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C R E A T E A L E G A C Y S p e c i a l F e a t u r e reaches $10,000 then the income from the fund can be donated. There are about 1,700 endowment funds within the consolidated trust fund, including funds set up by about 850 charities. Another way to give is to designate money to a cause, such as families and youth, arts and culture or the environment. Organizations submit proposals for projects within those general areas, and the proposals are vetted by staff and then reviewed by a community advisory panel appointed by the Vancouver Foundation. This panel recommends which proposals are awarded grants. Some donors choose to leave undesignated funds, and in these cases the Foundation pools the money with similar sources and asks the charitable sector for their best ideas, through calls for proposals. "The decisions are made by experts in that area," says McCort. "It's a unique model that focuses on ensuring that community has a dominant role in what the Vancouver Foundation does. Individuals and organizations set up funds, they direct the use of those funds and the staff of Vancouver Foundation facilitate that process." McCort says that the bulk of donations come from major gifts, but people can make smaller gifts to any fund as well. "If you want to create a legacy, then the community foundation is the place to do that. We are a convenient option for people because we allow donors to support multiple charities from one place." Legacy planning, says Shelly Appleton- Benko, director and vice president at Odlum Brown Limited, is a long-term vision and requires careful thought. "We consider legacy planning as part of the process of intergenerational wealth planning," she says. "We assist people with their plans and we look at the entire family. We look at educational planning, estate planning, how you can help your children and your grandchildren, charitable giving and taxes. Including how you pass on that money in an effective way." Many portfolio managers at Odlum Brown work with their clients to develop a wealth management strate"y, and Appleton-Benko describes their role as similar to a coach who helps a team work together. "We work with a number of professionals that you would already have employed, like a lawyer and an accountant. We try to help everybody work together." When people decide to make charitable donations, Odlum Brown helps to facilitate those. "We will start building the relationship now, and this might mean an annual donation or determining planned giving parameters for future legacy giving," explains Appleton-Benko. "So we don't just manage stocks and bonds, we work on all aspects of a client's wealth plan including the philanthropy component." Expert Advice Legal expertise is another important aspect of the legacy planning process. Sandra Enticknap, Q.C., is the partner in charge of the Private Client Services and Charities and Not-for-Proit Group at Miller Thomson LLP's Vancouver ofice. "Our irm has an emphasis on client planning and charities," Enticknap says. "If we have a client who wants to make a donation to charity, a will gift or a gift in their lifetime, we can help. It could be a gift of shares or a gift of land or cash. We have a good understanding of the beneits of charitable giving, and where and when the receipts can be used to reduce tax." One of the irm's leading areas of expertise has always been private client services where lawyers address the day- to-day and long-term planning needs of individuals and family enterprises. These include a complete range of estate planning and personal tax services, as well as advising on charitable giving. "We're also interested in giving back to the community," says Enticknap. A number of Miller Thomson's lawyers sit on charitable boards and volunteer across the sector. Miller Thomson has its own private foundation, which has given annual scholarships to high-school students across the country for many years. "We have a technical expertise in this area but we are also interested in being charitable ourselves," she adds. The Canadian Cancer Society is one of the organizations that recognizes the complexity of legacy gifts, and provides services to help donors. "We dialogue every day with donors or potential donors, and we also work on a daily basis with inancial advisors, lawyers and accountants," explains Larry Amstutz, a charitable giving advisor at the British Columbia & Yukon ofice of the Canadian Cancer Society. "So we give our expertise on charitable giving, they give their expertise on the structure of a will perhaps or a picture of the tax situation, and we work very closely with those professionals on creating a charitable giving plan." When Amstutz discusses legacy planning with people, he encourages them to consider what they hope to accomplish. "Statistics will say that on average, Canadians will donate to three causes.