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B2 THE OAKVILLE BEAVER Wednesday October 4, 2000 Planned giving requires personalized approach By Wilma Blokhuis OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF With 77,000 registered charities vying for dollars across Canada, 48,000 of them in Southern Ontario alone, it's getting tougher to collect donations. According to this year's National Survey o f Giving, Volunteering and Participation, 40% of Canadians fear their charitable dollars may not be well spent and 61% find they are so over whelmed with charities asking for money that they've stopped giving. This leaves charitable organizations with a greater challenge to entice donors, says Loma Somers, vice-president of <the M cM aster University Foundation and its director of development and cam paign director. "You have to be more strategic than ever," she told the recent second annual Agency Break-fast on Planned Giving hosted by the Community Foundation of Oakville. "There has to be an increased accountability and responsibility to donors," she told the breakfast held at the Oakville Club. "They want to know that there will be good stewardship, impact and use of their gift." Somers described it as "strategic philanthropy," meeting with potential donors to discuss what they want their money to accom plish. "There's a whole lot more to it than pledge cards asking for $100 a year for five years." Canadians receive between 350 to 450 pieces of direct mail per year, said Somers, adding a mail cam paign is more effective if the letters are personalized addressed to donors by their name. "In 1980, we at M cM aster send out a planned giving guide with pledge cards to potential donors, and believe it or not, we're still getting back about three gift cards a year, 20 years later. We're getting pledge cards back from peo ple who kept them in their desk drawer for years." She spoke mainly about planned giving and endow ments, the type of giving that interests donors aged 55 and up who are in a financial position of seeking "wealth relief' and wanting to `give back.' Income tax incentives "are at the bottom of the list when it comes to why people choose to give," said Somers. Meet the Team A C O N T I N U I N G " C A N A D A ' S SERIES P R O F IL IN G TH E STAFF OF BEST C O M M U N I T Y NEWSPAPER" S h irley D ye has been a valuable employee since 1979. Working within the Metroland Accounting Department for the past 21 years, Shirley was hired at the Acton Free Press and trans ferred to the Oakville Beaver from the Milton Champion in 1994. Since then, Shirley has enjoyed both the town and her work place. "I have met many wonderful people working at the Beaver. Having worked at a few Metroland papers, I have had the opportunity to explore different towns and businesses especially the stores. JM h# Oakville has a great mix o f restaurants, boutiques, events. I have decided 'It's worth the drive to Oakville!" Shirley handles all of the accounting for the Salvation Army Jingle Bell Fund and also volunteers with the local I.O.D.E, She has also canvassed for the Heart and Stroke Foundation. In her spare time, Shirley enjoys sewing, crafts, gardening and swimming. R id in g tesso C A N A D A 'S BEST C O M M U N I T Y N EW S PA PER 2000 CCNA Better Newspapers Competition English Riding School B E R T IN STA B LI 3445 Dundas W . (Hwy. #5), Oakville (1-1/2 Miles W est of Hwy. #25) website www.bertinstables.com e-mail: bertin@webtv.net Photo by Barrie Erskine Lorna Somers, vice-president of M cMaster University Foundation and its director o f development and cam paign director, speaking at the recent Community Foundation of O akville's Planned Giving Breakfast. "We ask them what you But she cautions, "you want to see accomplished may be talking to somebody with your money," said who has the capacity to give, Somers, who has been with but may not necessarily want M cM aster's developm ent to give to you." office for 12 years. "We disAccording to research, cuss their estate and philan- wealth relief amounted to thropic goals, family goals $10 trillion in the United and their kids' goals." States, and $3 trillion in Face to face dialogue Canada, in 1993, said with donors results in dona- Somers. Currently, in the tions within their "comfort United States, wealth relief zone," said Somers, "and we is estimated to between $41 end up with a gift that's most trillion and $136 trillion, she beneficial to donors, and noted, adding current accomplishes their wishes." Canadian figures are not yet Some donors wish to have available, their gifts used for specific Nevertheless, "seven out projects or program s at of every 10 Canadians don't M cM aster, while others have a real will" leaving the come in unrestricted. fate o f any accumulated "We're targeting donors wealth in limbo, who are 55 and up because Philanthropy, concluded these are people who are Somers, is big business in reaching the point in their the United States. "The very lives where they want to wealthy have philanthropic relinquish some o f their counsel. It's a growing assets." industry." TOBY TOYS EDUCATIONAL playmobil Large. 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