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| Path: Main Street : NewsWeek : Archive : NewsBytes : Article |
This is an archive of CharityVillage NewsWeek.
To find a word on the page, use your browser's "find" feature (CTRL-F or CMD-F).
Please note: While we ensure that all links and e-mail addresses are accurate at their publishing date, the quick-changing nature of the web means that some links to other web sites and e-mail addresses may no longer be accurate.
To view other articles in the archive, use our Chronological Index.
NewsBytes: September, 2001
Articles are arranged in reverse chronological order.
Canadian generosity on the rise, study says
September 24, 2001
Statistics Canada released a new study last week which examines trends in personal gifts and charitable donations between 1969 and 1997. It finds that Canadians' generosity has slowly been rising. In 1969 the average annual value of gifts and contributions per household was $986, or 3.3% of the average disposable household income. By 1996 that percentage rose to 4.5%. Gifts to individuals are increasing, however, donations to charitable organizations are on the decline. The study also found that the manner in which Canadians give gifts and contributions is changing, with a decreasing proportion of funds going to religious organizations compared to organizations without religious affiliation. The study was conducted under the auspices of Statistics Canada's Nonprofit Sector Knowledge Base Project. To view the report in PDF format, visit: www.statcan.ca:80/english/freepub/75F0033MIE/75F0033MI E01004.pdf
September 24, 2001
The tragedy in the United States has prompted a flood of giving in the U.S. and around the world and many people have been turning to the Internet to make their donations. Since the attacks, people have donated more than $78 million dollars online. Last week, U.S. President George W. Bush urged Americans to donate online to disaster-aid organizations.
In an effort to facilitate the process and assure donors that they are giving to a legitimate organization, he has also announced a new web site for collecting donations in support of the victims of the tragedy. The site was set up by a new coalition known as the American Liberty Partnership, which includes Amazon.com, AOL, Cisco Systems, eBay, Microsoft, and Yahoo. To learn more about the new site, visit: www.libertyunites.org/ .
September 24, 2001
The BC government announced that it plans to merge the agencies responsible for regulating gaming in British Columbia. The new Gaming Policy and Enforcement office will be part of the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General. Charities across the province have begun to receive notice that all bingo licenses will be cancelled in December when the government takes over all gaming through the BC Lottery Corporation.
The government is assuring charities that they will continue to receive proceeds from bingos but they won't have to operate them. However, Wendy Smitka, president of the Harbour City Bingo Society, says that charities have cause for concern. "When you don't have to work for your revenue, it's no surprise if there are more people in line to access that revenue," she said. At this point it has not been determined how charities will apply for grants. For more information visit: www.bcgc.gov.bc.ca/.
Fast Fact: Adults with poor literacy skills unlikely to seek education
September 24, 2001
North Americans who have had little education and those with poor literacy skills are unlikely to take part in adult education programs, a new study finds. The study, based on the 1994-98 International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS), analyzed 15 international indicators of participation in adult education. Adults who were younger, employed, or had higher levels of education were more likely to participate in adult education. In Canada, 35% of the population aged 25 to 65 participated in adult education programs, compared with 39% for the United States, and an average of 34% for all countries. In addition, an estimated 17% of Canadian participants received support from the government and 51% were sponsored by an employer. -- Statistics Canada
September 24, 2001
Because of the recent events in the United States, the closing date for proposals on "Sources and Mechanisms of Funding and their Impact on Sustainability of Voluntary Sector Organizations in Canada" has been extended to Wednesday, October 3, 2001 by 4:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. The Capacity Joint Table of the Voluntary Sector Initiative (VSI) issued the request for proposals from voluntary sector organizations on research of this topic in late August. For more information visit: www.vsi-isbc.ca/eng/joint_tables/capacity/rfp_aug15.cfm.
September 24, 2001
Every September the Terry Fox Run has Canadians from coast to coast lacing up their runners to hit the roads in support of cancer research and to honour the memory of Fox, who raised $24 million for his Marathon of Hope before succumbing to cancer in 1981. Last year the event raised a total of $21 million and although the final figures aren't available yet, organizers report that this year revenue and participation were both up by approximately 6%.
The Terry Fox Run has become the largest single-day fundraiser for cancer research in the world, with 55 countries participating. Excluding this year's event, the total raised for the Marathon of Hope is more than $270 million. For more information visit: www.terryfoxrun.org.
