Ways to Give

There are many ways to support the mission of Good Shepherd. Here are some of the most common ways you can make a difference in our community.

Online Donations

You can make a donation at any time on this web site. Giving via the Internet is a safe and convenient way to give. And it’s cost effective—there are no mailing costs. Please go to go the the secure donation form.

Appeal Donations

Donations in response to our Newsletters and Easter and Christmas cards form the financial foundation of Good Shepherd’ programs and services. They fund the operating costs of emergency services such as our food and shelter programs.

Donations of Food or Clothing
(Gifts-in-Kind)

We are always in need of food and clothing donations. You can drop them off at the Warehouse at the corner of Mary and Cannon streets at any time. Please see our current Wish Lists for our most pressing needs.

For information regarding food drives, or to conduct a food drive on our hehalf, please contact Cindy DuBois by phone at 905-528-6565, ext. 3308, or by email at cindyd@goodshepherdcentres.ca.

Tribute Gifts: Gifts In Honour or In Memory

Tribute gifts are a thoughtful way to honour or remember someone special. In Honour gifts make wonderful Christmas presents. To make a tribute donation, please call the Angel Hotline at 905-57-ANGEL (905-572-6435).

Major Gifts

Substantial donations of a thousand dollars or more allow Good Shepherd to make leaps forward in our ability to meet existing and emerging needs in the community. Individual and corporate partners are highly valued and recognized. Many important opportunities exist for significant investment within Good Shepherd, such as the Loretto development at King and Ray streets.

Planned Giving

Including a gift in your estate plan can help you realize your philanthropic dreams while achieving signficant tax advantages. Leaving a gift to Good Shepherd in your will is a unique opportunity to build a brighter future. It will leave a legacy of compassion and caring in this community.

Planned Giving include bequests, charitable remainder trusts, stocks, bonds, mutual funds, life insurance, gift annuities and endowments. Recent changes to charitable giving tax laws have made planned giving even more attractive.

Read more about Planned Giving here, and be sure to talk to your estate planner. For more infomation, give Cathy Wellwood a call at 905-528-6565 ext. 3338.

Special Events

Participating in events such as a golf tournament or the Harvest Dinner is a great way to get involved, have fun and raise money all at the same time.

Please go to the Events section for more information.

Third-Party Events

You can hold your own event on behalf of Good Shepherd. Dozens of individuals, schools and corporations hold events every year that fundraise—and friend-raise!—for Good Shepherd. They are educational, team-building, morale-boosting, and a lot of fun. Contact Cindy DuBois at 905-528-6565 ext. 3308 for more information on third-party events.

The new Sponsor a Family Program

Good Shepherd is proud to introduce a new giving program called Sponsor a Family. The program follows on the success of the Sponsor a Family Christmas Program. It gives community members a variety of opportunities to provide assistance and gifts to homeless families all year round.

You can make a real difference in the lives of homeless children and families. Click on Sponsor a Family to discover fun and meaningful ways to help a homeless family bloom.

Employee Giving Programs/Corporate Matching Gifts

Does your company have an Employee Giving Program? It’s a convenient way to give back to your community. Many companies have Matching Gift Programs, which effectively double your donation to your favourite charity. If you give to the United Way at work, don’t forget you can direct your donation to us—just designate Good Shepherd as the charity of your choice.

For more information about Good Shepherd giving programs, please call the Angel Hotline at 905-57-Angel (905-572-6435).

 

Good Shepherd subscribes to the following Association of Fundrasing Professionals (AFP) Donor Bill of Rights

 

Philanthropy is based on voluntary action for the common good. It is a tradition of giving and sharing that is primary to the quality of life. To ensure that philanthropy merits the respect and trust of the general public, and that donors and prospective donors can have full confidence in the nonprofit organizations and causes they are asked to support, we declare that all donors have these rights:

I. To be informed of the organization's mission, of the way the organization intends to use donated resources, and of its capacity to use donations effectively for their intended purposes.

II. To be informed of the identity of those serving on the organization's governing board, and to expect the board to exercise prudent judgment in its stewardship responsibilities.

III. To have access to the organization's most recent financial statements.

IV. To be assured their gifts will be used for the purposes for which they were given.

V. To receive appropriate acknowledgement and recognition.

VI. To be assured that information about their donation is handled with respect and with confidentiality to the extent provided by law.

VII. To expect that all relationships with individuals representing organizations of interest to the donor will be professional in nature.

VIII. To be informed whether those seeking donations are volunteers, employees of the organization or hired solicitors.

IX. To have the opportunity for their names to be deleted from mailing lists that an organization may intend to share.

X. To feel free to ask questions when making a donation and to receive prompt, truthful and forthright answers.