Elaine's Blog
Sept 28, 2010 Meridian Credit Union and Elaine Kelly will be hosting the Canadian Association of Gift Planners (CAGP) Niagara area Networking event. Meet others who share your passions! Come for fun, new ideas, and light refreshments. Tues. Sept 28, 2010 from 5:30 - 7:00 pm at 3370 King St., Vineland ON.
May 27/2010 Elaine will be attending Journey's in Charitable Giving, forum provided by Niagara Community Foundation
March 25, 2010 Elaine will be speaking at the Waterloo-Wellington CAGP Round Table
Dec 6, 2009
The Give Smart book was discussed and made available at the AFP-Toronto Congress last week.
June 6, 2009
Merrier times ahead! Give Smart books will be available at the CIFPs conference in the Maritimes.... hope to see you there!
https://www.cifps.ca/Public/default.aspx
April 2, 2009
I am thrilled to be speaking at the National Conference of the Canadian Association of Financial Planners in Niagara Falls ON April 22 - 24, 2009. Details are at www.cagp-acpdp.org
I hope to meet many of you there! While it is a difficult year for both fundraisers and financial advisors, it is a wonderful year to be growing closer to our clients, understanding their values and how we can best meet their needs. This will be my topic when I speak on "The Seven Giving Personalities". I will also take part in the Advisor-Panel.
Copies of my book can be ordered online at http://www.canadianfundraiser.com/bookroom/productDescription.asp
Bulk order pricing enquiries can be made directly to the author elaine@elainekelly.ca
Jan 5/09
Canadian Fundraiser has provided book review in its e-newsletter and have agreed to make my book available in their on-line Resource Centre. You may pay securely on-line by going to http://www.canadianfundraiser.com/bookroom/
Dec 19/08
This was the biggest snow day of the year!! School busses cancelled! Christmas assemblies missed! And people struggling to get home from hospital and sit by the fire dreaming of Christmas sugarplums! Since the announcement that we are "in a recession", our communities have really pulled together, and I have seen many donations to our local benevolent fund and food bank. Many people empathize with this need, knowing any one of us could be a paycheque away from needing help, and have dug deep to be generous.
Nov. 30/08
We have wound up our United Way Employee campaign at Meridian Credit Union, and we exceeded our goals!! As well as $50,000 donated from Meridian-Corporately, over $127,000 was pledged from our employees for 2009, an increase of over $20,000 over 2008. This is absolutely incredible, given that most of the United Way chapter came in short of their goals. One outstanding story came from our Welland branch, a community hard-hit by loss of manufacturing jobs, yet they raised more than any other branch, $4,000.
Nov 17/08
The Oakville conference was very successful, with many investment advisors attending who are incorporating philanthropy into their daily business. My books will also be available at the AFP-Toronto Congress 2008, November 24-26th. Check out: http://www.afptoronto.org/
We have had another postive book review: this one is in the Catholic Register's annual Estate Planning feature publisthed November 4th. If you would like to speak to an associated Gift Planner, please see http://www.catholicregister.org/
October 7, 2008
I will be speaking November 13, 2008 in Oakville, ON at a conference called Doing Well by Doing Good: Growing your Praactice Through Philanthropy. For details of the conference, check out http://www.mindpath.ca/Mindpath-November132008.pdf The online registration form http://www.mindpath.ca/registerNov1308.html
My book will also be available at the Congress of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, November 24-26, 2008 at the
Metro Toronto Convention Centre http://afptoronto.org/index.php/congress
October 6, 2008
I attended Western's homecoming this past weekend, which is the setting for my financial fable. It was fun to re-connect with my Ivey business school classmates. Now that tuition for the HBA program has skyrocketed to around $19,000 per year, many Ivey donations go to scholarships for youth to attend the school. As promised, I am sending $1 per book sold through this website to charity. This week, I sent $100 to Ivey at Western, and $100 to Habitat for Humanity. This summer I also sent $50 to the Run for the Cure and $50 to the Heart and Stroke Foundation.
