SupportHow Can I Support the Work of the Westbrook Education Fund?
All activities organized or sponsored by the Westwood Education Fund are supported by generous donations from members of the public such as you.
The Westbrook Education Fund is a registered charity. Its registration number is 134631548RR0001. As such it is authorized to issue receipts for income tax purposes. Tax receipts will be issued for donations totalling $20.00 or more each calendar year.
Donations may be made online via PayPal. Click the button below:
You may also make regular donations via your credit card or chequing account. Click on the links below to obtain the sign-up forms and instructions. For more information about pre-authorized donations please email us at:
Visa & Mastercard Pre-Authorized Debit Form
Pre-Authorized Electronic Funds Transfer
And, you may also donate via cheque. Please send your donations to:
Westbrook Education Fund
4050 Osler Street
Vancouver, BC
V6H 2W9
Other Ways to Donate to Westbrook
Donating Stocks
Donating shares is a very tax-efficient way to donate. Generally, when you sell stocks that have appreciated in value since you first bought them, their increase in value results in a capital gain. And 50% of the net capital gain becomes a taxable income. This capital gain may be used to offset capital losses from the sale of other stocks. So, if you have no capital loss to offset a capital gain, it would be more advantageous for you to donate the stocks rather than sell them. As a donor, you receive a tax receipt for the full market value of the donated stocks and you would not be assessed any capital gain. In other words, not only do you not have to pay any capital gains tax on the difference between the current market value of stocks and their original cost, you would also receive a tax receipt for the full value of the stocks.
Another reason for donating stocks bought many years ago is that often investors lose track of how much the stocks originally cost. For tax purposes, investors need to know the original cost of these stocks to determine just how much capital gain has been earned. So, rather than spending hours looking through past records for the information, it might be far simpler for an investor just to donate certain stocks and receive tax receipts for their full current market value.
Donating via Life Insurance Policies
Using a life insurance policy to donate may be more advantageous than bequeathing a donation through your will. If you name the Westbrook Education Fund as the irrevocable beneficiary, you will receive a tax receipt each year the insurance premiums for the policy are paid. If the donation is made as part of the proceeds of the death benefit (with Westbrook simply a named beneficiary), the death benefit paid to Westbrook would be treated as a donation made by the estate of the insured person. Another advantage of using life insurance rather than a bequest is that a will can be contested by heirs; this is not the case with an insurance policy. Furthermore, probating a will takes time; a life insurance policy benefit, on the other hand, is quickly paid out once a claim has been approved.
A Donation as a Celebration of Some Event
Milestone events in your life are great opportunities to consider donating to Westbrook. These milestone events could include a significant birthday or a major wedding anniversary or perhaps a high-school or college graduation anniversary. The celebration of the event might take the form of a private Mass or a meal. You could suggest to your guests that, rather than giving you a gift, they might instead consider making a donation to Westbrook.
Recently, a golden wedding anniversary was celebrated with a private Mass. Those invited to attend this Mass were asked not to give any gift but rather consider donating to Copper Ridge Conference Centre. Just this one event helped raise over $9,000 in donations.