Vlad Solokhine has a lot of big ideas

“I always believed in the future of profit and non-profit working together,” explains

HNA’s outgoing Chair who initially met our founder, Ingrid Taheri, through the Markham Board of Trade. After learning more about the charity, Vlad saw the opportunity to co-mingle the two in a way that could help High Notes Avante reach new opportunities.

Vlad is continuously working to find new financial solutions for High Notes Avante to ensure that the organization can stretch every incoming dollar to its full potential.

With Vlad’s expertise in financial services, that is happening through use of financial instruments. In short, money donated to High Notes Avante can be used to purchase financial instruments such as investments, securities, RRSPs, or life insurance. Canada Revenue Agency provides substantial tax savings for donations made with financial instruments, making each dollar go much further for both the donor and High Notes Avante.

For Vlad, it’s all about thinking outside the box. “I believe it’s great to support charities that you feel for whichever way you can, with your money or your time or both, and if you want to get more creative then you can find more creative ways of donating,” he said, about the work that he has done to implement tiered giving.

For example, if an older patron is looking to donate a set amount monthly for their remaining years, the cumulative amount will be sizeable on its own. However, instead of letting that money stand alone, it can instead be used to purchase a life insurance policy with a much higher yield. The policy will be given to the charity, and the donor’s estate will receive a tax receipt.

These instruments are available for one-time gifts as well. Instead of simply donating the dollars at face value, the patron could donate appreciated securities in-kind, without selling them. As a result, they receive a regular tax receipt and their capital gain tax is fully forgiven, and High Notes Avante receives a sizeable donation.

The arrangements might sound puzzling at first to those unfamiliar with the financial world, but Vlad is on a mission to use his knowledge to benefit charities such as High Notes Avante.

While Vlad is proud of his time on the Board, he has affirmed that his devotion to High Notes Avante extends well beyond his time at the boardroom table. Even though he has not been personally touched by mental illness, he understands some of the struggles that clients routinely face. “We all have moments of despair where you don’t believe in yourself,” says Vlad. “These are moments when you don’t believe that anything brighter could happen in your life.”

Vlad believes in the arts as a road to healing, and that artistic expression can help individuals find a lighter, brighter path in front of them. High Notes Avante is a family affair for him, where he’ll often bring his children along to volunteer at events.

His goal for the future Board is to see the organization continue its forward trajectory, utilizing its dedicated base of volunteers and expanding resources to offer more services to a population who so benefit from the work.

“I want people to know that there is always a ray of sunshine everywhere no matter how dark life could be around you,” says Vlad.

“We try to be this ray of sunshine and we try in terms of artistic expression, in terms of singing together, playing music together, doing other artistic things together. If you need this ray of sunshine, come to us, we’ll be happy to help you with that.”

Feel free to reach out to Vlad through Lazaar Wealth Management at 647.308.2749