Making a donation
© Insectarium de Montréal, René Limoges
No matter the size of your contribution, your generosity makes a difference.
As a donor, you become associated with the Muséums nature de Montréal, the largest natural science museum complex in Canada.
Why make a donation?
Types of donations
How to make a donation
Join the Foundation Circles
A Donor Bill of Rights
The Montréal Nature Museums Foundation
is a duly recognized registered
charity: 89742 6334 RR0001.
A receipt for income tax purposes will be issued automatically for donations of $20 or more.
WHY MAKE A DONATION
- Because you are concerned about the future of the planet;
- Because you are concerned about your environment;
- Because you believe in sustainable development;
- Because you want to do your part for biodiversity conservation;
- Because you believe that education can change human behaviour.
The Montréal Nature Museums Foundation supports the research, educational and conservation activities of the Muséums nature de Montréal, i.e. the Biodôme, Insectarium, Botanical Garden and Planetarium. It strives to ensure short- and long-term support for the Montréal nature museums’ priority development projects by soliciting contributions from Québecers, and therefore needs your support.
By making a donation, you join the Foundation in contributing to the advancement of natural science and scientific literacy, and helping to raise public interest in the environment, sustainable development and biodiversity conservation.
TYPES OF DONATIONS
One-time donation
Support the activities of the Montréal Nature Museums Foundation by making a donation by cheque or credit card. Simply mail or fax us the form
Monthly donations (PAD)
Donors are increasingly opting for our monthly pre-authorized debit (PAD) donation program. With your authorization, the monthly donation is automatically deducted from your bank account or charged to your credit card (Visa or Master Card) on the 1st or 15th of the month, as you prefer. Only one receipt is issued, at the beginning of every year, for the total amount donated the previous year. This reduces administrative and mailing expenses, and allows us all to help preserve the environment. Simply send us the form by mail or fax
Recurring yearly donations
This type of donation fosters the development of a relationship between the donor and the Foundation, through yearly gifts over many years. Simply send us the form by mail or fax
For more detailed information about the gifts outlined below, please contact us
by calling 514 872-6956 or by e-mail at info@fondationmuseums.qc.ca.
Donations of securities
Gifts of publicly traded securities made directly to the Foundation have become more attractive following the introduction of greater tax advantages by the Federal Government in 1997. If your shares, bonds or mutual funds have increased in value since you bought them, you will, sooner or later, have to pay capital gains tax when you sell them.
You can significantly reduce your capital gains tax payment by transferring the securities directly to the Foundation. If you are a Canadian citizen, only 25% of the capital gains are taxable when you donate shares, bonds, forward contracts or mutual funds traded on an eligible stock exchange,* while, if you were to sell the securities, 50% of the capital gains would be taxable. You gain an immediate tax advantage, as your donation receipt indicates the fair market value of the donated securities.
For this type of gift, you must transfer ownership of the securities to the Foundation. Gifts are not eligible for the lower capital gains tax if the securities are sold and the proceeds donated to the Foundation.
* All Canadian stock exchanges, most U.S. stock exchanges, and many stock exchanges in other countries.
Donations generated by a benefit event
Every year, many people organize charity benefit events, such as golf tournaments, costume balls and garage sales, or any number of other possibilities. Such activities must be previously approved by the Foundation.
Bequests
You may bequeath a set amount, a percentage of your succession, the remainder of your succession, an asset, the proceeds of a life insurance policy, an RRSP, a RRIF, or a percentage of your retirement fund.
Gifts of life insurance
You may assign your existing life insurance policy to the Montréal Nature Museums Foundation, or name the Foundation as the beneficiary.
In Memoriam donations
In Memoriam donations are a concrete expression of sympathy for the family following the loss of a loved one. We inform the family of your donation and, if you so wish, the amount of the gift remains confidential.
In Honour donations
To mark a special event in someone’s life, such as a graduation, wedding, anniversary, new baby or first home, you can make an In Honour donation in their name. We will send the person an In Honour card explaining the nature of your donation. The amount of your gift will be kept confidential if you so wish.
Endowed funds
These are gifts that keep on giving. The Foundation invest the initial donation for a period of ten years, and the capital remains intact. The interest, paid annually, becomes a source of financing for the future. You can contribute to an endowment fund immediately using one or a combination of the types of donations explained above.
Donor's Square
When you make a donation of $1,000, your name is etched for posterity into one of the flagstones in Donor’s Square at the Botanical Garden.
HOW TO MAKE A DONATION
On-line credit card donation
A secure online donation service will be available in the near future.
By mail
To send your donation by mail, please forward your cheque and completed donation form to the following address:
Montréal Nature Museums Foundation
4101 Sherbrooke Street East
Montréal, Québec
H1X 2B2
By fax
To make a donation by fax, please print and complete the donation form and send it to: 514 872-8438.
By telephone
You can also make a donation directly over the telephone by calling 514 872-6956.
JOIN THE FONDATION CIRCLES
Coming soon.
A DONOR BILL OF RIGHTS
Philanthropy is based on voluntary action for the common good. It is a tradition of giving and sharing that is primary to the quality of life. To ensure that philanthropy merits the respect and trust of the general public, and that donors and prospective donors can have full confidence in the not-for-profit organizations and causes they are asked to support, we declare that all donors have these rights:
- To be informed of the organization’s mission, of the way the organization intends to use donated resources, and of its capacity to use donations effectively for their intended purposes.
- To be informed of the identity of those serving on the organization’s governing board, and to expect the board to exercise prudent judgement in its stewardship responsibilities.
- To have access to the organization’s most recent financial statements.
- To be assured their gifts will be used for the purposes for which they were given.
- To receive appropriate acknowledgement and recognition.
- To be assured that information about their donations is handled with respect and with confidentiality to the extent provided by law.
- To expect that all relationships with individuals representing organizations of interest to the donor will be professional in nature.
- To be informed whether those seeking donations are volunteers, employees of the organization or hired solicitors.
- To have the opportunity for their names to be deleted from mailing lists that an organization may intend to share.
- To feel free to ask questions when making a donation and to receive prompt, truthful and forthright answers.
Source: The Association of Fundraising Professionals