Give Smart (How to Make a Dramatic Difference with Your Donation Dollar)

Elaine writes for anyone tired of fundraising appeals or looking to have more impact with their charitable giving dollar, using engaging dialogue to demonstrate charitable giving strategies available to Canadians today. As a financial planner, she is able to guide the reader through the maze of strategies and the tax and estate implications of each, to show how Canadians can achieve dramatic value for their charitable dollar.

The story centres on Allison, 54, who has just nursed her mom through the final stages of cancer and is now considering the meaning of life and what legacy she might leave. Attending a class reunion, she joins long-time friends — all of whom share a desire to make an impact. They address Allison’s concerns about life’s struggles and successes, and give her ideas and alternatives to make a difference through charitable giving and volunteering.

If you work hard, at home, at the office, or both, it’s hard to step out of the rush and think about what’s meaningful to you. It’s even harder to go the next step and research the financial strategies that may suit the goals that are meaningful to you. Written especially for readers who are not in the business of financial planning or fundraising, industry professionals such as insurance agents, brokers, lawyers, accountants, financial planners and professional fundraising executives will also appreciate the book as a resource for the strategies outside of their normal area of expertise or for their clients or potential donors.