“I found it very easy dealing with you and the Foundation in making my idea of a gift a stock a reality. I knew that stock could be donated, but I didn’t know how to do it or how my congregation, the recipient, could deal with it. The Foundation made it a simple process, and you responded promptly to all my e-mails. I am very glad that we have the United Church of Canada Foundation.”
—Anonymous donor
A gift of publicly listed securities such as stocks and mutual funds can be a good way to make donations to organizations you care about and get an extra tax credit—as of 2008, there are no taxes on capital gains of donated publicly listed securities.
You can make a gift of stocks or mutual fund units to support your congregation, the Mission and Service Fund, an endowment fund lodged with the church or Foundation, or any Canadian registered charity whose mission and goals are not in conflict with those of the church.
The process is quite simple:
- You fill out the donation form and send a copy to the Foundation and a copy to your broker. This ensures we are able to provide you with a receipt and know what you want us to do with the proceeds of the sale.
- Your broker transfers the stock or mutual fund you directed to the Foundation.
- The Foundation provides you with a tax receipt for the value of the shares or mutual fund units at the close of the markets on the day the Foundation receives them.
- The Foundation sells the securities as soon as possible and then disposes of the proceeds of the sale of your securities as you instruct.
The whole process takes approximately three weeks. There are occasions when it takes longer. If your gift is time-sensitive, please speak with Foundation staff before initiating the transfer.
The only fee associated with a gift to a United Church–related institution is the $9.95 our discount broker charges per sale of shares.
Charities not affiliated with the United Church may be reviewed by the Foundation before approval of a grant. The Board of Directors retains the right to disallow gifts to ineligible charities.
Gifts to non–United Church affiliated charities will be subject to a $10 administrative fee.
Even though the Foundation sells the shares or mutual fund units it receives as soon as it has access to them, more often than not there is a variation between the value of the tax receipt you receive and the proceeds of sale. This is due to price fluctuations in the market and is beyond the Foundation’s control. If your gift must be a certain amount (e.g., you are fulfilling a pledge to a building campaign or annual operating fund), please speak with Foundation staff before initiating the transfer.
To view more ways to give, please click here.