Ways of Giving

The Rideau Waterway Land Trust works to preserve the lands that matter the most to the natural environment and habitat of the Rideau Corridor. Our successful efforts create long term benefits for residents and visitors of the Rideau Waterway. Your choice to support the Rideau Waterway Land Trust provides you with the chance to make a lasting, positive difference for this community we love.

Our work is made possible through the generosity of our members and supporters. You may choose to support the Rideau Waterway Land Trust in many different ways. Along with greatly assisting the work of the RWLT, the method of giving you choose may offer significant financial benefits to you and your family.

We can help you explore the options for making your gift simple and advantageous, both for your family and the RWLT. Working together, knowing the benefits of good planning and the tax advantages of the available choices, we can help you maximize the positive impacts of your gift.

Here is a brief introduction to the most common options for giving and the advantages they offer.

Cash is the simplest and most common way to support the RWLT's annual work or its capital needs. You may:

• Become a member
• Make a donation (this may be in memoriam or in honour of someone)
• Make automatic monthly donations from you credit card or bank account, or choose to join our new category of membership – The Leadership Circle by committing to donate $100 per month
• Give a friend the gift of membership by contacting the RWLT office
• All gifts are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.

Stocks, bonds, mutual funds or other publicly traded securities are easily donated, and can often provide you with exceptional tax savings. When you donate appreciated securities to the RWLT, you will usually receive the benefit of a fair-market value income tax deduction, and your gift will receive a reduction on capital gains tax . Please check with your financial advisor before deciding on the best way to make a gift of this type. Find information on donating appreciated securities in our Spring 2007 Newsletter .

Gifts of Land The RWLT accepts gifts of ecologically sensitive or natural land, provided they meet the RWLT's criteria. Candidate properties for land preservation will be evaluated by the RWLT Board of Directors using the criteria as set out in our mandate. If the property you give has conservation value, you will receive a tax deduction for its unrestricted value. This will maximize your charitable income tax deduction.

Bequests We ask that you consider the opportunity to make a lasting gift to conservation through a bequest in your will or living trust. Such gifts are fully deductible for estate tax purposes. You have the option to designate the use of funds from your bequest.