As mentioned in a previous article, the meaning of endowment in Canada is a fleeting one, largely because the word lacks a formal legal definition. As a result, endowment has been subject to a myriad of conflicting definitions, resulting in considerable confusion for fundraisers and...
In the past, I have attempted to dispel some of the basic tenets of corporate philanthropy – namely, that the notion of “corporate philanthropy” is a misguided one because all corporate giving must be driven by building shareholder value and that the values associated with...
It’s time to have a frank discussion about charities and their administrative and fundraising costs. Over the past decade, the increasing focus on a charity’s cost of doing business – and yes, charities are in the business of societal betterment – has forced the entire...
The endowment is a bit of lost soul. It’s a term with no true legal meaning but a whole bunch of different interpretations. It’s a word embraced by some fundraising organizations yet frowned upon by others. Endowments are like perennial flowers – we don’t necessarily...
Over the decade, the influx of commercial donor-advised funds (i.e. DAFs operating under the brand of a financial institution) into the charitable marketplace has raised the eyebrow of many Canadian fundraising professionals. Will these DAFs take money away from my cause? While the institutional donor-advised...
In many sophisticated fundraising organizations, there is still a sharp dichotomy between major and planned gifts. As a fundraising professional, I cannot, for the life of me, understand this how this approach truly benefits the donor. Despite the growing professionalism of the non-profit sector, there...
So you’re strolling down Queen Street West in downtown Toronto searching for a new pair of funky shoes to add to your collection and all of sudden, you’re approached by a clean-cut twentysomething in a colourful smock – “Do you have a few moments to...
Teenagers. You know all about them. Those lazy creatures of social media whose only interest in the world is the latest trend in popular culture. If this is still your view of the average teenager, you’ve got it all wrong. In fact, the next generation...
While a charitable bequest in your Will is an easy and very effective way to make a legacy gift to your favourite charity, there are other options when comes to making a deferred donation. This article will explore two of them: life insurance and retirement...
Most gift planners recognize the importance of cultivating relationships with the local “allied professional” community (for the purpose of this article, “allied professional” or “AP” includes lawyers, accountants, financial planners/advisors and insurance advisors) but very few of us take a strategic approach when it comes...