Voluntary Philanthropy Versus Involuntary Philanthropy...8 YOUR GUIDE TO CHARITABLE GIVING & E...

8 YOUR GUIDE TO CHARITABLE GIVING & ESTATE PLANNING

This approach is significantlydifferent between traditionalestate planning, with its focus primarily on the money, andwhat I feel is a more effectiveapproach, which is driven by life's most important treasures: relationships and values.

Fortunately, our governmentencourages this type of approach.How do we know this to be true? Because Ottawa providesincentives to encourage activity in certain sectors of the economy.As an example, if our governmentwishes to increase real estate ownership it allows a number oftax breaks for the purchase, ownership and sale of this assetclass. In much the same way, since1996, in order to encourage philanthropy it has introducedinto our Income Tax Act over 20 incentives to facilitate giving.

This has now created what manywould argue is the most generoustax environment to promotecharitable activity in the worldtoday. If this type of voluntaryphilanthropic planning, with its focus on relationships and values resonates with you, I would encourage your family toseek out a financial advisor with a specialization in charitable planning and investigate thenumerous strategies that couldalso help you to focus on what is important and significant toyou.

Voluntary Philanthropy VersusInvoluntary Philanthropy

The Webster's Dictionary definition of a philanthropist is, "a benevolent supporter of humanbeings and human welfare."

But who is this person?Someone who potentially givesup approximately one quarter ofhis or her capital gains and/or up to roughly one-half of his orher income to support the generalwelfare of our country? Of coursethe answer is ... most of us! In other words, as taxpayers we could all be considered "involuntary philanthropists."

The chart on the right detailshow a dollar raised by govern-ment through taxation (i.e., $631billion in 2010) is spent.

So here's the question, "Givena choice, is this how you wouldchoose to donate your money?" If the answer is "no," then perhaps you may wish to investi-gate how you could redirect yourinvoluntary philanthropy, alsoknown as tax dollars, to volun-tary philanthropy. Please do not misunderstand me, I realizethat taxes are absolutely neces-sary and I fully appreciate the factthat if it were not for the taxes we pay, Canada would most certainly not be the wonderfulcountry it is today. However, itgoes without saying that many ofus would like the option of redirecting a percentage of ourinvoluntary social capital to thosecauses that are important to us.

Keith Thomson

You can choose how to redirect your involuntary philanthropy, also known as tax dollars, to support the causes and values that are important and significant to you.

Jim Rohn

“Taxes are our wayof feeding the goosethat lays the golden

eggs of freedom,democracy and

enterprise.Someone says,

'Well, the gooseeats too much.'

Thatʼs probablytrue. But better afat goose than no

goose at all!”

Source: Statistics Canada (Fiscal Year Ending) March 31, 2009 to March 31, 2010

Keith ThomsonKeith Thomson is a Certified Financial Planner and Managing Director with Stonegate PrivateCounsel, a division of CI Private Counsel LP.www.stonegatepc.com

The Opinions expressed here are those of the writer and may not necessarily reflect those of Stonegate Private Counsel or its sub-sidiaries and affiliated companies. Stonegate Private Counsel is a division of CI Private Counsel LP, a wholly owned subsidiary of CIInvestments Inc..