For many curling clubs, the 2020-21 season has ended prematurely due to the pressure and limitations of Covid-19. We would like to remind you that a program is currently in place, through Sports Québec, to specifically help sports clubs through these financially challenging times.
Through the Fonds Sports-Québec program, which is only available to curling clubs affiliated with Curling Québec, it is now possible to convert a portion of unused memberships into tax-exempt donations for members.
Example: If your club decides to reimburse $50 of its annual membership fees to each of its members due to a shortened season, this amount may also be offered to your club as a donation rather than being returned to a member, if the latter accepts and approves the transaction.
Here is what you need to do to benefit from this initiative:
- The club must calculate the membership portion that members have not utilized due to Covid-19 pandemic restrictions. This pro-rated amount of the membership is eligible for reimbursement to members, and for the conversion into a donation, as well.If the donation is $25 or higher, it will be eligible for a tax receipt in February of the following fiscal year.
- The club is responsible for communicating to its members the option of converting their reimbursements into voluntary donations. In order to do so, and to ask for the members’ consent, the club must have each member complete and sign the joint donation form.
- Upon receipt of all completed and signed member forms, the club will have to prepare a mailing for SPORTSQUÉBEC, with the following documents:
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- Completed donation forms;
- Proof of membership payment for each of the members submitting a donation form;
- The calculation of the unused membership portion after forced closure;
- A check, made out to Sports Québec (alternatively, a bank transfer. Banking details will be sent upon request) for the total amount of the expected donations.
- Below is SPORTSQUÉBEC’s mailing address
Sports Québec
Attn.: Madame Ode Caron, Directrice Placements Sports
4545, av. Pierre-De Coubertin
Montréal, Québec H1V 0B2
- SPORTSQUÉBEC will transfer the donations (minus the administrative fees, see attached document) to Curling Québec, who will then be responsible for the final transfer to the participating curling clubs. To facilitate the process, and to maximize the fundraising potential for clubs, Curling Québec has decided to forfeit its own administrative fees.
- Please allow for approximately six weeks for the entire process to complete, starting from the mailing to Sports Québec until the curling club receives its donations.
- In February 2021, SPORTSQUÉBEC will issue the 2020 tax receipts for all donations of $25 and more for which proper documentation was received. If your donations and reimbursements occur in 2021, the tax receipts will be issued in February 2022.
We encourage all of our affiliated curling clubs to take advantage of this program which can help them generate emergency funding during this prolonged closure period. Please be aware that Curling Quebec has already submitted the request to register all its affiliated clubs with SPORTSQUÉBEC as soon as we received the information about this new FSQ initiative last week to accelerate processing times to your benefit.
To download all the required documentation and information, please click here.
