The Perth & District
Community Foundation

Polish off the winter dust from your golf clubs and get out on the driving range to practise for the first Charity Golf Tournament of the Season.

Once again this year, the Perth Home Hardware Building Centre and Perth Home Furniture are proud to be the lead sponsors for the Sixth Annual HOME Legacy Golf Classic, a fundraising event in support of the of The Perth and District Community Foundation.

The tournament promises to be a great experience for all participants. There will be many exciting events including an opportunity for four golfers to participate in a Hole-In-One shootout for $1 Million as well as other great Hole-In One prizes and once again there will be a guaranteed winner of a $1,000 travel voucher. This is one of the premiere tournaments on the charitable golfing circuit.

The 2010 golf tournament will be held on Friday, May 28th at the Perth Golf Course. The Perth and District Community Foundation and the Home family of stores are again asking for your support. Please register early since last year’s event was very popular. Additional information is available on our website www.pdcf.ca , or to obtain a registration form, call Elaine Turner at PDCF (613-326-0295) or Ruth Graham at Perth Home Building Centre (613-267-4501).

From signage for accessible trails in Lanark County to assistance for a summer excursion program at the Lanark Youth Centre, looking at the grants approved by the Perth and District Community Foundation (PDCF) in January, the diversity of our granting requests is evident. Imagine the joy on the faces of children participating in an archaeological dig at Murphy’s Point Park. Imagine their excitement when they discover an artefact, , and they realize that decades ago, someone stood on that same patch of earth holding the original dish or implement in their work weathered hands. Imagine the unique learning experience such an opportunity provides to Grade 5 students from Perth and the surrounding area schools.

Imagine the unlimited creativity unleashed in a teen who participates in the Art Matters project at YAK. Imagine the joy brought to the residents, their families, visitors, or the staff at Lanark Lodge and Perth Community Care when they feel the sun on their faces as they walk along an accessible trail located right behind the facilities.

Imagine the excitement of youth in Lanark Highlands when they are given the opportunity to participate in summer outings to swim, kayak or visit heritage sites and museums. Imagine the ongoing and urgent need throughout Lanark County for young people to be supported by one of the many mentoring programs offered by Big Brothers Big Sisters. Imagine what would happen if funding were no longer available to provide these types of outreach and mentoring programs.

If you can imagine what would happen if these opportunities were not there, you will understand why we get so excited when PDCF-your Community Foundation- is given the opportunity to be a part of the continued success of the charities supported through our granting program this year. Close to $10,000 in grants was approved to the following charities: Youth Action Kommittee, Algonquin College Foundation, Lanark Highlands Youth Centre, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Perth Regional Historica Fair, Lanark County Accessible Trails, and the Friends of Murphy’s Point Park.

PDCF has also earmarked additional funds totalling close to $7,000 for scholarships, bursaries and grants in 2010. Complementing our direct bursaries, the PDCF Town of Perth Bursary and PDCF Lily Roy Bursary held with the Algonquin College Foundation provide other annual bursaries of approximately $2,650 to students attending the Perth Campus of Algonquin College.

We are looking forward to seeing the results of every project that has received funding from us. We hope to receive many more unique and innovative project ideas from organizations that are keen to make a positive difference in the communities we serve-Perth, and the Townships of Drummond/North Elmsley, Tay Valley and Lanark Highlands.

Donor Information

Board Matters

The PDCF Board welcomed the following new members at the AGM on February 2, 2010 ~ Lynda Hendriks, Steve Hillier and Fred Parks. The Board also said goodbye and thank you to Molly Ellard and Warren Hollis for their invaluable contributions to the Foundation over the years. Although they are no longer Board members, they are continuing to play a vital role in the Foundation. Molly and the Ellard Family will continue to host the annual Home Legacy Golf Classic, which is one of our main fund raisers. Warren generously donates office space to the Foundation in the Perth Family Health Centre at 33 Lewis Street.

Donors often wish to make a charitable donation in memory of a loved one or to celebrate a birthday, a wedding anniversary or some other significant occasion. At times like these, they call to inquire how they can make a donation to the Perth and District Community Foundation. This is easier than ever when you visit our website at www.pdcf.ca and simply click on the ‘Donate Now’ tab on the Home page. There you will have direct access to our donations page at Canada Helps. Through CanadaHelps.org, anyone can donate easily and securely online.

One of the easiest ways to give is to set up a monthly donation. Monthly giving lets you budget for charitable giving by spreading your donations throughout the year. If you are making scheduled ongoing charitable donations, you can request approval for reduced tax deductions at source by applying to Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). The request is submitted to CRA using their Form T1213 available on their website www.cra.gc.ca or by phoning them at 1-800-959-8281. CRA will notify you within four to eight weeks whether or not they approve your request. Depending on your personal income tax bracket, this can be a very effective tax strategy.

Of course you can donate in several other ways; for example, you can write a cheque for a one time donation, make a pledge for an annual donation, or transfer marketable securities directly to the Foundation. With your Professional Advisors, you can discuss the benefits of making donations to the Foundation through life insurance, or naming the Foundation as a beneficiary in your will, on your RIF or RSP. You can contact us to discuss creating your own Field of Interest or Donor Advised fund.

Charitable giving can help minimize your personal income tax. It allows you to support local causes that matter to you, and giving back to the community where you live, work, and play just plain feels good. We’d be pleased to meet with you and your Professional Advisors at any time to discuss your charitable wishes.