Did You Know That We Are a Charitable Organization?
Did you know the Abbotsford School District is a registered charitable organization? The district has been a registered charity with the Canada Revenue Agency since 1975 and is permitted to issue receipts for donations it receives that the donor may in turn use to claim a tax credit.
The donations we receive are many – and for many reasons. Over the last few years, we’ve issued receipts totaling nearly $400,000. It breaks down year by year as:
- 2015-2016 $71,010
- 2016-2017 $21,411
- 2017-2018 $88,106
- 2018-2019 $41,595
- 2019-2020 $59,725
- 2020-2021 $52,461
- 2021-2022 (to January) $48,705
Included in these receipts are what is called “gifts in kind”. This is when a donor contributes a physical item (rather than cash) to the district and its schools. Some examples of gifts in kind we’ve received are automobiles, a statute of Chief Dan George, a box set of Salish Weave collections, Delta Blues amps, a complete drum set, sixty-eight thousand masks and most recently twenty five Honda motors for the power mechanics program at Yale.
Donors most often specify which school is to receive their donation and sometimes specify how it is to be used – like meals for students. All the funds are held in special accounts for schools to spend as the donors have directed.
Sometimes schools initiate the fundraising and collect donations – for example for the “Yale Turns 50 – Legacy Project”. These too may be eligible for a charitable donation receipt. Online links are set up for these types of fundraising activities and donors can make their contributions from the comfort of home.
The District and its schools are also able to use our charitable organization status to apply for special grants from many external organizations. These funds total in the many thousands and provide a direct and real benefit to our students.
If you’d like more information about how to donate to a school in the district, please send an email to finance@abbyschools.ca.