Donating Publicly-Traded Securities: Do More, Save More, Give More

November and December are the busiest fundraising months for Haven Foundation when generous donors like you give to support Financial Aid, the capital campaign for the Facilities Masterplan, Youth Leadership or to our General Fund. We appreciate all your many donations, and want to make it as easy as possible to give in whatever way works best for you.

We welcome gifts of publicly-traded securities (securities listed on a public exchange, as well as bonds, mutual fund units and shares) donated in kind directly to CanadaHelps. Did you know:

• Donating securities or mutual funds in kind directly via CanadaHelps enables you to avoid capital gains tax, give more to Haven Foundation, and get a tax receipt for the full value of the securities or mutual funds.
• Donations of securities and mutual funds start at $500.
• You can donate securities or mutual funds to any of the funds at The Haven, including the opportunity of having your donation in support of Financial Aid matched in December.
• CanadaHelps is the largest online mutual funds and securities donation platform and offers charities low, non-commercial rates.
• Donating in this way also works with self-directed securities or mutual fund accounts.

Here’s an example of how it works:

• Let’s say you purchased common shares in ABC Company for a cost of $1,000. If the current market value of those shares has increased to $5,000, you would have a capital gain of $4,000.
• If you sell those shares and donate the cash proceeds to Haven Foundation, you’ll owe tax on the capital gain. So, you set aside the taxes due from the proceeds, leaving you with less than the full cash value to donate and a tax receipt which reflects the smaller donation.
• But when you donate the shares directly to Haven Foundation via CanadaHelps, you owe no capital gains tax and you’re able to donate the full value. So Haven Foundation gets a larger donation and you get a tax receipt which reflects your larger contribution.

Here are some approximate figures to illustrate:

In this illustration, you’re able to donate the full value of your securities to Haven Foundation: $5,000.00. Your tax credit on that amount would be approximately $2,300, or about $920 more than if you had sold the shares and donated the proceeds as cash. By donating shares directly, you can save on taxes while you’re offering more help to Haven Foundation.

When considering donating securities or mutual funds, please remember this important information:

• Donations must be made in kind, not after your broker has sold them.
• In kind donations take longer than cash gifts to transfer, liquidate and receipt, so please donate securities or mutual funds before December 15th.
• The receipt valuation for your tax receipt will be the closing price on the day of receipt, not the proceeds of the sale.
• If you are a US-based donor who would like to donate securities or mutual funds, please contact Louise Amuir via the contact details below.

If you are interested in donating securities or mutual funds to Haven Foundation via CanadaHelps, you can contact Louise Amuir (1 800 222 9211 x 222 louise@haven.ca). To donate securities or mutual funds to Haven Foundation or to find out more about the process go to the CanadaHelps web site. You can also use the ‘Donate Securities’ button on the Haven Giving page.