Gordon Nelson Award

Now available: The Gordon Nelson Award Nomination Form.

Patrick Corlett, LLB., CFA
2009 Recipient of the Gordon Nelson Award

As a lawyer and a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), Patrick brings a unique blend of credentials to his work in the not for profit sector. His professional background has been invaluable in the development and growth of The Salvation Army’s planned giving and estates program. He has served as the Director of Estates for The Salvation Army since 1995 and was a Salvation Army officer (pastor).

Patrick gives freely of his time and expertise to his Salvation Army colleagues as well as to other charities through his involvement in professional associations such as The Canadian Association of Gift Planners (CAGP) and the Canadian Charitable Annuity Association. He has served as the Army’s representative on Imagine Canada Roundtables established to develop and present recommendations to the Federal Government on behalf of Canada’s charities. These recommendations are helping to build a more positive regulatory and tax environment for this country’s charitable sector.

Patrick has been an active member of the Association for 15 years.

He currently serves as Chair of the Association’s Regulatory Committee and was an active member of the Association’s Board for many years.

His guidance has contributed greatly to the Association’s awareness and monitoring of emerging government and regulatory issues surrounding charitable gift annuities; and has helped to ensure that the Association’s membership standards reflect best practices for the management of successful and sustainable charitable gift annuity programs.

It is with great pleasure that we nominate Patrick to receive the Gordon Nelson Award.

Nominated by:
Lois Flemming, CFRE
Director, Major Gifts & Planned Giving
Salvation Army
and
Faye Ransom
Acting Director/Planned Giving
Queen’s University

Harry Houtman
2006 Recipient of the Gordon Nelson Award

Harry Houtman is President of Link Charity Canada Inc. He is also a gift planning officer for Christian Blind Mission International.

He introduced the gift annuities to Christian Stewardship Services during his tenure there. Harry has served for many years on the national executive of the Canadian Charitable Annuity Association in its various shapes and forms, including as secretary of the board for many years. He was part of the delegation to the BC Securities Commission.

Harry created Link Charity as a service linking donors with charities to provide planned giving instruments such as self-funded gift annuities, gifts of appreciated securities, family endowments, etc. Under Harry’s guidance Link Charity is becoming a major player in the gift annuity fields.

Harry has done much for those who purchase a gift annuity and for charities who are promoting this vehicle for an income to benefit the organization. He has unselfishly and willingly given of his time, energy and wisdom.

Harry is being recognized for his expertise, positive promotion of the charitable gift annuity and for creative assistance to many donors for their benefit as well as that of charities.

Recommended by:
Art Brooker
Executive Director
In Touch Ministries of Canada

Alan Brereton
2005 Recipient of the Gordon Nelson Award

Alan Brereton is the first recipient of the Gordon Nelson Award of the Canadian Charitable Annuity Association.

Alan Brereton is a retired actuary who still does consulting work with Eckler Partners Ltd. Alan is a United Church member who approached the Gift Planning Officer to express his concern about the viability and funding formula securing sufficient financial backing of annuities issued and guarantying future income streams for annuitants. He became a member of the Gift Planning Committee of The United Church of Canada so he could continue to challenge the United Church until their systems covered all of his actuarial concerns.

After he became Chair of the Planned Giving Committee, Canada Revenue Agency changed the requirements for the receipting of Charitable Gift Annuities Dec. 21, 2002. The new system required all charities to use a market value for the prescribed annuity portion of the gift. Charities had to then acquire these market value quotes from CANNEX at extra costs to themselves. When Alan determined that these costs were significant for the Charitable Annuity community, he set about devising a quotation system that all charities could use that eliminated the necessity of using an outside agency. This system has been a blessing to all the charities since they can now quote quickly, easily and at a very low cost. This has been an exceptional contribution to the charitable annuity sector by a professional with a unique grasp of annuity complexities.

Now that the system is up and running to his satisfaction, Alan has turned his attention back to the Insurance industry. He is working with them to develop consistent standards among those who do the actuarial evaluations of those charities issuing charitable gift annuities.

Alan Brereton, as the 2005 recipient of the Gordon Nelson Award, very much exemplifies the characteristics of professionalism and has exhibited a very strong commitment to the charitable annuity community.

Nominated by:
The Gift Planning Committee
The United Church of Canada

Terms of Reference

The Gordon Nelson Award has been created to honour Gordon Nelson for his great contributions to the field of charitable gift annuities. Gordon Nelson epitomizes not only what a true professional is, but has given above and beyond his calling in serving his community and furthering the interests and mission of the Canadian Charitable Annuity Association (CCAA).

Candidates may be nominated from the membership of the CCAA or may be nominated as recognized professionals who fit the criteria of this award.

When applicable, the "Gordon Nelson Award" will be presented at the Canadian Charitable Annuity Association Annual Meeting which is held in October of each year. All nominations must be received prior to August 1st in the year of the award. Nominations must be submitted to the Chair of the CCAA. Nomination criteria will be posted and promoted on the CCAA website and other appropriate places.

Each nomination must be in writing, must include not only the nominee's name but their professional designation, if any, their business name and address, and particularly a written substantiation of why the nominee is in the nominator's opinion worthy of this distinction and honour. Specific achievements and contributions regarding the nominee's commitment to the profession and the community must be detailed. The nominator must provide all of his/her own contact information; each copy of the nomination document must be an original and signed by the nominator.

In order to be worthy of the "Gordon Nelson Award", the candidate must have demonstrated outstanding contributions to the CCAA. This award will not be necessarily given every year, but rather this is an award that will honour someone in the field who has distinguished themselves both professionally and personally. Recognition of the highest standards of professional conduct will be weighed equally with the individual's commitment to the charitable annuity community.

The recipient will be selected by the CCAA board of directors.