Irfhan Rawji and his wife, Christine, want their three children to understand that their family’s values include giving back to their community.
Their son, Zain, is only six; daughter Hana is four and baby Kaia is eight months old. But Irfhan has already done a lot of thinking about the legacy he wants to pass on to them.
He has arranged a gift of life insurance to Heart & Stroke – a donation that will be realized after he’s gone.
Hopefully that time is many years away. But Irfhan takes satisfaction in the plans he and Christine have made. “It’s important to me that our children see that community is something that’s important to our family,” says Irfhan, an investor and entrepreneur based in Calgary. “I’ve worked hard and been fortunate in my career, so part of that good fortune will go back to the community.”
Walking the talk
Irfhan has volunteered with Heart & Stroke for most of his 43 years, starting with door-to-door canvassing in Vancouver when he was growing up.
He graduated to senior volunteer roles, eventually chairing the national board of directors from 2010 to 2013. Currently he leads the advisory council for the Heart & Stroke Impact Fund, and chairs the Activate program, an innovative social impact bond that has helped people reduce their risk of high blood pressure.
As a regular donor, Irfhan supports Heart & Stroke generously every year. So why did he choose to make this legacy gift?
“I really think it’s important for charities to be able to plan their programming,” he explains. By committing these funds for the future, Irfhan says, “We wanted to provide the organization the opportunity to not just do things in-year, but also to plan where some of our investment could go.”
Investing for impact
Irfhan is a firm believer in the need to invest in Heart & Stroke’s mission. “This is a disease that affects so many people. It’s a leading cause of death in this country and it’s preventable. So donating to Heart & Stroke feels like an opportunity to have a material impact on a lot of people.”
His South Asian heritage also plays a part in Irfhan’s commitment to Heart & Stroke. “For our community, this disease has a disproportionate negative impact. And in my family, you’ll see a number of people who have passed away from these diseases, including my father, who died from a major heart attack at the age of 68.”
Finally, there are Zain, Hana and Kaia. He believes that supporting Heart & Stroke with a gift of life insurance will help ensure a healthier future for them. And he wants them to learn the lessons of community and generosity.
