You may direct your gift to specific programs or funds. Even small donations make a big difference and those without specific restriction are particularly valuable.

For as little as $1,000, a bursary (a cash grant) can be provided to a student who has demonstrated financial need.

For just $500, an award, based on academic merits (a scholarship), can be established.

Your gift - in any amount - to a general OTSS endowment fund will be matched dollar for dollar. Your own named endowment can be established with a minimum gift of $12,500. Endowment funds are permanent: the principal is never touched, only the interest is used to support student financial need.

To make a gift to Centennial College from your estate, you must draft a new Will or add a codicil to your present Will. A bequest may be large or small, restricted or unrestricted. It may include cash, securities, real estate, other property, or a percentage of the residue of your estate.

To ensure that your wishes are honoured, a bequest should be prepared in consultation with your lawyer and discussed with Centennial College.

Advantages of Bequests

• A bequest allows you to make a substantial gift in the future without diminishing your assets today. In other words, it costs nothing now, yet it may give you a great deal of satisfaction to know that your gift will live on.
• Your estate will receive a valuable tax credit for your final tax return. The credit may be applied to up to 100% of your net income in the year of death and the proceeding year. This credit may save your estate a considerable amount of tax, particularly if you have RSPs or large holdings of appreciated assets that will be deemed to have been sold at your death. Additional tax savings may be achieved through specific bequests of appreciated listed securities and mutual funds. Working with your financial advisors, we can help you maximize the tax benefits from your gift planning.
• Bequests are flexible. You may make a bequest anonymously, and you have the flexibility to change it at any time.
• With Bequests of $25,000 or more, you may create a named, endowed fund that will support Centennial College forever.

A gift of life insurance is a deferred gift, which means the proceeds from a gift commitment made now will be realized by Centennial College sometime in the future. Donors often struggle between their desires to achieve philanthropic goals and their need to preserve their estates for their families. A gift of insurance can eliminate this conflict.

Advantages of Gifts of Life Insurance

• A gift of life insurance allows you to make a larger donation to Centennial College than you would have thought you could afford, at a relatively low cost.
• It does not reduce the value of your estate
• life insurance proceeds are paid directly to Centennial College and are not subject to probate and other estate fees.
• Life insurance will provide an annual tax credit or a tax credit in the year of death. 

A gift of publicly traded securities can provide you with an unexpected means to make a significant contribution to Centennial College at a relatively low-cost to you. Recent changes by the Federal Government to capital gains on gifts of publicly traded securities allows you to eliminate capital gains on a gift of equities, bond, and mutual fund units.

Advantages of Gifts of Life Securities

• Centennial College will issue you a charitable tax receipt for the fair market value of the gift of securities to be used for tax purposes. The fair market value will be the closing price of the securities on the date the securities are received by Centennial College.
• By giving the securities directly to Centennial College, your taxable capital gain is eliminated.
• Of your donation exceeds the amount of eligible for tax credit in the year your gift is made, the excess credit may be carried forward up to five years.

Gifts may be made in memory or in honour of a relative or friend, or in recognition of a special occasion or achievement.

For information on how you can provide financial assistance to worthy Centennial College students, contact Office of Development and Alumni Engagement at (416) 289-5000, ext. 5148.