How to Donate to the Saskatoon SPCA

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Direct Donations

We gratefully accept donations, in any denomination, at any time of year. We accept cash, cheques, money orders, Visa and Mastercard. Simply call us at 374-7387 to donate using Visa or Mastercard. You can mail a cheque to:
Saskatoon SPCA
5028 Clarence Avenue South
Grasswood SK
S7T 1A7

Tax creditable receipts are automatically issued for donations of $10 or more.

You can donate your HBC Rewards points by linking your card to ours. The SPCA's HBC Rewards Public ID is #593470928.

Our Charitable Registration Number is #0181008-54. BN #11914 1331 RR 0001.

We value and respect our donors and do not share our mailing list with any other organization.

Many corporations offer a Matching Gift program, whereby they match donations made to nonprofit organizations by their employees.

The practice began more than 50 years ago, when the program’s main purpose was to match employee contributions to institutions of higher education. However, as a result of employee requests, the Matching Gifts program expanded over the years to include donations made to nonprofit organizations. In addition to being an opportunity for both the company and employee to contribute to charity, the program is a way for workers to direct a portion of the monies earmarked by their employer for charitable contributions.

Currently, close to 10,000 corporations in Canada and the United States offer this giving incentive. Although the majority of the beneficiaries remain educational institutions, 20 per cent of companies will match funds donated by their employees to any nonprofit organization, including the Saskatoon SPCA.

In past years, the Saskatoon SPCA has become the benefactor of the employees of the University of Saskatchewan, Shaw Cable Systems, and the City of Saskatoon, to name a few. These donations have represented nearly $10,000 annually for the organization.

To find out if your employer offers a Matching Gift program, contact your Human Resources department. Many companies also match gifts made by their retirees. If the company doesn’t presently offer this program, it might be an opportunity for you to be an advocate for the SPCA by suggesting they start a Matching Gift program.

IN EFFECT, YOU DOUBLE YOUR DONATIONS!!

Wedding Favours

Planning a wedding? Want to stand out? Donate your budget for wedding favours to the Saskatoon SPCA and we will provide you with place markers to let your guests know of your generosity. For more information, please contact the Fundraising Coordinator at 374-7387.

Kennel Sponsorship

The Saskatoon SPCA Kennel Sponsorship program provides an opportunity for you, your business, your family, or your school to make a difference!

Kennel Sponsorship Application Form

For as little as $25.00 (cat & exotics) or $50.00 (dog) per month, or $250.00/$500.00 per year you can help care for an animal at the shelter. In return, the Saskatoon SPCA will:

place your company’s name, logo, your name, or in the memory of another person or pet on a special sign at the front of the kennel
put your name on our website as a valued kennel sponsor, along with a picture of your choosing and, if you wish, a brief write-up.
issue a tax receipt directly to you

Think how good you will feel knowing that your money is going directly to care for the thousands of homeless, injured, and abused animals that are brought to our shelter each year. These animals come to the Saskatoon SPCA in different ways, such as:

unredeemed from the City Pound;
strays brought to the Shelter by members of the public;
those relinquished by owners who can no longer care for them; and
those abandoned, neglected and abused brought in by Animal Protection Services

Each year approximately 5,000 animals require the assistance of the Saskatoon SPCA. No companion animal is ever turned away. Needless to say, many animals will be housed in your kennel over the duration of your sponsorship.

This is a great opportunity to make a difference in our community by supporting the furry friends in the shelter. There is no limit to the number of cages or the number of months you can sponsor.

Please call 374-PETS (7387) and ask for the Fundraising Coordinator, or e-mail sktnspca-fundraising@shaw.ca for more details, or complete the application form and mail (with payment by cheque, money order, or Visa/MasterCard) to: Saskatoon SPCA, 5028 Clarence Avenue South, Saskatoon SK. S7T 1A7

Estate and Gift Planning

When talking about finances during their retirement years, most people want to have sufficient retirement income, leave ample money for their family, reduce their income taxes during their lifetime and at death, and perhaps leave a lasting legacy for worthy causes like the SPCA without shortchanging their family.

The biggest trap people fall into when planning their estates if failing to carefully think through how best to distribute their assets. In many instances, people spend more time on their vacation plans than on deciding how to bestow their estate. As a result, they waste tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars, which could have been passed on to heirs and charities.

If you don’t do any planning, taxes will typically take approximately 20 30% of your total estate. How high the tax portion is depends mostly on the size of your unrealized capital gains and how much is in your RRSP or RRIF at the time you die. Through some careful planning, you can significantly reduce or eliminate your tax bill at death, AND increase your after-tax income during your life.

Let’s look at two traps for the unwary in estate and retirement income planning, and ways to avoid them.

(1) Paying unnecessary probate, attorney, executor, and trustee fees: If you transfer all your possessions through your Will to your heirs, you may be paying unnecessary probate or attorney fees that could reduce your estate’s value by as much as 5%. On a $500,000 estate, this can cost your heirs $25,000. How can you avoid this? Set up a trust that owns most of your possessions. You can continue to receive all the income from the trust assets during your life and have the option of accessing the capital if required. On your death, the trust assets pass directly to the beneficiaries and do not form part of your estate. Because the tax and legal issues can be complex; competent legal advice should always be obtained.
(2) Failure to integrate retirement income planning with estate planning: Having decided how your estate will be distributed and how much you would like to pass on to your heirs and to causes you support, you can look into options available to achieve that distribution while at the same time, increasing your after-tax income during your life.

