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Generosity Education
FAMILY VALUES
Grandkids will steer the Sinns’ charitable giving
By ECF Staff
GERALD AND BARBARA Sinn have found a unique and meaningful way to engage their grandchildren in charitable giving.
The couple has established individual endowment funds for their five grandchildren at Edmonton Community Foundation (ECF).
These funds allow the kids to make grants to local charities once they reach Grade 9. For Gerry and Barbara, this initiative is not just about financial support; it’s about spending time with their grandchildren and instilling a strong sense of community values.
“It’s cool. It’s between us and them,” Barbara say.
Two of their grandchildren, Andrea and Benjamin, have already taken up the challenge of deciding where to direct their grants from their funds.
In their grandparents’ study, the family discussed various Edmonton-based charities that could use support. For Andrea, the choice was clear — she was passionate about the environment and chose to support the Edmonton & Area Land Trust, an organization dedicated to protecting natural areas and preserving biodiversity for future generations.
Benjamin’s choice was more personal. Before his own autism diagnosis, he decided to support Children’s Autism Services of Edmonton, a decision that took on even deeper meaning as his family learned more about living life with a family member on the spectrum.
Through these grants, both Andrea and Ben have become part of their grandparents’ legacy of giving, learning valuable lessons about community responsibility and the impact they
can make.
The endowment model ensures that
their impact will continue to grow. When a fund is established at ECF, the money is invested. Every year, a portion of the value of the fund is distributed as grants to the community while the rest is re- invested — growing the size of the fund and enabling it to grant more and more each year.
Barbara and Gerry are pleased that these funds will endure long after they are gone, serving as a tool for their grandchildren to continue the tradition of philanthropy.
“These funds will sow the seeds
for them to do things on their own,” Barbara explains. She is proud to pass down the value of community service, something that has been central to her own life. Both she and Gerry spent years volunteering as Scout leaders and in their community league and church.
Gerry, a retired chartered accountant, credits his financial advisors at North Road Investment Counsel, Cary Williams and Marshall McAlister, for helping him and Barbara incorporate charitable giving into their financial plan. After attending ECF’s annual luncheon, they were inspired by the potential of endowment funds and the long-term impact they could have on Edmonton’s charitable community.
“We thought, that’s maybe something we can do for our grandchildren,” Gerry says.
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