September 2008 issue (Volune 13 Number 9) of Gift Planning in Canada contains a book review by Malcolm Burrows. Here is an excerpt from the book review:
"The weekend reunion is the perfect setting for introducing a melange of characters who cover a range of charitable planning issures...... Amazingly, Kelly weaves in flow-through share donations and the legal definition of a gift, as well as more mundane topics such as tax credits..... I ultimately enjoyed the way the content is put in context without getting bogged down in details. Give Smart is best thought of as an orientation to gift planning in Canada..... What it does do well is launch the reader into the world of giving, philanthropic people, and the charitable marketplace. .... The core audience is the aspiring donor, not the professional gift planner. It is edu-tainment that can be read in a single sitting, providing both a non-threatening immersion in the issues in Canada, and a useful resource. If you charity or business has a newsletter or is presenting a seminar, Give Smart would be a great offer or give-away. It may also be a good book to share with your board or non-gift-planning charity colleagues, just to provide awareness. And who knows, it could turn out to be a useful study guide for the tax-phobic fundraisser cramming for the CFRE exam."
September 17, 2008
Today was our conference call with a representatives from all Meridian branches and depts to unveil our Employee Campaign for United Way, our online resources, strategies and goals.
August 19, 2008
Charity Village has posted a review of Give Smart at:
http://www.charityvillage.com/cv/books/bkrev163.html
August 15, 2008
I have volunteered to Co-Chair Meridian Credit Union's Employee United Way Campaign. I believe it's a great way for us to demonstrate how much we care about each other and the neighbourhoods where we live and work. I will enjoy liaising with other Meridian employees.
August 11, 2008
CRA has The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has revoked the registered charity status of International Charity Association Network (ICAN). It is alleged to have participated in tax shelter schemes, receiving property and issuing tax receipts far in excess of the value of the property. The CRA has declared war on tax shelters masquerading as charities, planning to review all tax shelter-related donation arrangements and participating charities and investors. This should be good for genuine charities doing good works.
August 8, 2008
All eyes are on the Olympics in Beijing. It was an amazing Opening Ceremonies - China wants to showcase its history and accomplishments and of course show that there are no political protests. Hearing the stories of the Olympic athletes is what moves me - their focus and sacrifices to get where they are. The medal-count bothers me somewhat, when 100th of a second puts you in fourth place. Its tricky for our government to set priorites - to put more dollars to elite athletes so we look good on the world stage, or to put tax dollars to benefit more of our population through healthy living, fitness and healthcare.
July 27, 2008
We went to a camp run by the YMCA for our holiday this year -- so many activities for all ages. Their commitment to inclusiveness is clear. I like their focus on wellness, in body, mind and spirit for yourself, your family and your community. We also tries some new things, like windsurfing.
July 2, 2008
The deal to privatize BCE Inc. received the go-ahead from the Supreme Court on June 20th along with regulatory approval from both the CRTC and Industry Canada. It appears the deal will conclude by fall, 2008. This delay in the original closing date provides you with additional time to consider donating all or part of your BCE shares into a charitable giving vehicle, to minimize capital gains tax exposure.
June 18, 2008
Today I attended a Business Leaders breakfast hosted by the Niagara Community Foundation. The guest speaker was Donald Johnson, who lead a team of volunteers to convince the federal government to eliminate capital gains tax on gifts of listed securities to registered charities. His is an interesting story of the hard work, persistence and various strategies needed to successfully effect change!
June 17, 2008
This week the kids each have a year-end trip with their school. Some go to the ROM (museum) and some to a waterpark, some to Marineland, or African Lion Safari or the Zoo. I'm thankful for the teachers who take an interest in our childrens' development, academically and socially. It's a huge undertaking. For those students who are graduating, we wish them well as they accept the challanges of the next level of schooling or work.
June 10, 2008
Today was a staff meeting where we all met to get to know each other better so we can work more effectively as a team. We used the True Colours discussion to understand four basic personalities: the orange who want everything to be fun, the blue who show they care about happy relationships, the green who analyze ideas with all the information, and the gold, who are the majority of most corporations, doing their duty responsibly and seeking security.
