Philanthropic Toolkit

Gifts by credit card:

• Use your credit card to make an online donation to a fund via it's web page. Search a list of our funds here. Please note our webpages are powered by our partner CanadaHelps and as such any gifts made are subject to a 3.75% processing fee. 
• Call in to provide your credit card details over the phone: 416. 921. 2035 Ext. 218
  

Gifts of cash:

Send a cheque or money order by mail to:

Toronto Foundation
Attention: Fundholder Engagement
33 Bloor Street East, Suite 1603
Toronto, Ontario  M4W 3H1 

Please include the name of the fund you wish to donate to in the memo section of your cheque.

Electronic transfer via wire or EFT:

Download this form onto your computer before completing.

In order to process your EFT or wire transfer correctly we require you to fill out this form and send it to info@torontofoundation.ca. If you require TF's banking information to set it up, please reach out to Nicole Nunes at nnunes@torontofoundation.ca.

Gifts of securities:

Download form (CAN & US)

Gifting securities is a cost-effective way to make a donation allowing you to maximize tax advantages to increase what you can give. They also enable you to plan outside of your current cash flow by donating non-cash assets. Other benefits of donating securities include:  

• No capital gains tax paid
• Satisfaction of seeing your gift put to good use today
• A charitable tax receipt
• This chart summarizes the benefits of donating securities directly, rather than selling them and donating the profits:

Completion of the above form is required to make an electronic gift of securities to a fund at Toronto Foundation. Please download this form before entering your information. Please print a copy for your records. For questions, please contact lgrislis@torontofoundation.ca.

Donations in lieu of gifts:

Many fundholders ask their friends and family to make donations to their fund in lieu of gifts for a birthday, anniversary, or other occasions.

For questions connect with Fundholder Engagement team.

There are a number of ways to contribute to your fund beyond cash or writing a cheque. In fact a diverse charitable strategy enables you to make timely grants to support the urgent issues of today, while ensuring the longevity of your philanthropic reach and impact. 

Life insurance: A gift of life insurance can be a significant future gift at a very affordable present cost. If your goal is to make a significant charitable contribution greater than what is possible right now, donating life insurance is a great way to leverage future tax benefits to make a larger gift than you thought possible. A few different situations are typical for donating life insurance:

• You have an existing policy that you no longer need. Consider making Toronto Foundation the beneficiary of the policy for tax savings in your estate  
• Or you could transfer the ownership to Toronto Foundation. You will get income tax receipts for the remaining premium payments  
• If you have a paid up policy, you can donate it and possibly get a larger income tax receipt to use right now 
• You could purchase a new policy and make Toronto Foundation the owner and beneficiary and receive a tax receipt for your premium payments. The income tax refund you get will make the premiums cost much less!  

Working with a life insurance broker can help you assess what policy is right for you taking into consideration your age, gender and general health. Each option has different tax consequences and may make sense at different stages of life. 

The most rewarding part of being a fundholder is making grants (donations) from your fund. The process is easy on Donor Central. Here are some key pieces of information to keep top of mind as a fundholder. 

Annual ATG: Your annual Available to Grant is the amount of money you can donate from your fund each year. Your ATG is determined by Toronto Foundation annually and is made available following completion of our audit each fiscal year at the beginning of April.

Fund details: Details about your fund’s ATG, investment type, growth rate, and fees are determined by your fund type. 

• Investment Policy Statement (effective July 1, 2022) 
• Investment Committee 
• Toronto Foundation’s Privacy Policy