Estate Donations

Total 88 Posts

Annulled Charities

Annulment is one of those antiquated words the whispers “convenience” and “pragmatism”.  Failed or incomplete marriage?  Divorce not an option? A Church-granted annulment will set both partners free.  Annulment is also a term in the Income Tax Act that applies to registered charities and registered amateur athletic associations. It’s rarely used, and the rules, as with marriage, are forgiving and practical. 206 Annulments The CRA database of registered charities currently lists 206 registered….

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Estate Donations, Estate Planning, Philanthropy/Charitable Giving, Uncategorized, Wills

Estate donations, Time and Flexibility

Last week I visited Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in Toronto for a grant status update meeting with a family foundation. I used to work at the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation, but left 20 years ago. Returning after two decades provided me perspective on two key charitable estate planning considerations: time and flexibility. The Cancer Centre and the treatment of cancer has changed massively since I worked there. An obvious sign….

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Charitable Giving, Estate Donations, Estate Planning, Philanthropy/Charitable Giving, Uncategorized

Canadian Donation Incentives Explained

Generous but Complex and Opaque Canada has the most generous tax incentives for charitable giving in the world, but few Canadians understand what they save and how the system works. Why the paradox?  Here’s a longer-than-usual blog providing an overview for your future reference. For starters, it is helpful to understand that the Canadian tax system is grounded in unspoken social policy: we all must contribute to society, but there….

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Estate Donations, Philanthropy/Charitable Giving, Tax Issues

Does Charity Data Matter?

[caption id="attachment_7268" align="aligncenter" width="640"] The Toronto Star Christmas Carol Concert, 2018[/caption] What role do data and metrics play when we make charitable donations? Often very little. And that, in certain cases, is a good thing. This was brought home to me twice recently. First, at the 40th Annual Toronto Star Christmas Carol Concert in early December and then by an estate client. Public Data The Toronto Star’s concert at St…..

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Estate Donations, Philanthropy/Charitable Giving, Uncategorized

Charitable Donations – What Do You Get in Return?

Each December, we are reminded that this is the season of giving. As we are encouraged to lend our support to worthy causes, it is helpful to understand the extent to which donors can control the use of their funds and oversee the direction of a charitable project. Meddling in other’s affairs can be costly, as seen in Fass v CAMH, 2018 ONSC 3386. The Faas Foundation and its founder….

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Charitable Giving, Contracts, Estate Donations, Investments, Philanthropy/Charitable Giving

Art and Fair Market Value

[caption id="attachment_7127" align="aligncenter" width="550"] Sir Frederick Grant Banting, 1891 – 1941, The Lab[/caption] Fall art auction week in Toronto is just past. The biggest is run by Heffel Fine Art Auction. The results for the two Heffel auctions illustrate the challenge of determining fair market value in art. The auction catalogue listed a number of estates and charitable foundation as consignors. Clearly art valuation issues affect estate planning. Heffel offered 135….

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Estate Administration, Estate Donations, Estate Planning, Uncategorized
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