June 4, 2008
Today a few of us met in St Catharines to work on establishing a local chapter of CIFPs (Canadian Institute of Financial Planners).
May 30, 2008
I just returned from a conference called Advisors with Purpose, about incorporating your beliefs into your business, and caring about the investor's whole life, not just their money. We're trying to keep money in perspective, being used for good. Also this week the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), Toronto, had their Fundraising Day and Summit.
May 27, 2008
Today I spoke at the Rotary at Noon club in Grimsby. As discussed there, many service organizations and sports associations help their communities but are not classified as charities for Canada Revenue Agency. The tax break is a consideration that has more importance with larger donations. The tax break is irrelevant if the money is raised through a yard sale, raffle tickets, dinner or other social event where individuals are receiving something for their money (it's not a donation).
May 15, 2008
Today I attended a unique event called United Way's "Women Leading the Way". It was a first for St. Catharines-Niagara, and a unique opportunity to see women donors and hear from recipients such as the YWCA and the Hospital Foundation. I have followed up the conference by asking to be on our local United Way Speakers Bureau.
May 8, 2008
I have just returned from the CIFPs national conference for Financial Planners. We heard excellent updates on the markets, investor behaviour, an update from David Foot on the Baby Boomers, tax tips for Canadian Snowbirds and cross-border tax planning, and more tax updates on the new Tax Free Savings Account, RESP and RDSP (for Disabled) changes, new pension splitting and of course - tax treatment of charitable donations. CRA has become increasingly serious about re-assessing any scams where the donation tax break is falsly higher than what is reasonable given the value of the donation. While there, on May 5, the federal Charities Directorate proposed new guidelines that charities should keep fundraising costs to 35 cents on the donor dollar and avoid paying commissions to telemarketers or doorknockers, or risk fines or, potentially, revokation of the charity's status. The elimination of the tax on capital gains of securities given in-kind continues to be the largest opportunity for saving tax while meeting your charitable goals. Many financial planners are involved with charitable organizations, often providing financial planning to them. If you are looking to join a board, you can go to www.boardmatch.org to see the duties and potential roles. We took time after the conference for a family vacation.
April 17, 2008
This week I spoke to around 200 financial advisors at Credential Financial's PD day for mutual funds and investment specialists. Credential reps work at a variety of credit unions across Canada, and most are very active in their local communities. We had great feedback, and the book may be used with their clients or with the organizations they volunteer with.
We also had a great article in the West Niagara News on April 11, showing how the book is easy-to-read, making information accessible to ordinary people who have a good heart but don't know the financial side - it's really about how to give with your head, not just your heart.
A lot of the questions from audiences and media are around the tax break, since April is tax time. Don't forget to combine your charitable donations on to one tax return, the spouse with the higher income, for maximum benefits. Any donations above the \\\\\\\\\$200 mark will get a combined Federal/Ontario credit of around 46%, and you can accumulate donations from several years. The year 2007 was a big year for growth of donations of securities in-kind and for growth in community foundations and other public giving foundations.
April 10, 2008
My husband's father passed away peacefully today, after battling cancer and living a triumphant life. He can look back on his life and know that it was successful, that he loved his family and achieved many of his goals. He served as an officer in WW2, and emigrated to Canada from Ireland after the war. After retiring, he continued to teach on contract at Ryerson until he was 70, then he nursed his wife through Parkinson's for about ten years, until he could no longer cope. She moved to a nursing home until last month when she passed away. Always one to play to win, he enjoyed tennis tournaments and bridge and debating history, geography and philosophy. In retirement, he played golf, took up painting, dancing, and writing his autobiography. He remained active right up until March, insisting on enjoying his time in Florida, and then moving to a beautiful hospice for his last days. We are thankful for the chance we had to know him and love him.
