Does BCAM accept donations in the form of publicly traded shares? Yes! You can support BCAM's work financially any number of ways.

1. Donating stocks. If you own publicly traded shares with a substantial capital gain, you might consider making a donation ‘in kind’ to take advantage of recently changed  tax laws. Donations of shares to a registered charity are exempt from capital gains tax.

A longtime BCAM member recently made a significant donation in the form of stocks. The member, who preferred to remain anonymous, said, “ It's a wonderful way to give a substantial donation at greatly reduced cost to the donor.” That's because the donor receives a tax receipt for the full amount of the donation, and gets a break on capital gains tax. It's a real win-win, according to the donor. “I just hope this kickstarts other people to do the same thing. It’s a simple process; your broker will take care of the transaction for you,” she said.

2. Monthly donations are a great way to help BCAM on a regular basis, and spread out your donation over a year, rather than donating a lump sum (although we're always happy to receive those, too!) Monthly donations can be as little as $5 per month, or as much as $100 or more. You decide how much you would like to give, give us your credit card number or post-dated cheques, and we'll take care of the rest. You will receive one receipt for the total at the end of the year. The benefit for BCAM is that we can develop long- term plans with a sense of how much money we can count on receiving on a monthly basis. The advantage for you is that once you have made this commitment, you don't have to remember to send cheques or phone in your credit card information when you want to make a donation, and you will know that you are helping BCAM's vital work to continue.

3. Membership is BCAM's backbone. While many of you reading this newsletter are members, some haven't yet joined. Why not join today? At $25 per year, it's an inexpensive way to support BCAM's mission to expose the environmental causes of breast cancer and reduce the incidence of this terrible disease through education and advocacy. Many BCAM members buy gift memberships or make donations to honour family members and friends who are celebrating birthdays, anniversaries and other special occasions. While breast cancer is not an issue to celebrate, supporting the fight for its eradication is a tremendous way to pay tribute to a loved one. For more information about supporting BCAM's work, please contact Jane Shulman, coordinator, special projects, at: jshulman@bcam.qc.ca