The White Rose Legacy Circle | Division of Advancement

York is immensely grateful for the support of our donors who help to build and sustain the University through legacy giving. The White Rose Legacy Circle is our way of giving thanks and recognizing this remarkable generosity, foresight and commitment to York University.

Founded in 2012, the White Rose Legacy Circle is a society of more than 220 living donors who have made a future gift to the University. By making a legacy gift to York, you become part of this growing group of York supporters who foster our future success by creating scholarships, providing financial aid, establishing new centres of discovery and funding all aspects of learning and teaching. However you choose to support York, your membership in the White Rose Legacy Circle will inspire all who share your vision for York’s future.

“I joined the White Rose Legacy Circle because it’s important to help people who need a helping hand. I encourage everyone to consider making a legacy gift to acknowledge those institutions and agencies that meant something to them during their lifetime. I very much enjoy attending the society’s events and chatting with other like-minded individuals.”

— Russell Smith (BA ’67), who created the Russell D. Smith Award in Public and International Affairs on an annual basis and has ensured that it will continue in perpetuity through a gift in his will.

Benefits of Membership

A lifetime relationship with York University—you will be a part of our inner family circle.
A permanent legacy at York that will benefit future students and researchers.
Access to special events, which are tailored to your interests, such as student performances or lectures by York’s scholars.
Subscription to York U Legacies, an annual newsletter, which features gift-planning tips, news articles and inspiring stories that bring donors and beneficiaries to life.
An elegant White Rose Legacy Circle membership pin and a special certificate of recognition.
Inclusion in donor recognition lists and University publications.
Option to be an anonymous member.
Membership is voluntary, and York honours all requests for anonymity. If you prefer not to receive these benefits or if you would like your gift to be kept confidential, we are happy to follow your wishes.

The society is named after the white rose, the emblem of the Duke of York, who founded the House of York in 14th-century England. At York University, the white rose pays homage to the installation of York’s first chancellor, Air Marshal Wilfred A. Curtis who was a leading proponent of the new University and chair of the organizing committee that formed York. In 1961, Lord James of Rusholme, vice-chancellor designate of the University of York in the United Kingdom, planted a white rose bush at Glendon to celebrate Curtis’s installation and the opening of York University’s first campus. The white rose, which appears on York’s official shield, has since become an enduring symbol of York’s past accomplishments and future promise.