The following options and scenarios illustrate how you can boost your retirement income, reduce estate costs, and leave a significant legacy for your family and worthy causes.

Bequests

You can leave the Saskatoon SPCA a gift (bequest) in your Will, either as a specific amount, or as a portion of your assets. You may wish to designate your funds to a program of personal interest, or as a non-designated donation to the area of greatest need. Your estate will benefit from tax advantages on the portion left to charity.

Life Insurance

Life insurance allows you to make a major donation at a modest cost. A policy may be purchased or amended which names the Saskatoon SPCA as both beneficiary and owner. You then receive a tax receipt for the cash surrender value of the policy and accumulated dividends and interest. Further payments will also entitle you to a tax receipt.

Gifts of Stock or Securities

Donating publicly-traded securities directly to a charity now results in a 50% savings on your capital gains tax. You will also receive a tax receipt for the full value of the gift.

Scenario A
Mr. and Mrs. Jones are both in good health and 75 years old. In addition to an RRIF, they have Canada Savings Bonds and GICs totaling $100,000, which earns about 4% interest. Mr. and Mrs. Jones also receive a pension. Their annual taxable income is $70,000. They have two children. Mr. & Mrs. Jones want to (1) boost their retirement income, (2) safeguard the inheritance their children will receive, and (3) increase the support they give the Saskatoon SPCA during their lifetime. How do they accomplish this?

Cash in the Canada Savings Bonds and GICs and purchase a $100,000 Charitable Gift Annuity with the Saskatoon SPCA, and

Purchase a $100,000 life insurance policy with their children as beneficiaries.

Benefits

The annuity boosts the couple’s net annual income from the $100,000 investment, after payment of taxes AND the life insurance premiums, from $2,252 to $4,225. This represents an increase of $33,600 in retirement income over the couple’s lifespan.

Estate costs are reduced by over $4,000,

Their children benefit from the $100,000 life insurance policy, and

The Saskatoon SPCA benefits from an immediate gift of $25,000 when the annuity is established.

Scenario B

Now let’s look at how Mr. & Mrs. Jones can boost their retirement income and make a large bequest to the Saskatoon SPCA without reducing their children’s inheritance. Mr. & Mrs. Jones want to (1) boost their retirement income, (2) safeguard the inheritance their children will receive, and (3) make a large bequest to the Saskatoon SPCA. How do they accomplish this?

Cash in the Canada Savings Bonds and GICs and purchase a $100,000 personal annuity,

Purchase a $100,000 life insurance policy with their children as beneficiaries, and

Purchase a $100,000 life insurance policy with the Saskatoon SPCA as owner and beneficiary.

Benefits

The annuity boosts the couple’s net annual income from the $100,000 investment, after payment of taxes AND the life insurance premiums, from $2,252 to $4,070. This represents:

An increase of $27,000 in retirement income over the couple’s lifespan,

Estate costs are reduced by over $8,000,

The children benefit from the $100,000 life insurance policy, and

The Saskatoon SPCA benefits from the $100,000 life insurance policy.

Scenario C

In this example, let’s assume that the Jones have no children and their aim is to boost their retirement income and leave a large legacy to the Saskatoon SPCA. How do they accomplish this?

Cash in the Canada Savings Bonds and GICs and purchase a $100,000 personal annuity, and

Purchase a $200,000 life insurance policy with the Saskatoon SPCA as owner and beneficiary.

Benefits

The annuity boosts the couple’s net annual income from the $100,000 investment, after payment of taxes AND the life insurance premiums, from $2,252 to $5,224. This represents an increase of $44,500 in retirement income over the couple’s lifespan.

Estate costs are reduced by over $8,000, and

The Saskatoon SPCA benefits from the $200,000 life insurance policy.

The previous examples show how a well thought-out estate and retirement plan that includes Charitable Gift Annuities and Life Insurance can significantly increase your retirement income, safeguard the inheritance for your family, reduce taxes and estate costs at death, and create a significant lasting legacy for the Saskatoon SPCA. The actual results that can be obtained through these approaches are not identical for everyone and depend on your age, your tax rates, your health, interest rates, your family situation and your goals. Annuity and life insurance rates are different for male and female individuals, change frequently, and depend on the person’s age. Additionally, we assumed a combined federal and provincial income tax bracket of 43.7%, which is applicable for most retired Saskatchewan residents with annual incomes over $65,000.

If you are interested in receiving a complimentary personalized illustration showing how you could benefit from these and other estate planning strategies, please contact the SPCA at 306-374-7387, or saskatoonspca@shaw.ca

Become a Member

As a member, you receive voting privileges within the organization and will receive our newsletter, the PawPrint.

Membership Dues:
$10 - Senior (65+)
$10 - Child (under 18)
$25 - Individual
$40 - Family
$100 - Corporate
$200 - Individual Lifetime

Click here to download an application form.