Simple, Joyful Giving

It brings people joy to take part in a holiday tradition of supporting others, and the variety of opportunities for charitable giving this time of year makes being generous both simple and convenient. It’s not surprising that Canadian charities receive most of their annual donations in the last six weeks of the calendar year. However, many Abundance Canada clients have discovered that spreading their charitable giving throughout the year is an even easier option that brings them just as much joy (and maybe more).

Giving When Life’s in Fast Forward

Jennifer and Hal* always planned to support a variety of charities close to their hearts, but that proved easier said than done. Life got so busy that they often found themselves trying to fit their generosity around long days at work, community events, caring for their elderly parents, and commitments with their kids and grandkids.

They struggled to keep track of their receipts and often worried about forgetting to make an important donation (and sometimes did forget). They also wanted to leave something for charity in their wills, but that seemed a long way off and the conversation always got lost amidst the busyness of day to day life. Before they knew it, another year was ending. They decided to call Abundance Canada.

Simple, Joyful Giving for Busy People

I worked with Jennifer and Hal to create and implement a customized Generosity Plan™ that brought joy and simplicity back to their charitable giving. They opened a Gifting Fund™ with Abundance Canada to better manage their annual charitable donations. Developing their Generosity Plan also gave them the margin they needed to plan out their legacy gifts to the charities they love, and they worked with their lawyer to include their charitable intentions in their respective wills.

Jennifer and Hal now contribute to their Gifting Fund each January and receive a charitable receipt for their donation. They also provide Abundance Canada with their recommendations for the charities they want to support and the amounts they wish to disburse to each throughout the year. Some of these gifts go anonymously, some are sent monthly, and others are sent quarterly. They take the time to enjoy planning out their giving before the New Year, but after making that annual donation to their gifting fund they can just sit back and watch it happen.

Jennifer and Hal never worry anymore about forgetting to send a donation or keeping a box of receipts, and their favourite charities appreciate receiving support throughout the year. Knowing they have arranged for their legacy gifts to charity has also given them both peace of mind about the future. Generosity has become so simple.

With only a week left in the year, the busyness of the season is still ramping up. Are you struggling to fit charitable giving into your busy schedule? Creating a Generosity Plan might be the solution you need to make simple, joyful giving a part of your Merry Christmas and set you up for a more generous New Year.

*These clients are fictionalized composite characters based on Brad’s experience working with his Abundance Canada clients.