April 4, 2008
In response to my conversation on Country 95.3, I was contacted by Tracey Robertson, who is working on a project for Not-For-Profits, and has a wonderful new blog at www.agoodbusinesscitizen.blogspot.com
March 29, 2008
I saw Martina McBride perform at Copps Colliseum this weekend -courtesy of Country 95.3. It was an awesome performance; her songs shows compassion for the hurting, and Love as the solution... some of her songs are "love's the only house big enough for all the pain in the world", "Concrete Angel" and "This one's for the girls". Special guests were Johnny Reid and Emerson Drive. I would like to quote some lyrics from an Emerson Drive song that was playing when I was thinking about writing this book, and whether there was a need for a book about how to donate in smart ways....
When I’m gone, I wanna leave a legacy Of love and laughs and honesty behind me - Behind me… I wanna be the one When all is said and done Who lived a good life, loved a good wife, and always helped someone in trouble On the day they lay me down, Want everyone to gather ‘round And say he was a father, brother, neighbour and a friend - He was a good man!
Today was the year-end show for our local figure-skating club. I really appreciate the hard work by the core volunteers that run this club. All of the parents must also volunteer, in small ways. It's great to be able to support our children and youth, and give them an opportunity to perform.
March 27, 2008
We've had pretty good local media coverage so far. The Credit Union Central of Ontario announced the book's launch within the Credit Union system. Wasaga radio "97.7 The Beach" interviewed me on Tuesday and Cogeco-TV interviewed me today. West Niagara News interviewed me, and put an article in some issues of the publication; soon I'll be on Rogers TV in Barrie and on 610 radio in St Catharines.
March 24, 2008
Having Easter fall in March made it hard to make many preparations for it! It made March rather busy! This weekend the kids Basketball season wrapped up. Easter weekend provided a much-needed rest, and a time to reflect on gifts we have received.
March 20, 2008
Yesterday was our Book Launch event!! We had maybe 50 people attend, including great support from Meridian! The atmosphere and the refreshments were just right. Gary Iggulden, Branch Manager, welcomed everyone and Alastair Davis, CEO of Habitat for Humanity -Niagara did a glowing introduction. I unveiled my presentation about the book, which includes a Drama presentation where I pretend I'm an ordinary Canadian, doing my tax returns, struggling with how to donate more, how to save on tax, and how to make a lasting difference to the causes I care about. From the reaction of the audience, I think it was entertaining and engaging. I look forward to taking my 15 min presentation on the road to service clubs, community organizations and professional associations!
March 10, 2008
Taking a break from my "day-job", today I sent out more announcements about the book's availability and the book launch event. I look forward to your responses! I am hoping the work we have done will mean that you have a smooth experience on this website, checking out the materials, being able to place orders and emails. I am pleased to be able to save you the costs of shipping and handling by having Meridian transport a supply of books to a number of locations around Ontario.
Last week we worked on the announcements within Meridian, preparing staff for your questions, and preparing for the logistics of the purchase and delivery. We also sent out a number of press releases and invitations regarding the book and the book launch event March 19th. The doors open at 6:30, there will be about a half hour program, with refreshments and book signing to follow.
February 20, 2008
Besides working on my day-job, helping people invest in RRSPs, we've been busy behind the scenes preparing for the launch and distribution of this exciting new financial planning book! As of today, Kevin at ecompulab has updated this website to include secure online payments via PayPal. Payments can also be made by mailing a cheque to me. We have further arranged to save buyers the high costs of shipping and handling by having books available at certain branches of Meridian Credit Union. Buyers may state the branch where they would prefer to pick up their copy, or I will reply with their pick up location once I receive their order and payment. Books are available now!
We have also been preparing press releases and are beginning to distribute copies for the press and for potential book reviews. We are also working on invitations, and everyone is invited to our book launch event Wed March 19th at 6:30 at the Niagara On the Lake branch of Meridian Credit Union.
January 24, 2008
The books are in!! We are having a book launch event March 19th at 6:30 pm at the Niagara On The Lake branch of Meridian Credit Union.
"An ocean is but many drops" - anon.