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Donate to Okanagan College
The Okanagan College Foundation helps create opportunities and access for a new generation of learners who will realise their potential and make a difference in the world.  Printable Donation Form Payroll Donation Form
You Can Be A Resource for Scholarships and BursariesDonations for scholarships and bursaries mean less of a financial worry and burden for talented students pursuing their studies. Donations for student awards are not just about helping students financially, they are also key sources of support for the growth of the community, through ongoing investment in the education of the next generation who will be there to guide our future and be there for us. Okanagan College supporters can establish new awards or contribute to existing scholarships, bursaries, and other awards that match their objectives. Our graduates are found in virtually every industry, business and profession, making significant contributions to the communities they live in. In many cases, it was a student award that removed a barrier and made a difference in their education, making their dreams and accomplishments possible. For a good number of our students, their college education is not starting right after secondary school. For some, the decision to take up a trade, technology or a profession, comes after a few years of work in low paying jobs or after life's experiences help shape a tangible goal. With a growing student population at Okanagan College and rising costs for education, students need the help and they truly value the recognition and encouragement that awards provide. As their knowledge grows, your influence and support multiplies. You may choose to:
More information on the types of awards, sample terms, and reports to donors is available by speaking to a member of the Advancement Office at 250-862-5630 in Kelowna or Toll-Free at 1-888-650-6968. Ways of GivingWhen you support Okanagan College, you demonstrate the high value you place on access to education, academic achievement and commitment to community. Most important, 100% of your gift goes to students, programs or facilities that you designate. You can designate a gift to any existing student scholarship, bursary or award or you have the ability to create a new award in your name, in honour of a friend, family member or organisation. You can also support a specific area of study. Donations may be made as one-time gifts or over a period of time, including spreading the donation over monthly instalments on your credit card. Donations to the Annual FundWhen you contribute to the annual campaign fund you can contribute directly to a specific fund or department or you can give a much-needed unrestricted or flexible gift. Deans and program chairs use these unrestricted funds for their most pressing initiatives. Generally those needs include student financial assistance, support for new programs, the purchase of books, technology or equipment. There are a number of ways to support the annual campaign, including cash gifts made through a credit card, cheque, gifts-in-kind or gifts of appreciated securities or shares, which offer added tax benefits. Charitable tax receipts are promptly issued. Establishing Named FundsFunds that carry a name or honour an individual are welcomed. There are several options. Return to top Endowed AwardA donor or group of donors can donate capital to a fund to be invested as a perpetual (permanently held) endowment. The income earned from the fund will be used to provide an award according to the terms and criteria identified by the donor and in keeping with the Foundation Endowment Management Policy. It is the Foundation's policy that the preservation of capital is based on the annual distribution of earnings on the absolute or real rate of return on assets, over the long-term. Undistributed earnings are added to the endowment and, along with capital growth, maintain the real value of the principal gift. Each year, the Foundation Board evaluates the rate of return and sets the disbursement rate. Endowments established in the name of an individual, group, or business start with a minimum capital contribution of $10,000. Donors often choose to endow new awards at levels that substantially exceed the minimum, recognising the significant costs students must face annually for tuition fees, textbooks, and living expenses. You may initially establish an endowment at the minimum level and then add to it over time until it increases to provide an ever-higher level of award support. Endowment agreements signed between donors and Okanagan College Foundation outline the terms of the trust and the payment of pledges if initially established below $10,000. Return to top Annual/Endowed CombinationIt is also possible to "top up" the funds generated by an endowment fund with an additional annual gift to make a larger award available to a student. For example, if the endowment fund generates income to make available $400, a donor can add $100 to create a $500 award. The other option is to add annually to the endowment fund to build it over time, with the goal of eventually having the annual award fully supported by the endowment income. Annual AwardA named annual award may also be established and renewed one year at a time. The Advancement Office contacts annual award donors by mail each August for confirmation of support for their awards for the school year. The minimum donation to establish an annually funded award is $500 per year for a scholarship or bursary. An Annual Award Agreement signed by the donor when the award is being established identifies the terms and conditions of the award. 100% of the donation received is given in the award to the student. Return to top PrizesPrizes are usually given in recognition of academic excellence or service in a particular program or service, and are not based on financial need. The prize may be given in the form of books, special equipment, such as tools, or money. The value typically ranges from $100 to $500 and may be given out at graduation or some other department-based event. Like other donations, they are eligible for charitable receipts. Return to top GrantsWorking with Okanagan College Faculties and Departments, the Advancement Office team helps identify, cultivate and solicit support for capital and grant support of the Colleges' priority needs, including facilities, faculty initiatives and research opportunities. Okanagan College has a Research Committee that oversees the research conducted at the institution. Return to top Gifts in KindDonations of equipment, materials or other supplies provide tangible support for Okanagan College programs. Every year, thousands of dollars in goods, such as cars, lumber and other building materials are donated. These gifts are of great value and are eligible for the same kinds of tax benefits and recognition as other gifts to Okanagan College. A gift-in-kind must be assessed before a charitable receipt can be issued for current fair market value. Initial arrangement for gifts-in-kind are made at the Department level, to ensure the donation is acceptable and will benefit learning. Return to top Commemorative Giving: In Honour and In MemoriamOkanagan College has a long tradition of helping its donors create a legacy in honour of a loved one. Named scholarships and bursaries and other commemorative possibilities are available. Donations in memory or honour of an individual will also be acknowledged to family members as requested. Return to top Planned Gift - Bequests, Insurance Policies and TrustsPlanned gifts are becoming increasingly popular among donors wanting to support their charities. In addition to attractive tax incentives, it often satisfies a donor's wish to leave a gift by which they will be remembered. Methods of giving are as widely varied as the funding interests of our donors. Planned gifts can be undesignated, in support of the College’s area of greatest need, or directed to something more specific, such as an existing endowment or to create a new one. A planned gift is a charitable donation arranged during a donor’s lifetime but, generally, not available until sometime in the future. Combined with estate and tax planning, planned gifts can maintain the value of your estate for loved ones while allowing you to make a gift without affecting your current lifestyle. Gifts do not necessarily have to be deferred until the end of one’s life to be considered a planned gift. You may prefer to make an outright gift to immediately see the impact of your support. Any donation of substantial assets given during your lifetime designed to meet your charitable goals and sometimes to maximise tax or estate-planning objectives is also considered to be a planned gift. Gifts of property and assets, life insurance, and charitable remainder trusts can all produce immediate tax benefits. Your planned gift may be a "present gift" that the Okanagan College Foundation can use now or a "deferred gift" that will be available in the future. Bequests are critical to the future success of students and are a wonderful legacy. This support is instrumental in the establishment, and strengthening of endowment funds, scholarships and other student financial aid programs, libraries, research and buildings. Return to top Recognising You with ThanksPlease know that Okanagan College and the Okanagan College Foundation value your contribution to our students and will work with you to ensure that your support is appropriately recognised and that your wishes for naming awards are honoured. We are pleased to work with you on creating the appropriate recognition that acknowledges the special relationship between you, Okanagan College and the Okanagan College Foundation. You too can power a promise that is unfolding.
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At Okanagan College, we are in the business of enlightening minds and nurturing talents, developing them into the skills that will launch students on their careers or new areas of learning. Whether it is training in construction, technologies, health care, business, or the start of a university degree, Okanagan College is anticipating what's next, ensuring students are meeting needs now and as they emerge.