London Community Foundation

Anyone can be a philanthropist. You don't need a great deal of wealth and it doesn't have to be complicated. By giving through London Community Foundation, you can provide for your favourite charitable cause or take advantage of the Foundation's vast expertise in ensuring that your gift supports London’s most pressing needs.

We strive to accommodate the philanthropic objectives of each donor, enabling them to give back to the community in their own special way.

Gifts can be directed toward an existing fund, or used to create a new named fund.

Cash gifts, securities & real property.

Other methods to consider.

An outright gift of cash, securities or real property can be directed to an existing fund or used to create a new fund. Use this Donation Form when mailing or dropping off a cheque at our office, located: London Community Foundation Covent Garden Market 130 King Street London ON N6C 1V5 Credit card donations also accepted over the phone. Call 519-667-1600 ext. 104 or ext. 105. Online donations accepted. Share Transfer Form for gifts of securities.

RRIF/RRSP Contributions. By designating a charity as the beneficiary of your RRSP/RRIF you reduce estate taxes and probate fees. In Ontario, assets transferred to a designated beneficiary will pass outside of the estate and therefore are not included as assets of the estate. Life insurance policies offer flexible charitable giving options, such as irrevocably assigning an existing policy to the Foundation, or taking out a policy naming the Foundation as the irrevocable beneficiary and transferring ownership to the Foundation. A gift to the Foundation can be made through a specific bequest, a bequest of the residue or part of the residue of the donor’s estate, or a bequest subject to the life interest of another. Trusts can be established to ensure that the donor’s ultimate charitable intent is carried out, without neglecting interim financial responsibilities or wishes regarding dependents, and without compromising personal financial security.

When you make a bequest or gift of life insurance to London Community Foundation, you will be recognized as a member of the Lorraine Ivey Shuttleworth Legacy Society. This is in honour of Lorraine Ivey Shuttleworth, a Foundation leader and visionary.

London Community Foundation was incorporated in 1954 but remained dormant until 1979, when it was revitalized under the leadership of J. Allyn Taylor. The generosity of London’s Ivey family is well known and Lorraine Shuttleworth, the daughter of Richard and Jean Ivey, has carried on the family tradition of giving. For the first several years, our administrative costs were fully covered through grants from The Richard and Jean Ivey Fund. In 1985, Lorraine established the first named fund in honour of her parents. When The Richard and Jean Ivey Fund transferred its assets to London Community Foundation in 1997, the memorial fund became the largest fund in the Community Fund.

Lorraine’s vision in supporting this Foundation in its infancy was key to its success. Quite simply, without her help, we would not be here today.

We are essentially a collection of various types of gifts, large and small, contributed by people from all walks of life. A community foundation is structured to help donors make their community a better place - whether their interest centres on an area of specific concern (e.g. children, arts, environment) or extends more generally across broader community needs.

Your gift to the community will give year after year because your donation is invested as a permanent endowment fund and is managed professionally by a knowledgeable team of community leaders, staff and investment advisors. The income from the investments is given out to the community each year to address the charitable priorities identified by you as a donor or by the Board of Directors working on your behalf.

We are not a charity supporting our own programs, but a vehicle to support causes and activities as diverse as the community at large. We do not compete with other charitable organizations - rather, we enhance their ability to serve the community.