Our Children Are A Worthwhile Investment If you have children or grandchildren, it will hearten you to know that the Canadian Institute of Child Health has already made a positive difference in their lives. We have made playgrounds safer. We have developed a community-based child sexual abuse prevention program. We have made pyjamas flame-proof, bicycle helmets commonplace and car seats for children mandatory. CICH is the only national, non-profit, non-governmental organization solely committed to developing health promotion and disease prevention programs for children in Canada. We depend on volunteers and donations from those who are concerned about the health and well-being of children. Many Canadians have decided to create a lasting legacy for children, as well as realizing tax benefits, by including CICH in the planning of their estates. These gifts will help all children in Canada and youth have the best possible chance for good health now and throughout their lives. Your Gift Goes A Long Way Your gift to CICH will reap benefits for children that last a lifetime, and will give tomorrow's citizens and leaders the chance for a bright and productive future. CICH has numerous programs, and if you wish, you can designate that your gift be used for a specific purpose. The following gives you examples of the five main areas where your gift may be used to help, and we will be pleased to discuss other programs with you. Improve the quality of prenatal, maternal, and newborn care, particularly to decrease the incidence of low birth weight babies, and to encourage hospitals to provide family-centered care at birth. Create a safer environment for children, such as CICH's past achievements of safer playground equipment, car seat legislation and addressing environmental contaminants with a specific focus on children. Promote good family mental health through programs to improve parenting skills, prevent child sexual abuse, and examine how children and seniors can enrich each other's lives. Monitor the health status of children in Canada. CICH is the only national organization which maintains a comprehensive statistical profile of children's health. This information is an invaluable national resource for analyzing progress and setting priorities so that funding can be employed in a cost-effective manner. Create a voice for Canada's children by raising awareness of the special challenges facing children today and preventative steps that must be taken to safeguard children's health and well-being. CICH ensures that these needs are heard by decision-makers and that children are considered a top priority. Tax Benefit: There Are Many Ways To Help Amendments made during the federal budget in February, 1997 created new tax breaks for donors making gifts of securities. There are several ways you can help. Your financial advisor can assist you in finding the one that works best for you: You may choose to make an outright gift now, for which there is a charitable tax credit available. You can establish a flexible Financial Trust Fund which will pay interest to you now, generate a tax credit, and eventually benefit CICH. You can purchase a Life Insurance Policy and name CICH as the beneficiary. The premium payments are tax-deductible. CICH can be included in a will which will qualify as a charitable tax credit in the final tax return. You can also talk to your financial advisor about other options, such as creating a charitable gift annuity, endowment fund, or private charitable foundation. back to top How Does A Financial Trust Fund Work? Basically, a trust plan is any of several special funds, such as an annuity, which is held in trust for your lifetime. You receive the income generated by it, as well as receive tax benefits, while CICH is the beneficiary of the capital that is held in the trust fund. The amount of the tax credits is determined by Revenue Canada, and depends on your age and the value of the contribution. Tax credits may be involved for up to five years. What About A Life Insurance Policy? There are two methods in which you can help CICH benefit through a new Life Insurance Policy. You can name CICH as the beneficiary of the policy and receive income tax receipts for the premiums, or you can assign a fully-paid policy and receive a tax benefit. What About Including CICH In My Will? CICH has long realized that children who do not enjoy good physical and emotional health are poorly equipped to become tomorrow's generation of parents, workers, and citizens. It is therefore a very thoughtful gesture to choose to include CICH as beneficiary in a will, as a lasting bequest to Canada's future. Including CICH in your will is a simple procedure. You can either amend your present will or have a new will drawn up. Gift Recognition Now Through generous donations and gifts, CICH can continue the steps already taken today to decrease demands placed on medical and social service systems, to create a healthier, more productive work force, and to give all Canadian children the satisfaction of reaching their full potential. Your gift or donation is sincerely appreciated. CICH honours those who advise us that they have made provisions for a future gift. If you prefer to remain anonymous, we will, of course, respect your wishes. Need Assistance? We will be happy to answer any questions you might have on CICH or our programs. CICH encourages you to seek professional legal, estate and financial advice before deciding on a course of action. Should you require assitance in this regard or in finding a professional in your community, please contact CICH cich@cich.ca back to top About the Institute / Partnership Opportunities / Planned Giving / Projects & Activities / Resources & Publications / News Releases / CICH Communiqués / Links / Special Events / Coming Soon / Environmental Health / What's New / Site Map / French / Home If you have any comments about our website, please contact our webmaster. Last Reviewed: January 20, 2003 Copyright 2003