logo

Huronia Communities Foundation Inspiring philanthropy to benefit our community today and forever

Welcome to our first e-Newsletter!

message from the Executive Director

As a country that ranks first in investment, tourism and people categories of the Anholt Nation Brands index, Canada is a great home for investors. For our local community, we have another first…the Huronia Communities Foundation e-newsletter.

We are really excited about this new project and hope that you will be too. With this e-newsletter and future issues, we hope to provide you with an overview of the impact investing can make for you and your family’s future. Each quarter we will share creative approaches to investing, and our contributors will highlight financial trends, investment ideas and you can always use our grants form to start the process on-line.

Take a moment to catch a financial snapshot with John MacIntyre’s Investment Impact section.

As a reminder, we have on-line services where you can apply for a grant. Also, find out who’s benefiting from HCF funds in our community and how the Foundation is making a difference. Check out the power of an Endowment to offer perpetual giving for your favourite cause.

This is your e-newsletter and we want to hear from you! Drop us a line by e-mailing us at info@huroniacommunities.com and let us know what you’d like to read about in future editions.

Wishing you and your family all the best,

Garry
Garry Morehouse

Executive Director

Helping caring people give forever

AN ELEGANT EVENT

The “Circle of Honour” Awards is an elegant annual event to honour community passion and giving.

The Huronia Communities Foundation, founded in 2000, continues to contribute to Huronia’s quality of life by building Endowments, providing strategic Grant-making opportunities and by offering community leadership.

The creation of the “Circle of Honour” Awards provides everyone with the opportunity to recognize individuals of all ages, businesses and organizations that have contributed to the quality of life we enjoy everyday. This program is different from existing volunteer recognition activities as it highlights the impact financial gifts have made locally.

The program’s goal is to inspire philanthropic leadership in the community. The program has the following four objectives:

Enhance the profile of giving and service to the community
Recognize and celebrate individual, business and organizational acts of service and giving
Enhance the profile of HCF
Put in place a program which will raise funds for HCF’s operating costs.

The ticket price of $75.00 includes a $30.00 donation to a local registered charity of your choice.
Your ticket includes table service with a prime rib dinner. Red and white wine is provided compliments of Colio Estate Wines.

Please join our Master of Ceremonies, Harry Campbell, Owner of Midland Canadian Tire as we honour our local community philanthropy leaders.

We are pleased to announce the 2008 “Circle of Honour” philanthropic awards recipients:

Individual: Ralph and Kathy Befort
Business: Boston Pizza
Philanthropic Group: Rotary Club of Midland
Youth: Midland Secondary School Girls Curling Team

It is everyone’s opportunity to say “thank you” to a person, business or group who, through their financial giving, has “made a difference” in our community. It’s an opportunity to recognize those that have helped make Huronia one of the best communities in which to live and prosper.

“The response from Sponsors has been overwhelming”, says Garry Morehouse, Executive Director of the Huronia Communities Foundation. “Twenty-seven sponsors are supporting the event. We are very grateful. It is a remarkable testimonial for the Awards Event and a way to recognize community-minded leaders who give back. It reinforces that the Huronia Communities Foundation is a trusted vehicle that can be counted on to address the important issues people care about.

return to top

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN THE MARKET

Though 2008 may not see as strong a market as 2007, HCF will weather the storm since “investment foundations typically put about one-third of their investments in shock-absorbing funds,” says John MacIntyre, Investment Chair for Toronto Community Foundation “These shock-absorbers would be government bonds or something similar which is safe and offers stable returns,” explained Mr. MacIntyre.

Since we’re always concerned about a down market, Mr. MacIntyre explained that there is really not much to worry about at this time. The market moves in a seven- to eight-year cycle and to properly evaluate how each stock will perform, we need to monitor it over a four-year period. Anything less then that would not provide an accurate assessment.

To maintain the balance and strength of the Foundation’s portfolio, investments in the stock market would be placed in about five different, very strong managers, which are defensive, and are known to perform well in tough markets. “The best approach is to develop a portfolio to cushion the tough times, and to watch the performance of each stock over a period of time, not just on a year-to-year basis.”

return to top

Share the Wealth!

If you were to receive $5k, $100K and $1M, how would you invest? Investing can be challenging and exciting. We invited Blair Stotesbury,CFP, CGA to share his ideas should he receive an impressive windfall.

