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Prime Minister Stephen Harper's government gives and takes. In May 2006, the government eliminated the capital gains tax on publicly-traded stocks and bonds donated to charity. The government was highly praised by many voluntary sector leaders for that gift, but we expressed doubts about this "reform" to the tax laws.
Since then, announcements of new multi-million dollar securities gifts have appeared in the media. Large health institutions and universities have been the principal beneficiaries. These organizations are usually able to place names and corporate icons on buildings, thereby promoting the giver. Highly publicized programs are also getting similar treatment. Any organization that can afford a substantial fund-raising department is getting the benefit of these generous gifts.
Predictably, smaller and medium sized organizations are not realizing any great benefit. Homeless .programs, women's shelters, youth employment, and rehabilitation of offenders, for instance, do not have sufficient glamour to attract the larger gifts. Who wants to put a corporate brand on these organizations? The volunteers and contributors to these groups are stalwarts who often have...