At the back of most Catholic churches there is a Saint Vincent de Paul Poor Box. It is generally held at the door after each mass by a member of the Society. When parishioners drop a loonie or toonie into the box each week, they support the efforts of the members to serve the poor in their area. A small portion of this money may also support our Special Works, serving some of the neediest across the Toronto area.

Those clothes that are still in good shape but are no longer worn will be greatly appreciated by a mother, father or child in need. Books and other articles are also very welcome. Gently used goods are often collected at the church in Bundle Weekend events. They may also be dropped off at any of our Stores or at Central Office.Special Donations: There are many occasions on which a donation to help the poor would be very appropriate. Some examples are:

• Christmas – Giving a donation to the Society in place of one of the family presents.
• In Memoriam – honoring the memory of a family member or special friend on the anniversary of their death.
• In lieu of flowers – many who have lost someone are grateful that some choose to donate to a worthy charity rather than sending an $80 flower arrangement to the funeral home.

Most donations made to the Society will be in the form of regular or occasional gifts. However some donors may wish their gift to the Society to be in the form of a Planned Gift. These may be made in the form of an annuity, a bequest by will, an insurance policy, a trust or gift of capital property. These have the benefit of providing an income tax receipt to the donor while maximizing the amount of benefit to the charity.

Some members and others who wish to support our efforts in a significant way choose to remember the Society in their will. Funds received through bequests are very important to the success of Marygrove Camp and our other Special Works. Your estate will receive a tax receipt for the full amount of your gift. For information about this, contact the Executive Director at info@ssvptoronto.ca.

Publicly-traded stocks and securities donated directly to the Society are popular gifts due to increased tax benefits introduced by federal government in 1997.If you own publicly-traded stock or mutual funds that have appreciated in value, you must eventually pay tax on the capital gain when the security is sold.You can substantially reduce the amount of tax owed on your capital gains by donating the securities directly to the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul, Toronto Central Council. Canadians are taxed on only 25% of the capital gain on gifts such as equities, bonds, futures, and mutual fund units listed on a prescribed stock exchange as opposed to 50% should the securities be sold outright. You will receive immediate tax benefits because your donation receipt is issued for the fair market value of the securities being donated.When making this type of gift, you must transfer securities to the Society. The donation will not qualify for the reduced taxable capital gain if the shares are sold first and the proceeds (cash) then given to the Society.

Employers will, upon request, make regular deductions from your pay cheque for the United Way. You can ask that these donations be redirected from United Way to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, under an agreement we have with United Way.

It is possible to maximize the size of your gift by designating the Society as a beneficiary of life insurance policy. Payments of life insurance premiums are considered to be a charitable donation and are eligible for a tax receipt.

Lifetime Income (Charitable Annuity)

This provides the donor with a lifetime, guaranteed income in exchange for a sizable gift. There are several ways to structure this donation. Under this method it is possible to receive the same after tax amount for the rest of your life.

A contribution to the Society to celebrate or honour a special event.We will be very grateful for donations of any amount. Please make cheques payable to: Society of Saint Vincent de Paul, Toronto Central Council and mail it to Central Office.Contact Central Office for donations using Visa or Master Card.