to "Make the Pledge", what do I do now?
If I think this is a good idea, what can I do to support it?
Can I get a charitable tax receipt for the cost of my subscription?
I'm 44, why do I need to be at least 50 to be an LGBT Elder?
I'm not rich. How would my pledge make a difference?
Who runs the Company of Elders?
Do I have to be "in the Company of Elders" to leave a portion of my estate to "good causes" in the LGBT communiites?
Is this website available in other languages?

Who is an LGBT Elder ?
Among other things, an LGBT Elder is
a) someone who is at least 50 years of age; and
b) someone who has 'been there', and who wants to help ease the way for those who will follow
What is the Company of Elders?
The Company of Elders are Elders from the LGBT communities who have, by personal example, made the commitment
a) to leave a legacy, so that the people in our communities will have, in the future, the resources to deal with that future, and
b) to "market" the concept of LGBT people 'supporting our selves', through charitable and other benevolent giving. For further information on how we intend to market the concept, see the Marketing tab.
I'm in a relationship, and if I die first, I want all of my estate (not just 90%) to be available for my partner. So how can I make this pledge?
Check out the "partnered pledge". After discussing it with your partner, this may be a pledge you'd be comfortable making. And for sure, it's fine with us!
What is the Pledge?
I pledge that I have made arrangements, or will make such arrangements within one year of this date, such that after my death, of the value of my estate available for the benefit of those near and dear to me, at least 10% will be left to a cause, or to causes, which will help to meet the needs of the LGBT communities.

Partnered Pledge: I pledge that I have made arrangements, or will make such arrangements within one year of this date, such that after the death of the survivor of me and my partner, of the value of the survivor's estate available for the benefit of those near and dear to us, at least 10% will be left to a cause, or to causes, which will help to meet the needs of the LGBT communities.
Is the Pledge legally binding?
No. The pledge itself is not legally enforceable (if you follow through on your pledge by making revisions to your Will, then the Will of course would be legally binding).
What are the obligations of membership in the Company of Elders?
a) Making the Elder's Pledge (See above);
b) Supporting the work of the Company of Elders through the one-time payment of a subscription of $CDN 25.00 (or the equivalent in $U.S. or Euros).
What are the benefits of membership?
a) communications from the Company of Elders on a "as needed" basis (we’ll try to be reasonable) as to what the Company has been up to.
b) assistance, if you want it, on a peer-to-peer basis, and to the extent we’re able, in figuring out how to best ensure that your "giving" will end up supporting the particular causes YOU THINK are particularly deserving of your support.
c) an invitation to help select, through the contribution of your ideas and your dollars, how the Company of Elders will 'go to market' on behalf of the promotion of LGBT "giving".
If I want to "Make the Pledge", what do I do now?
Print out the pledge, date it and sign it, and send it, together with your cheque or money order for CDN$ 25.00 (or the equivalent in $U.S. or Euros), payable to "The Company of Elders" and mail it to The Company of Elders, 120 Carlton St., Suite 215, Toronto, Ontario, M5A 4K2 Canada
If I think this is a good idea, what can I do to support it?
a) you can "come out" as an Elder by taking the pledge, which will encourage others to do the same.
b) do you know anyone you think of as an Elder? you'll be doing them, and all of us, a service if you tell them about the Company of Elders.
c) if you'd like to help us 'go to market' with our print campaign, you can check out current examples of ads we hope to place by clicking here, and if some generous soul wants to contribute towards the cost of placing those ads, we'll assist with getting that to happen.
d) if you have any ideas about the content/approach of such ads, and would like to share those ideas with us, click here.
Can I get a charitable tax receipt for the cost of my subscription?
Unfortunately, no. While we are definitely a non-profit group, we are not a registered charity. We are a 100% volunteer initiative, so we decided to 'keep it simple'.
I'm 44, why do I need to be at least 50 to be an LGBT Elder?
Well, 50 is a bit arbitrary, BUT, if it's any consolation, your exclusion is time-limited, since you WILL, we all hope, make it to 50, PLUS, whatever your age, you can make the pledge, and you can support the work of the Elders (check out Marketing).
I'm not rich. How would my pledge make a difference?
Whatever your economic situation, your public support of this venture, by subscribing to the Pledge, will encourage others to do the same, and collectively, with the passage of time, a mountain of good work will be accomplished.
Who runs the Company of Elders?
The steering committee members are Libby Bradburne, Harvey Hamburg and Harold Desmarais, all of whom serve without any remuneration whatsoever.
This committee uses the Internet, this website and visibility in the LGBT media, to encourage community members to take the Elder's Pledge. This committee would be next-to-nowhere without the wondrous contributions of web-master Bill Eadie and marketing maven Kent James.
Do I have to be "in the Company of Elders" to leave a portion of my estate to "good causes" in the LGBT communities?
Of course not. "In the Company of Elders" encourages people to join us in our campaign, but if for whatever reason you choose not to, we still urge you to leave a bequest, in your Will or otherwise, to support those causes you feel are worthwhile.
Is this website available in other languages?

Not yet, but we'd like to communicate our message to everyone. If you know someone who can donate professional translation skills, please encourage them to contact us.
In the interim, a computerized translation may be helpful: Spanish | German | French