Investing in the Future of Research - How Mark Healy's 4 children donated $1,000,000 to SickKids

A recent interview with Mark Healy revealed a rather ingenious "how to" -  using a life insurance policy for charitable giving.

Thinking Outside of the Box

The Healy family’s life changed forever on December 6, 1997. On the cool Saturday morning, their bubbly three-year-old daughter, Monica, fell off a Christmas parade float and was rushed to The Hospital for Sick Children.

What began as a fun-filled day quickly turned to near tragedy. Although Monica would eventually recover from her injuries, the experience gave the Healy family new perspective on the
importance of having a world-class hospital so close to home. It was the beginning of an incredible philanthropic relationship with SickKids Foundation.

“We wanted to make a lasting impact on the future of SickKids,” says Mark Healy, Monica’s father. “You don’t need a lot of money to leave a significant gift. Sometimes you just need to think outside of the box.”


Thinking outside of the box is exactly what the Healy family did. All four children – Monica, Danielle, Cameron and Devin – have decided to give $2 a day toward their own life insurance policy in support of SickKids Foundation. Each policy is worth $250,000, bringing the total contribution to $1 million.

When planning charitable donations, life insurance policies are often overlooked. But for the Healy family, the choice was easy. By regularly contributing to their life insurance policies, the Healy children have the opportunity to watch their gift grow while learning the importance of making a positive impact on their community. They are learning first-hand how one person can truly make a difference in the lives of the next generation.

“Knowing that I’m changing the lives of children is pretty cool,” says Monica. “Giving up $2 a day isn’t hard either – one less trip to Starbucks.”

“The best part about this is that anyone can do it. Any family has this within their reach,” adds Mark Healy. “My children and I encourage more families to think outside the box and find ways to make a meaningful difference in their community today.”

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