Charitable Giving & Philanthropic Planning in Canada

Why Philanthropy Is a Financial Strategy, Not Just a Virtue

Take your giving as seriously as you take your growth. Remember the first vision and plan that helped create your business? Now imagine the same care to building your legacy of impact.

Does giving make you feel like you’re funding good works, igniting positive change, or embodying your values? Sure. Does it teach your children and infuse your name with meaningful legacy? Absolutely. But no matter how spiritually or emotionally affirming it is to share your wealth, the financial lever of philanthropy comes with fantastic financial upsides. The spirit wins and the portfolio wins.

No matter why you’re drawn to give, we begin here: with clarified intention (the ‘heart’ of giving) and an impact hub that’s highly attuned (the ‘head’ of giving).

Eastport’s Good Giving Workshop sets a clear course for your philanthropy—so you say yes with confidence, purpose, and heart. Set your direction with your own personalized guidebook to good giving.

Your Giving Strategy

Thanks to our partnership with GiveWise, Eastport offers a powerful vehicle to drive and direct your generosity—your own Giving Fund (Donor Advised Fund)—with the platform to manage and track impact.

Your Giving Platform

First, Eastport’s Good Giving Workshop clarifies the WHO and WHY of your giving. On that heart foundation we build the body of your impact, with your Giving Hub—a vehicle and management platform that executes the WHERE, WHAT, WHEN, and HOW of your generosity for maximum impact.

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"Legacy is something you leave in someone, not to someone."

– John Maxwell

Tax-Smart Charitable Giving

GIVE FOR LOWER TAXES

Tax savings might be the ‘selfish’ driver for philanthropy. The higher the taxes, the more we stand to benefit by giving. It’s a fantastic incentive that doesn’t diminish the good your capital can achieve.

Most people simply plan to pay taxes as a part of their plan. They don’t realize they can give to a place that matters to them instead of to the government—with greater impact, and the same outcome for their family and businesses.

Imagine if you planned to leave a million dollars in RRSPs for your kids, and some cash to a charity in your will—all of which is taxable and subject to probate for both your kids and the charity. Instead, you could give the RRSPs to the charity. You’ll get a tax break equal to the RRSPs, and the charity will receive the whole million. For your kids, you can leave an insurance policy equal to a million dollars, not subject to tax or probate. The net result? We’ve just tripled the residual, shifting the default from paying tax to having a charitable impact. You’ve self-directed your own legacy at no cost to you, and with a bigger benefit to your kids and the charity.

Giving us yet another lever for wealth legacy. After all, you’ve got three entities who can take and use your assets after you’re gone: your children, a charity of your choice, or the government, and you must choose two. Don’t let the government presume it’s theirs. Choose your impact for what matters most to you.

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"Philanthropy is a cornerstone of our heart and our strategy—for us, and for you."

– Jonathan Lewis

GIVE FOR A LEGACY OF IMPACT

What drives you to want to leave a legacy? It might be a troubled chapter that affected your family, such as cancer, chronic illness, or loss. Or a positive passion—a love of animals, the environment, or kids’ sports.

The way you lived can still influence anyone in your periphery. Even beyond ego—beyond death, long after you’re gone. To want to have a positive impact not only for yourself and your people, but on your community and world. That’s financial growth and emotional growth in parallel.

When you’re successful, it’s not that hard to die with money. But it takes a distinguishing effort to make sure your values multiply in the world. If you haven’t thought of it, you’re in the default position. Within two generations few people will remember our name, and within three we’re gone from the public record. This is the strike of a deeper, more spirited wellspring: from success to significance.

Give Well Let’s get started JDWL Foundation

Before we talk strategy, take a moment to consider what giving truly means to you.

What motivates you to give?

Who taught you about giving?

Which experiences in life would you like to make available to others?

When do you say "yes" to a request for money?

What kind of due diligence do you conduct before supporting an organization?

How have you involved multiple generations in your giving?

On Giving with Jonathan Lewis

“I’d like to have enough money to share it, but right now most of it is tied up in my business. What’s the case for setting some aside?”

“Once you’ve vanquished debt and spend less than you earn, philanthropy is the manifestation of reaching financial full-circle. Designed to fit your life and benefit your financial picture, a platform for consistent giving releases the hold money has on our life.”

“I have money to share, but the thought of letting go of it stresses me out.”

“When we’re insecure we grip more tightly, constricting our potential. Our lack of giving is a transcendent issue symptomatic of a society warped by its own debt. Once you begin the cycle of giving, you’ll see the benefits paying off in your mindset, sense of possibility, and in your strategic array of tools.”

“A charitable friend tells me giving is part of his financial playbook. Why?”

“When you’re free from debt, you redirect the interest you plowed into the belly of the beast — often for decades — into your legacy. Of the three places we leave our wealth, we can pick two of three: the government, your family, and charity. Giving is a strategy that knocks back taxes and enriches the spirit.”