Despite advances in recent years, access to education and funding for research sometimes still pose a challenge. The planned gift to the Fondation de l’UQAM supports, among other things, students in their academic career, as well as the creation and dissemination of knowledge. This is a philanthropic avenue with great potential, both for donors and their entourage and for beneficiaries.
The planned gift is part of a financial, tax or estate strategy aimed at optimizing its advantages, both for the beneficiaries and for the donors. It can take several forms, both deferred and immediate, ranging from a bequest to the gift of a life insurance policy, through a charitable trust or a gift of securities or real estate. An avenue that allows donors and their heirs, regardless of their budget, to fulfill the philanthropic mission that is important to them, while benefiting from excellent tax advantages.
To highlight the impact of this winning formula put forward by the Fondation de l’UQAM, we gave the floor to generous donors and some of their beneficiaries from the academic community.
Antje Bettin
Donate for diversity
A donor for more than thirty years, the retired professor created in 1993 the Intercultural Fund that bears her name to support initiatives for rapprochement implemented by UQAM students. Each year, it awards an annual scholarship of $5,000 to the bachelor’s degree and two scholarships of $10,000 to the master’s and doctoral degrees, regardless of academic field. A total of 70 scholarships have already been granted, and counting, as she donated her life insurance for the continuation of their delivery after her death.
“Every time the scholarships are awarded, I am very impressed by the quality of the students’ commitment to intercultural issues,” remarks Antje Bettin. This year, one of the fellows, a doctoral student of Cameroonian origin (mother of five children!), is working on the role of African women in agriculture. The results of his research will have important repercussions on the economy of African countries. In addition, she demonstrates to her children that in Quebec, all people, even those who come from elsewhere, have the right to an academic training allowing them to launch projects that help society move forward, here and abroad. »
The generosity of the donor, herself an immigrant, testifies to her desire to thank UQAM and Quebec society for the success of her integration into Quebec.
“Registration at UQAM is one of the best decisions I have made in my life. Going back to school after working, with five children and the financial, moral and psychological uncertainty that entails, was not an easy decision to make. However, the UQAM Foundation has given me such financial and moral relief that words fail me to express my gratitude. It’s an amazing boost. »
Jenny Desrochers
Give without waiting
It was in 2013, when Transat founder Jean-Marc Eustache generously donated $1 million in life insurance to the Foundation of his alma mater, that Jenny Desrochers has chosen to become a donor. “I discovered that the planned gift was accessible for a 30-something like me. By paying relatively modest premiums of approximately $1,000 per year for ten years, or $2.75 per day, I will leave the considerable amount of $100,000 to the Fondation de l’UQAM on my death to support the success of young students. »
But that wasn’t enough for the UQAM public relations graduate. “I also wanted to benefit from the impact of my contribution during my lifetime. That’s why I created three personalized scholarships. Every year, Jenny Desrochers awards a $1,500 scholarship, recently granted to the Fonds Études sans frontières, which allows people in difficulty or from countries at war to come and study at UQAM. An avid runner, she also offers two $1,000 bursaries to student-athletes from UQAM’s Citadins en cross-country. Ultimately, it wants its beneficiaries to be made aware of the cause of university philanthropy. “Every time I meet my scholarship holders, I talk to them about it! »
“Being a college athlete and research student comes with its own set of challenges. The recognition and support related to the scholarship gave me the push I needed to perform. This scholarship meant more to me than money, even if the amount was significant in a period of my life when I lived on student loans. The fact that someone I didn’t know believed in me gave me the confidence to persevere. Thanks, Jenny! »
René Berneche
Give to the following
A long-time donor, the honorary professor set up the René Bernèche capitalized fund in 2007, which made it possible to award $34,000 in merit scholarships for the doctorate in psychology. From an initial value of $40,000, this fund has now reached $130,000 thanks to the contribution of his entourage and accumulated interest. In 2021, the philanthropist confirmed a donation of shares to establish the Roy-Bernèche Fund in Humanistic Psychology, which will support research in this field where grants are scarce, thanks to a capital of $350,000.
René Bernèche encourages donors to take an interest in planned giving: “It allows you to start something that will become big without putting in a colossal down payment. There are several ways to plan a donation, several formulas that may suit different people,” concludes the man who invited his relatives and former colleagues to contribute to his research fund.
“The creation of the fund comes at a pivotal moment in the history of the psychology department at UQAM, and particularly for the humanistic psychology section, because the professors are currently very active in the development of research and new specializations. This donation will also allow the creation of scholarships for students, facilitate the dissemination of work and clearly contribute to the influence of the discipline. »
Johanne Saint-Charles and Pierre Mongeau
Give together
In 2015, the teaching couple made a donation of life insurance combined with a capitalized fund to provide scholarships to support their respective research subjects. They also piloted committees in their departments to encourage professors to become donors.
“Our scholarships are intended for all UQAM students whose study project adopts a communicational perspective to better understand the phenomena of work groups, interpersonal relationships and the formation of networks or problems. linked to health and the environment, underline the donors. A first scholarship was awarded to a student for her work on group phenomena in role-playing games, and a second was granted to another student for her project aimed at taking interpersonal relationships into account during organizational changes. »
Johanne Saint-Charles and Pierre Mongeau consider that they were able to attend university because of affordable tuition fees, and because people they met on their path encouraged them to continue their academic training. “We both come from working-class backgrounds, and neither of our respective parents has completed high school. With scholarships, we want to support students who have the motivation and ability to pursue higher education. They are granted on the basis of academic success and social commitment. »
Created in 1976, the Fondation de l’UQAM’s mission is to collect donations in order to contribute to the vitality of education, research and creation at UQAM and to promote accessibility to university studies through offer of scholarships to students. Thanks to the financial support of its donors, the Foundation pays the University each year the funds raised to ensure the development of promising projects and success in studies in many fields of knowledge.
This content was produced by Le Devoir’s special publications team in collaboration with the advertiser. Le Devoir’s editorial team had no role in the production of this content.
To learn more about the UQAM Foundation