Matching Gifts
Many companies have a corporate matching gift program in which the company will match the charitable donations of its employees.  Find out if your company has one.  Your Human Resources Department may be able to provide you with a corporate employee matching application form.  With a matching gift, you could double the impact of your donation.

United Way
You can donate to MicroSkills by designating your United Way gift.  Simply indicate that your gift be directed to Community MicroSkills Development Centre and include our name and Charitable Business Number 11911 8222 RR0001 on your cheque or United Way Form.

Gifts of Securities
The benefits of making a gift of securities were significantly enhanced through the May 2006 Federal Budget.  Under the new taxation rules, gifts of appreciated securities are now exempt from the taxation of capital gains.  Donors will no longer be taxed on the capital gains accrued on securities such as public company shares, mutual fund units, bonds and employee stock options, when donated to a registered charity.  We would be happy to provide personalized illustrations for your situation. Please contact Portia Branford at 416.247.7181, ext. 2254.

Gifts of Product and Gifts of Service
Although monetary gifts are essential to our work, there are some gifts of product or service that can be a great support to the work we do at MicroSkills. These gifts range from cell phones, pre-paid calling cards, and business supplies, to gifts of services such as the printing of our communication materials.

Life Insurance Policies
The gift may be in the form of a new or existing policy.  A donor may retain the ownership of a life insurance policy and designate MicroSkills as the beneficiary.  Alternatively a donor may assign the ownership of the policy to MicroSkills, while continuing to be responsible for premium payments (unless the policy is fully paid).

The policy may insure the donor, or the donor and another person, such as the spouse (i.e., a survivorship life policy).  Premium payments may be made directly by the donor, or the donor may wish to give cash payments to MicroSkills and allow the agency to pay the premiums.  Upon the death of the insured individual(s), the life insurance policy’s proceeds are paid to MicroSkills.

MicroSkills will accept gifts of life insurance policies, but ordinarily will not make payments for premiums on such policies unless the donor agrees to make a separate gift to cover the premium’s cost.