Donations are a simple way to have direct impact in the life of someone who is homeless. There are many ways to donate – including making a financial donation, a gift-in-kind, or an item which is urgently needed and very much appreciated by the very vulnerable men and women who are homeless.

Through your donations to Lookout, you help us reach our goal to ensure everyone in need has a home. They come to us with little more than the clothes on their backs We ask you to be generous and our pledge to you is that your gifts will go directly to service delivery.

Some ways to give:
• Donation Form
• Donate money online through credit card, or
• send a cheque or
• Credit Card directly    (call Srish at 604-255-0340 for details)

Want some fun ideas for ways to give?
Hold a Blanket Drive with co-workers or school mates.
Host a coffee party, asking friends to clean out their closets for the price of “admission” to your place. (We might even be able to come and say a few words!)

Other ways to give:
• Planned giving -- make a bequest in your will
• Make a donation in someone’s name.
• Provide a rent subsidy
• Donate a gift-in-kind
• Organize a clothing/blanket drive
• Designate Lookout as your charity of choice in a your company payroll deduction

Recognition
Lookout is a registered charitable, non-profit organization. We issue tax receipts for all cash donations.

We also gratefully recognize our donors on our web page, at our public events as well as in our Annual Report at the end of each year (unless otherwise requested). Many donors are mentioned in our newsletter.

For more information or to become involved either email us at info@lookoutsociety.ca or call us at
604-255-0340

DONATE ONLINE

Click on the link below and thanks for helping our community.

DONATE SPECIFICALLY

Funds go directly to service delivery, and are directed either at a program which donors can designate, or to the Society where we can move the donation to where there is the most need at any given time. Funds can be dedicated to a program (e.g. Cliff Block) or for a specific purpose – e.g., lifeskills program.

No longer does the government pay 100% of costs. Lookout must rely upon cash donations to fully meet the needs of each of our programs.

• Sponsoring a room helps ensure the shelter does what it was built for: providing services to people. A room sponsorship is $66 per night.

• It costs $8 per day to feed someone. To sponsor an individual for a month is $240.

Change in tax laws benefit donor

The change in the tax law allows donors to donate shares and mutual funds to registered charities without having to pay tax on the capital gains.

Here are some examples of how this works:

1. Donor with shares that have appreciated in value. "John" has $100,00 worth of shares that he can donate or sell for himself. The cost of the shares was $50,000. If he donates the shares to charity, he gets a tax receipt of $100,000 AND a donation tax credit of $43,700. In addition, he gets a tax saving of $10,925. Alternatively, if he sells the shares himself and donates $100,000 cash to charity, he gets the same donation tax credit but has to pay capital gains tax of $10,925.
   
   
2. Donor with free shares. "Mary" received 1,000 shares of Sun Life now worth $29,000 when several Canadian insurance companies demutualized a few years ago. If she donates the shares to charity, she gets a tax receipt of $29,000 and a donation tax credit of $12,673. She also gets a tax saving of $6,337. Alternatively, if she sells the shares and donates $29,000 to charity, she gets the same donation tax credit but has to pay capital gains tax of $6,337.
   
   
3. Donor with flow through shares. "George" invests inflow through shares to receive a tax deduction. On maturity of the shares, they convert into a mutual fund where the cost is 0. If he eventually donates the mutual fund to charity, he will receive a tax receipt of the value of the mutual fund and pay no capital gains tax. This strategy results in three tax benefits to George.

Call to find out more.

(examples courtesy of RBC Dominion Securites)

GOODS

December 1 update:
If you'd like to donate something for a Christmas "Comfort Bag", please consider...
• Combs
• Toothbrushes
• mini Shampoo bottles
• Men's Deoderant
• Women's Deoderant
• Razors
• mini shaving cream

And also "nice to have"...
• Lip Balm
• Face Tissue
• Toques
• Unisex Gloves
• Personal Towels

Not sure what to donate? Check this out!

Wish List - Suggested Winter Donations.pdf

Shelter to Homes Items

Donations of items are very helpful and are given directly to those in need!

We need personal items such as clothing and shoes, but also items that help people set up in an apartment.

These home set-up items include:
• Single bed with mattress
• Bed linen
• Dishes, cutlery, pot
and pan
• Table and chair
• Lamp
• Bath towel and facecloth

RENT SUBSIDY

Affordability of housing is creating a greater burden on a number of individuals, and is resulting in more people, including the working poor, coming to our shelters. Lookout attempts to keep people housed in their home communities. However, rents are too high and waitlists to get into subsidized housing is too long (more)

SEASONAL

As we are family to many of our residents, we have Santa visit our services on Christmas Day. We try and give everyone a Christmas gift stocking of hygiene supplies as well as a gift such as a new shirt or household item. All come from donations. Gifts of new items of any of the above as well as decks of cards, undershirts, long sleeved shirts (flannel are excellent!), small portable board games, thirsty towels, household equipment (kettles, auto coffee makers) all made excellent gifts to our clientele, and are VERY appreciated!

LOOKOUT'S CHARITABLE NUMBER

130695166RR0001