A Generous Dream Come True

Edward and Felicity Jones’* life together had settled into a happy rhythm. Their day-to-day needs were simple, and thanks to sensible planning, their retirement income comfortably covered all the essentials. Many of their retired friends were seizing the opportunity to travel or purchase the car or home they had long dreamed of owning, but Edward and Felicity had a different kind of retirement dream. They wanted to transform lives through charitable giving.

The Joneses wanted their generosity to serve families in need, and they loved the idea of giving somewhere that would allow them to see the impact of their donations. They researched various charities online, and after making some phone calls they settled on an organization that helps families in Canada and abroad overcome poverty. Edward and Felicity were excited this charity would be a key recipient of their donations. Next, they set about figuring out the logistics of giving.

Given that most of their anticipated donations would come from gifts of securities, Edward and Felicity wanted to work with an organization experienced in processing in-kind donations efficiently. They were also concerned that the volatile nature of some of their holdings might negatively impact the value and timing of their donations and were looking for expert advice. They contacted Abundance Canada.

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I met with Edward and Felicity and after reviewing their philanthropic goals, we developed a customized Generosity Plan™ that strategically maximized their ability to support the causes they were passionate about. By choosing to donate securities in-kind, the Jones’ would incur zero capital gain and receive a charitable donation receipt for the fair market value of the securities sold.

Edward and Felicity were excited when they heard that a local charity was looking to purchase a building in their community. The apartments were slated to provide struggling families with affordable housing. Seeing this as an opportunity to add local projects to their national and international charitable giving, Edward and Felicity added the building project to their Generosity Plan.

The Jones’ confidence grew as they made their first, and then their second donation of securities to Abundance Canada. Soon, they were certain they had made the right choice.

Edward and Felicity donate securities in-kind two to four times a year when the market values are strong and distribute gifts to each of their recommended charities on a semi-annual schedule to which they have committed. They also make cash donations to their Gifting Fund™ when they have extra, which allows them to recommend spontaneous disbursements to additional charities whose purposes touch their hearts.

Today, the Jones’ are living their retirement dream. The charities they support report back regularly on the projects they are helping to fund, and Felicity especially delights in hearing about the way generosity is transforming people’s lives. The Joneses love knowing that their gifts are having an impact on families in their community and abroad, and their joyful generosity encourages their friends and neighbours to live more generously.

Do you want to transform lives? Create a Generosity Plan today and maximize the impact of your charitable giving.

*Pseudonyms used.