Fostering a culture of charity

Ottawa should change tax rules to encourage donations to charity, Editorial, Feb. 20

I cannot disagree more with the idea that wealthy Canadians should get additional tax breaks to encourage donations to charities.

As a Canadian living in the U.S., I have seen this idea in practice and it is harmful to the fabric of New York’s society.

Tax rates on wealthy Canadians are already far too low and the government already gives wealthy Canadians far too many opportunities to evade their tax responsibilities. Instead of “encouraging” them to donate to charities, the government should increase taxes on the wealthiest and invest it in the charitable institutions that Canadians care about. Jason Dumelie, New York A recent Star editorial highlighted the vital role played by Canadian charities and offered policy suggestions to encourage charitable giving.

I commend the Star for raising this important issue. One idea that we have proposed is for innovative amendments to Canada’s tax laws to recognize the value of volunteering. This could be done in a variety of ways, such as through an age-targeted credit to promote youth volunteering.

Whatever model is adopted, such a policy would strengthen Canada’s charities and help foster a culture of volunteering.

Volunteers are the lifeblood of Canada’s charities. While incentivizing monetary contributions is important, so too should the system encourage Canadians to give of their time, energy and passion, without which many charities would simply not succeed. Steve McDonald, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, Toronto