Legacy Giving – Dr. Bob McDonald Scholarship

As a Professor of Organic Chemistry for more than 30 years at Mount Saint Vincent University, Dr. Robert (Bob) McDonald was always teaching, researching, or seeking answers. He loved sharing the gift of knowledge in all its forms and was happiest passing it along whenever or wherever he could. Even after his official retirement from teaching, Dr. Bob spent years in his research lab, working toward potential chemical solutions for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. He also often visited local schools to perform science magic and judge annual science fairs.

When Dr. Bob passed away in November 2021, his spouse, Wendy, and sons Chris and Andrew knew the best way to honour his memory was to keep his love of learning alive. The Dr. Bob Scholarship will be awarded annually to a promising fourth-year chemistry student enrolled at Mount Saint Vincent University.

The scholarship was funded by a donation of shares from Wendy McDonald along with donations from family and friends in Bob’s memory.

“During his tenure and well into his retirement years, the summers were when he managed to do research, always employing students to assist with progress and discovery,” says Wendy McDonald. “The scholarship will continue his legacy by helping a senior student with tuition.”

Left to right: Wendy McDonald and Dr. Bob McDonald

To donate shares is to give your own publicly traded securities as a gift instead of cash. Chances are, those securities have increased in value since you purchased them. If you were to cash them out, you would pay capital gains tax. But when you donate them to a charity, the charity gets the full value, and both you and the charity are exempt from the tax.

“Donating shares is a win-win for both me and MSVU,” says Wendy McDonald. “It allows me to make a larger donation than would have been possible with ‘after tax’ dollars.”