How I would invest $5K, $100K, $1M

$5K	$100K	$1M
That's a healthy RSP contribution, and an almost immediate 30%+ return on investment (assuming a taxable income > $36K) because it's tax deductible. Donate the $1,500 refund to charity (and get another 40% tax credit on all donations over $200), use it to pay down your mortgage, or invest in more RSP's.	Now we have enough money to make a difference. RSP's are still my first choice, so top up your RSP's, using as much of your deduction limit as possible. Contribute to an RESP for your children or grandchildren, as the case may be. The government will add an additional 20% or more (based on family income) to a maximum of $2,500. Establish an charitable endowment fund (or contribute to an existing one) that will keep on giving back to support a cause you believe in. Again, you get the 40% tax savings, and even more importantly, you are making a difference in someone else's life.	WOW!!! If $100K was enough to make a difference, $1M is enough to change the world, or at least your own world. Invested wisely, you might never have to work again (or at least not at a job you don't enjoy). With this much money, RSP's suddenly aren't as important as they were before, because you should have a guaranteed income stream from the $1M for life. Even a relatively conservative investment approach should be able to yield 6%, or $60K a year, without ever touching the principal. Over time, an 8% average yield is probably not unreasonable. But perhaps even more important, $1M gives you a tremendous opportunity to really do some good. Donate 10% ($100K) to charity and get the 40% tax credit, reducing your after tax cost of the donation to only $60K. A donor advised endowment fund is a gift that keeps on giving. That $100K donation will generate at least $5K each year to be directed to charities that you select. And the principal will remain there in perpetuity, leaving a lasting legacy.

Guest contributor Blair Stotesbury, CFP CGA

If any of these options are of interest we recommend that you meet with your financial advisor or estate planner to discuss how you can create an innovative, comprehensive financial plan that takes care of your family and ;friends, avoids taxes,and reflects your values.

return to top

MAKING AN IMPACT

Small gifts making an impact. “If you think you are too small to have an impact, try going to sleep with a mosquito.” – Anita Roderick

The Huronia Communities Foundation pools the gifts of many to make an impact on the community. Since inception in 2000, the Board approved more than $350,000 in grants.

The Huronia Communities Foundation has made over 240 grants to over 70 local charities.
View a list of our funds that are making a difference and some of the 240 grants we have made to local charities.

Applying for a Grant. An online application is available www.Huroniacommunities.com/applications

“The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the grandest intention.” - Oscar Wilde

You can help others in our community for now and forever with a charitable donation... large or small... to the Huronia Communities Foundation. You may be interested in creating your own charitable fund. It’s a way to give money that keeps on giving, because your money is invested and continues to grow. The earnings go to support the charities of your choice in the community – whether it's education, health, the environment, children, the arts – you name it.

You can even create a charitable fund in your family's name, or to honour a loved one. You can establish an Agency Endowment fund for your favorite charity where the earnings provide a continuous stream of revenue for the Agency. There are dozens of ways you can make a lasting difference. To learn more, visit www.huroniacommunities.com

return to top

Meeting ever-changing community needs through an Unrestricted Fund

When you establish an Unrestricted Fund, your gift addresses a broad range of local needs - including future needs that often cannot be anticipated at the time your gift is made. We evaluate all aspects of community well-being: arts and culture, economic development, education, environment, health and social services, neighbourhood revitalization, and more. The flexibility of your unrestricted gift enables A Community Foundation to respond to the community's most pressing needs, today and tomorrow.

How it works: Download our PDF to find out how it works.

return to top

The Power of an Endowment

In less than two decades, an initial donation invested in a permanent endowment fund at Huronia Communities Foundation can result in disbursements that exceed the original gift --- and the balance in the fund is larger than when it was started. For example:

Year	Endowment Investment	Reinvested 2.00%	Disbursed to Charities 5.00%	Cumulative Disbursement
Year 1	50,000	1,000	2,500	2,500
Year 10	60,950	1,219	3,047	30,422
Year 20	74,297	1,486	3,715	64,458

Timeless Contributions …. Endless possibilities

Ask Yourself these Questions …

Are you making charitable gifts now that you would like to continue after you are gone?

Do you think that your children would mind if you decided to leave 90% of your estate to your family and give 10% of your estate to your favourite charities?

Would you like to talk to your financial advisor about how to make your money work better for you in your retirement while also providing financial assistance to charitable organizations that are important to you?

Have you considered what would happen to your assets if your spouse or children do not survive you?

Would you like any of your assets to be passed on to a charity, rather than to a distant relative or the government?

Are there any charitable or community needs you would like to consider supporting during your lifetime or through your estate?

If you have answered“yes” to any of these questions, we recommend that you meet with your financial advisor or estate planner to discuss how you can create aninnovative, comprehensive financial plan that takes care of your family and friends, avoids taxes, and reflects your values.

The Huronia Communities Foundation is available to work with your advisor in helping to put together a plan to support your favourite charities in perpetuity.

return to top

Get involved in your community

A Guide to Charitable Giving is available to be downloaded

This guide provides an overview of the income tax incentives available to Canadian residents who make charitable donations.
Download Guide

A list of charities in Huronia is available by downloading the following document.

Download List