Human life is transitory; we move from place to place. We drift in the flow of time but we cannot stop the flow of time. We cannot linger; life moves us relentlessly onwards. The only constant in this world are the tracks we leave, our imprint that says we have been here, have lived and created, enjoyed and suffered through our presence on earth. They are the book of our life. They weave the story of our being. The tracks we leave are left upon the earth. We leave them in the memories of those around us, imprinted in the hearts of our fellow humans.

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It is in our power to set our tracks, to determine what legacy we leave. When planning our life we tend to neglect one of the most important aspects of life -- our mortality. The aspect of death is an uncomfortable and unknown topic to many of us; it forces us to ponder, to make difficult decisions, to face possible conflict. Yet avoidance and procrastination can leave hurt, regret and anguish in their wake.

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Bearing this in mind, and in conjunction with our planned giving campaign, we at Vidar Foundation have assembled the expertise to help you chart your course beyond the threshold of this earthly life. We can advise you on the aspects of making a will and a living will, setting up Powers of Attorney, funeral arrangements, and establishing or joining a “Threshold Circle”. Even if you are currently not in a position to participate actively in our planned giving campaign, we encourage you to make use of this service without any further obligation.

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Who we are:

Vidar Foundation is incorporated as a non-profit organization and is recognized under paragraph 149(1)(f) of the Income Tax Act as a Charitable Foundation. Under its charter,Vidar Foundation will actively solicit, receive, and manage funds for the exclusive purpose of supporting initiatives and registered charitable organizations that fall within its aims and objectives.

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Vidar Foundation is managed by a board of directors who are inspired by the work of Rudolf Steiner. As of the year 2013 its 

 

Our Mission:

Vidar Foundation supports and promotes future oriented and socially responsible initiatives to help achieve a healthier society. It works out of the impulse given by Rudolf Steiner, social philosopher and scientist of the early 20th century.

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What we do:

As a foundation Vidar Foundation does not do charitable work itself but is mandated by the Canadian Government to support “qualified donees”, which are charitable organizations as recognized by the government. We at Vidar Foundation select the charities that we support in accordance with our Mission Statement.

 

Vidar Foundation has organized a planned giving campaign with  the intent of having the contributions going to our endowment fund.. While ordinary charitable donations have to be spent within a year of the date of receipt, Vidar can hold your specified donation in the endowment fund for longer time periods, essentially creating a self-sustaining fund.

The Canadian Income Tax Act requires that the donations be retained in the Endowment Fund for not less than ten years.

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Regulations permit Vidar Foundation to invest the capital of an endowment fund at its discretion, while a specified percentage, coupled to the prime rate, must be granted annually to “qualified donees”, i.e. registered charities.

The “Social Renewal Endowment Fund” of Vidar Foundation aims to initiate social renewal by supporting training in fields of education, biodynamic agriculture and eldercare. We feel that education creates the necessary infrastructure on which ecologically and socially responsible initiatives can be built.

We invest the capital held by the endowment fund in socially responsible, future oriented, and sustainable initiatives, based preferably - but not exclusively - on the work of Rudolf Steiner.

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Our Plan of Action:

In the endeavor to create the Social Renewal Endowment Fund of the Vidar Foundation in order to support the training of professionals in the selected sectors, Vidar Foundation actively solicits various types of gifts and donations such as: 

 Tax-deductible donations

 Appreciated securities, real estate or valuables (e.g. art
       objects, jewelry etc.)

 Deferred gifts

 Charitable Remainder Annuities and Trusts

 Planned Giving or Bequests

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Planned Giving, in conjunction with an endowment fund, ensures that the gifted portion of your estate works in the world in ways that meet your approval.

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Regular Charitable Donation:

If you make donations to registered charitable organizations, the governments (Federal and Ontario) will give an income tax refund on your charitable donations of roughly 22% of your donation under $200, and roughly 40% on the amount exceeding $200, but only if you submit a claim! At income tax time, you could either enjoy the “windfall”, or make a further donation.

This is important information to anybody who pays income tax.

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Charitable Donation of Appreciated Property:

This is a “donation in kind”, of appreciated securities, real estate, or art objects. Typically, the donor will pay income tax on ¼ of the capital gain but receive a charitable donation receipt for the full (appraised) value of the gift at the time the donation is made. Some special rules apply in the case of art objects.

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This is important information for those who have appreciated property on which they would have to pay a relatively large amount of income tax at the time of disposal.

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Bequest through a Will:

Giving through a will is a simple yet meaningful way to provide support for organizations that you value because of the benefit they provide for society. Vidar Foundation will administer your funds according to your instructions with integrity; a charitable donation receipt will be issued to your estate.

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To recognize donors who have included Vidar Foundation in their will (and notified Vidar Foundation of their intent),Vidar Foundation will enter their name on the list of Legacy donors. These donors will receive annual reports on the activities and financial status of Vidar Foundation.

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If you include Vidar Foundation in your will, it is advisable to ensure legally correct wording of your bequest statement to ensure your intentions are unambiguous and can be implemented as you intended. It is also important to make your intentions known to Vidar Foundation.

It is good stewardship to have a will, and to ensure that your estate is of maximum benefit to all the people within your circle of activity in this life.

 

Charitable Remainder Demand Trust:

This is an investment vehicle that has no speculative component, and is income tax neutral. It serves to support socially responsible ventures. During your lifetime you will have access to the funds you invested on an “as needed” basis. (You could also negotiate regular monthly payments out of the investment; these would cease with the depletion of the funds or with your demise, whichever comes first). At your death, any remaining funds go entirely to Vidar Foundation.

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This type of investment is particularly suited to retirees who want to maintain access to their savings during their lifetime in case of unexpected need, but want them to go to a charitable organization at the time of their death.

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Charitable Remainder Annuity:

At present you will have to go through a life insurance company to implement a Charitable Remainder Annuity; we can put you in contact with organizations which work in this field. Basically, you buy an annuity from a life insurance company and name Vidar Foundation as the beneficiary of the policy. Based on life expectancy tables and other data, the life insurance company will calculate the expected value of the Charitable Remainder and issue a charitable donation receipt to you for that amount at the time the policy is established. Typically, the annuity will pay to you a monthly or annual amount as calculated by the life insurance company during your retirement and until death; at that point the “remainder” of the policy will go to Vidar Foundation. Any of the parameters of a Charitable Remainder Annuity are negotiable with the life insurance company.

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This type of investment is particularly suited to those who require a source of regular income for their retirement, who can benefit from a charitable donation receipt, and who want to leave the remainder of their estate or part thereof to charity; however, be aware that Vidar Foundation has no control over the investment policy of the life insurance company.