Financial Planning

The Microboard Guide: Part 1 of 5 A microboard is a small group of committed people who come together with an individual who has a disability to form a registered non-profit corporation. The microboard provides governance, advocacy, and decision-making support for that person throughout their life. It creates a formal legal structure that can outlast any one individual’s involvement. A microboard is not a group home or a service agency. It is a personalized structure, built a

The Microboard Guide: Part 2 of 5 To call your non-profit corporation a microboard, a minimum of five directors are required. Most families do not start with five people ready to serve. Building toward that number is a process that may take months or years. The formal structure comes later. The starting point is relationships. Start with Who Is Available A microboard can begin with two or three committed people. That might be a parent, a sibling or other family member, a nei

The Microboard Guide: Part 3 of 5 There are several government funding streams available to people with developmental disabilities in Ontario. They come from different ministries, go through different channels, and have different rules. This post provides a high-level overview of where a microboard fits in. The specifics depend on each family’s situation and should be worked through with Microboards Ontario or one of the other organizations listed in Part 1 of this guide. Fun

The Microboard Guide: Part 4 of 5 When a family and their circle are ready, the next step is to formally incorporate the microboard as a non-profit corporation. This is what creates the legal entity that can enter into agreements, open a bank account, manage funding, and engage support workers. This step does not need to happen on any timeline. Some families take months, others take years. What matters is that the relationships are in place and the group is ready. How to Inco

The Microboard Guide: Part 5 of 5 Once a microboard is incorporated and operational, there are ongoing obligations. These are more extensive depending on whether the microboard manages funding, but even microboards that serve primarily as governance and advocacy structures have basic corporate obligations. With the right systems and supports, these requirements are manageable. Regular Board Meetings A microboard should hold regular board meetings. Meetings can cover the indi

What It Is The Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP) is a federal savings plan, introduced in 2008, that allows families to save for a child with a disability while receiving government contributions from the federal government. It works in a similar way to a RESP: money is contributed into the plan, investments grow tax deferred inside it, and the government adds grants and bonds on top of the contributions. The lifetime contribution limit is $200,000 with no annual cap.

There are several federal and provincial programs in Canada that provide income, health benefits, tax relief, and long-term savings for people with disabilities. These programs are spread across different levels of government, each with its own eligibility rules, application process, and timeline. This section brings them together in one place and walks through them in a sequence that reflects how they connect to one another. These programs interact and are inter-related. Som

What It Is A Henson Trust is a type of trust used estate planning to protect the financial interests of a person with a disability while preserving their eligibility for ODSP. It is an absolute discretionary trust. In simple terms, this means the trustee (the person managing the trust) has full control over when and how the money in the trust is used, and the beneficiary (the person with the disability) has no legal right to demand payments from it. Because the beneficiary do

What It Is The Canada Disability Benefit (CDB) is a federal program that provides monthly payments of up to $200 ($2,400 per year) to Canadians with disabilities between the ages of 18 and 64. It launched in July 2025 through the Canada Disability Benefit Act and is administered by Service Canada. Payments are made on the third Thursday of each month. Why It Matters The CDB provides additional monthly income on top of ODSP. Ontario has confirmed that CDB payments are not coun

What It Is The Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) is a provincial program that provides monthly income and health related benefits to Ontario residents with disabilities who are in financial need. It is administered by the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services and becomes available to individuals at age 18. ODSP provides monthly income to help with basic living costs, along with coverage for prescription drugs, vision care, dental services, assistive devi