How to Give
The Yellowknife Community Foundation has empowered thousands of donors to create positive change in the communities where we live and work.
We offer flexible options for charitable giving. We provide advice and have community expertise to help you to be most effective with your charitable giving.
The Yellowknife Community Foundation responsibly manages and grows our donor funds through careful investment, ensuring lasting community impact.
Methods of Giving
There are different ways to give:
- Donate online by credit card
- Donate monthly by credit card
- Mail a cheque: Yellowknife Community Foundation, PO Box 1620, Yellowknife NT, X1A 2P2
- Call our office: 867 446-4527
- Donate stocks, securities and life insurance policies (contact our office to learn more: 867 446-4527). Gifting shares avoids paying capital gains tax which means the Foundation receives a larger gift from you, and you get a larger tax receipt.
- E-transfer information@ykcf.ca. Please be sure to indicate what fund you are donating to, and provide your address and contact information so we can issue a charitable tax receipt.
If you have questions or would like to talk through your giving, please email or call our office:
Benefits of Charitable Giving
1. Tax Savings
When you give to a registered charity, you get a tax receipt. That means when you file your taxes, you can pay less (sometimes hundreds or even thousands less) depending on how much you give.
Example:
If you donate $1,000 and live in the NWT, you’ll get a tax credit of roughly:
- $262 from the federal government (15% on the first $200, 29% on the rest)
- $115 from the NWT (5.9% on the first $200, 14.05% on the rest)
That’s about $377 as a credit at tax time. Your $1,000 gift only “costs” you $623.
2. Feel Good Vibes
Giving helps you feel connected, kind, and purposeful. Whether it’s $10 or $10,000 or $100,000, you’re helping people, animals, or causes you care about, and that just feels good.
3. Make a Real Impact
Your gift can do big things like:
- Help a kid go to school
- Fund health care or research
- Support local food banks, animal shelters, or arts programs
Even small gifts can make a difference when combined with others. For example, our Yellowknife Community Fund is made of up donations ranging from $1 to hundreds of thousands, and each year, we give out $100,000 to the community (and this amount will grow every year as we grow the endowment!).
4. Business Perks (if you own one)
If you’re a business owner, charitable donations can:
- Reduce your business taxes
- Improve your public image
- Strengthen relationships with your community and customers
Choosing what fund or initiative you want to give to
Donate to an existing fund
Anyone can donate to any of our existing funds at any time. You can find a list and description of all of our existing funds here.
Our online donation system makes it easy to set up an automatic recurring donation as well. No matter the size of your donation, we will send a charitable tax receipt to the email address you provided.
Not sure what fund to donate to? Consider the following:
Yellowknife Community Fund: makes grants to organizations in Yellowknife to address a wide variety of needs
Northern Legacy Fund: will soon make grants to organizations in the Northwest Territories to address a wide variety of needs
Administration Fund: this fund supports our everyday operations, and is essential for us to make the greatest impact in our community
Start a charitable fund
By establishing your own Fund, you can support the cause(s) or charity(ies) you’re passionate about, year after year.
You can create:
- a field of interest fund
- a student award fund
- a charitable designated fund
- a Named Contribution (sub-fund) within the Yellowknife Community Fund
- a Named Contribution (sub-fund) within the Northern Legacy Fund
- a Named Contribution (sub-fund) within the Administration Fund
Read up about starting your own fund at the button below. Contact us with questions or when youre ready to start a fund, at 867-446-4527 or information@ykcf.ca.
Start an emerging fund
An Emerging Fund is a great way to start a charitable legacy at your own pace. You can begin with a smaller contribution (minimum of $1,000) and add to it over the span of five years until it reaches the minimum amount needed to become an active spend down ($12,000) or endowment fund ($30,000 – $60,000). Once it’s fully established, the fund will provide ongoing support to causes you care about, like education, community programs, or the arts.
Starting an Emerging Fund is easy and flexible. You can grow the fund through regular contributions, gifts from family and friends, or other donations. You’ll also receive tax receipts for your contributions and know that your fund will create a lasting impact for years to come. It’s a simple, meaningful way to give back and make a difference in the community.
If you want to fundraise for your fund, you can find some resources at the button below.
Contact us with questions or when you’re ready to start an emerging fund, at 867-446-4527 or information@ykcf.ca.
Legacy giving
Leaving a gift to the Yellowknife Community Foundation in your will is a way to make a lasting difference for future generations. Your generosity will continue to support and strengthen the community for years to come.
Contact us with questions or if you want to talk about leaving a gift in your will, at 867-446-4527 or information@ykcf.ca.
Choosing Yellowknife Community Foundation offers many benefits.
Experience: We have been helping donors in Yellowknife achieve their philanthropic goals for over to 30 years.
Simplicity: Making a one-time donation, setting up recurring contributions, or establishing a fund with us is simple and streamlined. We handle all the administrative work, so you can focus on what matters most -supporting your community!
Investment Management: We carefully manage our investments to balance risk and return, and by pooling our funds, we achieve a solid rate of return.
Community Expertise: We have deep community knowledge and relationships, and provide opportunities for donors to learn about the community through conversations or by making connections with charities and non-profits doing good work in our territory.
Types of Funds
Endowment Fund
An Endowment Fund is invested and holds the capital (the donation) long-term. Generally, only the investment income is distributed as grants or student awards each year. While the capital can be accessed or distributed under the Foundation’s policies, the goal is to preserve it for the future. Most Funds set up with the Foundation are Endowment Funds. Endowment Funds can be established with a minimum of $60,000. There is no additional administration fee, as the Foundation charges an annual fee on the endowment fund balance.
Spend Down Fund
Unlike endowment funds, this type of fund operates until the funds are fully distributed. The funds are invested in the same way as an endowment fund, but each year, the grants or student awards are given by using investment income and by dipping into the capital (the donation). Spend Down Funds can be established with a minimum of $12,000. There is no additional administration fee, as the Foundation charges an annual fee on the fund balance.
Flow Through Fund
Flow Through Funds can be established with an initial gift of $1,000, and are expected to distributed within a short period of time. Flow through funds are not held as investments and donor will be asked to pay an additional administration fee.
Named Contributions
Named Contributions can be created within parent endowment funds, and are pooled together with other Named Contributions and donations to that parent fund. Named Contributions can be established within the Yellowknife Community Fund, the Northern Legacy Fund, and the Administration Fund with an initial gift of $5,000. There is no additional administration fee as the Foundation charges an annual fee on the fund balance.