On Monday, Jan. 5, AFP, Imagine Canada and several other prominent members of Canada’s charitable community posted a full-page advertisement in The Globe and Mail addressed to key members of Parliament.
 
The advertisement referenced the current economic challenges that are negatively affecting charitable giving.  In response to these challenges, AFP, Imagine Canada and the other signers of the advertisement urged the federal government to support three specific proposals:

1. Exempt gifts of private company shares from capital gains taxes
2. Exempt gifts of real estate from capital gains taxes
3. Level the playing field between “arms length” and “non-arms length” employees who exercise stock options and give the shares to a charity within 30 days

While the federal budget will be tabled on Jan. 28, the main decisions will be made two or three weeks prior to that date. In order to raise public awareness of these proposals, and the benefits to Canada’s nonprofit sector, AFP and other organizations decided to run the ad.
 
The ad was signed by the heads of leading national umbrella organizations representing the nonprofit sector, as well as the leaders of prominent hospitals, universities, social service agencies and arts and cultural organizations. Amanda Gellman, chair of AFP's Canadian Government Relations Committee, signed this on behalf of AFP Canadian members.
 
A copy of The Globe and Mail advertisement is available at this link