'In Lieu of Flowers' — Charitable Donations at Canadian Funerals

Last updated July 4, 2026 · 2 min read
Quick answer
Requesting donations to a specific charity 'in lieu of flowers' is now common at Canadian funerals. The practice converts what would have been spent on funeral flowers (typically $1,000-$5,000 total across attendees) into charitable support. The family designates a charity in the obituary and funeral notice; attendees donate directly to the charity, typically online. The charity issues individual tax receipts to each donor. Setting this up is straightforward — choose the charity, mention it in the obituary, optionally provide a memorial donation page link.

For Canadian families planning a funeral, the question 'flowers or donations or both?' increasingly leans toward donations. The practice converts what was traditionally spent on funeral flowers — typically $1,000-$5,000 in total across all attendees — into lasting charitable impact. The setup is simple; the impact is meaningful.

How to set up in-lieu-of-flowers

  1. Choose the charity (or charities). Reflect the deceased's interests — health-related to their cause of death, religious community, environmental cause, etc.
  2. Verify CRA registration. Same standard verification as any charitable interest.
  3. Mention in the obituary and funeral notice. Standard wording: "In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to [Charity Name]" or "Donations in [Deceased's] memory may be directed to [Charity Name]."
  4. Provide a donation pathway. Link to the charity's memorial donation page, or to a CanadaHelps memorial page that supports multiple charities.
  5. Optional — coordinate with the charity. Ask the charity to track donations made in memory and report back to the family (with donor consent).

Donation receipt mechanics

Memorial donors receive individual charitable tax receipts in their own names. The donor — not the deceased's estate — gets the tax credit. The estate has no tax benefit from in-lieu-of-flowers donations (the charitable bequest from the deceased's will is a separate matter and does generate an estate-level credit).

This is why in-lieu-of-flowers and bequests work well together — friends and extended family fund the memorial donations; the deceased's own values are reflected in the bequest from the estate.

Mixed approach — flowers and donations

Many families welcome both. Standard wording: "Flowers and donations to [Charity] gratefully accepted." This honours traditional condolence patterns (flowers from close family and traditional contacts) while opening the donation pathway for those who prefer it.

Cultural considerations

Some cultural and religious traditions prescribe flowers as part of mourning rituals. Others discourage flowers (some Jewish traditions, some Buddhist traditions). Some prefer specific charitable directions over flowers. Discuss with your funeral home about conventions appropriate to your family's tradition.

What we focus on at It's Simple Will

The Funeral Pre-Planner captures the donor's preferences for flowers vs. donations and the specific charities they want named in their funeral notice. The family then implements the preferences without having to guess.

Citations & sources

  1. [1]Funeral Service Association of Canada — Funeral Service Association of Canada
  2. [2]CanadaHelps.org — Memorial donations — CanadaHelps

Frequently asked questions

How does in-lieu-of-flowers actually work?

The family designates one or more charities in the funeral notice, obituary, and online death announcements. Attendees who would have sent flowers instead make donations directly to the charity. Each donor receives an individual tax receipt from the charity for their donation. The charity often (with family permission) tracks the donations and provides a tally to the family.

Why has this practice grown?

Several reasons — flowers wilt within days while a charitable donation has lasting impact, families with environmental concerns prefer not to use flown-in flowers, the deceased's specific causes get visible support, and online donation has made the logistics easy. Many funeral homes now actively offer to coordinate in-lieu-of-flowers programs.

Should I have just flowers, just donations, or both?

Personal choice. Some families say 'in lieu of flowers' (no flowers expected); others say 'flowers and/or donations welcomed'; others rely on traditional flowers exclusively. Religious or cultural traditions sometimes prescribe flowers (e.g., some Christian traditions). The funeral home can advise on conventions appropriate to your tradition.

Can I have donations go to multiple charities?

Yes. Many families designate 2-4 charities representing different aspects of the deceased's life (e.g., 'donations may be made to [Health Charity], [Religious Community], or [Environmental Cause]'). Some families let donors choose; others designate a single primary cause.

How do I set up the donation page?

Most major Canadian charities have memorial or tribute donation pages on their websites — donors enter the deceased's name and can include a message; the charity can notify family of donations received (with donor consent). Some charities create custom memorial pages for the deceased. CanadaHelps.org operates a memorial donation platform that supports multiple Canadian charities.

What is a memorial donation receipt?

When a donor makes a memorial donation in honour of the deceased, they receive a normal charitable tax receipt for their own donation (they are the donor, the deceased is the honouree). The deceased's estate does not receive a receipt and there's no tax benefit to the estate from in-lieu-of-flowers donations.

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