Is it better to name a charity directly as a beneficiary on a RRIF or leave the gift through my will?

Both are valid approaches, and the better fit depends on your goals. Naming a charity directly as beneficiary on a RRIF means the proceeds pass straight to the charity outside your estate and outside probate on your death, which can mean faster payment to the charity and generally keeps that value out of what's used to calculate Estate Administration Tax. It also typically generates a donation tax credit that can be used on your final tax return, which can help offset tax otherwise owing because of the RRIF's deemed disposition at death.

Leaving the gift through your will instead keeps it flexible and easy to change without contacting the RRIF's financial institution every time. You can revise a percentage or amount in a new will relatively simply, and you have more control if you want the gift to depend on other conditions, such as only if a spouse doesn't survive you. The trade-off is that a will-based gift flows through the estate and is exposed to probate, Estate Administration Tax, and the general pace of estate administration.

Discuss both routes with your lawyer, since combining direct beneficiary designations with will-based gifts is common and lets you use each approach where it fits best.