At PearTree, Les works with charitable donor clients to significantly reduce their after-tax cost of giving. Les has over 35 years of financial markets experience in banking, tax and wealth planning. Les holds a Commerce degree from Queen’s, an MBA from York and a Master of Financial Advice in Philanthropy. He is an accredited Financial Planner, a Chartered Investment Manager, a Fellow of both the Canadian Securities Institute and the Institute of Canadian Bankers. Les is a long-time Oakville resident and Rotarian. He is active in committee work at the Oakville Community Foundation and the Oakville Chamber of Commerce. Les is also active in the local and GTA chapters of the Canadian Association of Gift Planners and the Association of Fundraising Professionals. Since 2007, PearTree Financial has played an important role in helping charitable donors in Canada increase and accelerate their giving by capitalizing on federal and provincial income tax policies intended to bolster the fundraising of Canadian charities and to stimulate activity in the natural resource sector of the Canadian economy.Since its inception, PearTree’s structured financings have facilitated over $2 billion in flow through share subscriptions for donation purposes; saving donors significantly in after-tax costs and infusing much needed capital into Canada’s resource and charitable sectors. Both charities and the resource sector have discovered an otherwise elusive source of capital to allow their operations to continue on their path to job-creating success. The net result of these activities has been of significant economic and social benefit to Canada.While fully complying with amendments in the June 2011 Federal Budget, PearTree has successfully structured the flow through transaction to bring the after-tax cost of giving down to less than 15% of the donation amount in all provinces except in Alberta where it is less than 20%. Gifts by private companies are equally tax efficient.

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