September 24, 2001
This past summer the Hunger Site, a popular "click-to-give site, was shut down by its owners. Now under the new ownership of Tim Kunin and Greg Hesterberg, it has been resurrected. By clicking on the site's "Give Free Food" button visitors are able to supply staple foods to hungry people worldwide. Past participation generated over four million cups of staple food a month and Kunin and Hesterberg are hoping for a return to that previous level of giving. Worldwide, an estimated one billion individuals do not get enough nourishment and each day 24,000 die, 75% of whom are children. To learn more visit: www.thehungersite.com.
September 24, 2001
The National Volunteerism Initiative (NVI) has released the results of a scan on volunteering that was conducted in May 2001. The research finds that there are concerns about volunteerism replacing paid work as well as concerns about volunteer liability and qualifications. Those involved in recruiting new volunteers report that they are dealing with more intensive screening and risk management around the use of volunteers. In terms of negative issues surrounding volunteers, lack of respect for volunteers, ineffective volunteer management, too much bureaucracy, and a lack of role clarity between paid and unpaid staff were all identified by people in the sector. For more information visit: www.vsi-isbc.ca/eng/joint_tables/nvi/environmental_scan.cfm .
New foundation hopes to boost charitable donations in Quebec
September 24, 2001
The recently formed Foundation of Greater Montreal is aiming to turn Quebecers into charitable givers. Kathleen Weil, president and CEO of the foundation says, "there is less giving here because traditionally a lot of giving is done anonymously or through the church - a more direct form of charity." Starting with a pool of $20 million from the Centraide Foundation, the YMCA Foundation and the Red Feather Foundation organizers are looking to increase long-term endowments.
"We are looking for individual donors who, instead of setting up their own private foundation, will endow a fund though the community foundation," Weil said. The revenue from invested capital will fund a variety of organizations, including those working in arts and culture, health, education, the environment, and social services. For more information about the Foundation of Greater Montreal call (514)866-0808.
September 24, 2001
The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation is seeking nominations from the international community for its 2002 Hilton Humanitarian Prize. The $1 million prize, the largest humanitarian award in the world, is presented each year to an organization that makes an outstanding effort to ease human suffering. In 2001, the award was presented to St. Christopher's Hospice from the United Kingdom. The deadline for nominations is December 15. For more information on the Hilton Humanitarian Prize, visit: www.hiltonfoundation.org/process_one.htm.
September 24, 2001
Thanks to the Sears After School Enhancement Grants seventeen Boys' and Girls' Clubs from across Canada will receive a total of $127,500 for after-school programs. Recipients were awarded with funds based on their commitment to expanding after-school services as well as being able to demonstrate an unmet need in their community. The money was generated by the Sears Club point donation program, in which customers donate the points they collected from their purchases. More than four million points were donated through the customer loyalty program and then matched by Sears. For more information on Sears Young Futures Program visit: www.sears.ca/e/info /cause.htm.
September 17, 2001
Since last week's tragedy in the United States, companies across Canada and the US have pledged funds to assist victims of the attacks. The Suncor Energy Foundation is leading an employee donation program to support relief efforts and has already announced a donation of $20,000 to the Canadian Red Cross USA Appeal Fund. Other donations include those from the Royal Bank ($1 million), TD Bank Financial Group ($500,000), Bank of Montreal ($500,000), CIBC ($100,000) and offers of assistance continue to pour in. In the US, Net Cruiser Technologies and Charity Advantage are offering free web sites for any nonprofit whose work directly involves the rebuilding of lives after the terrorist attacks and corporate giants such as Cisco, General Electric and Home Depot are donating funds to the effort, including $10 million in cash and software from Microsoft alone.
In the wake of this disaster, the Better Business Bureau is reminding people that donations should be made only to established, recognized organizations. To learn more about how you can help visit: /cv/charityvillage/newyork.asp.
September 17, 2001
The shutdown of American air traffic last week left 95 Canadian children in Florida with no way home. The children, all with severe disabilities or serious illness, were heading to Disney World on a trip organized by Sunshine Dreams for Kids. The theme park shut down following the terrorist attacks, half an hour after the children had started their visit.
However, in a generous show of kindness, characters from Disney World visited the children while McDonald's brought lunch. Wal-Mart provided extra clothes and boy scouts brought games for the children to play. "The whole community in Orlando has been spectacular," said Bill Rockwood, executive director of the Sunshine Dreams For Kids. As soon as flights resumed, the children were given top priority to return home to Ontario. To learn more about Sunshine Dreams for Kids, visit: http://www.sunshine.wwdc.com/.
September 17, 2001
Community and Social Services Minister John Baird announced last week that more than 260 agencies throughout Ontario will receive $31.7 million to address the issues of high staff turnover and burnout. The funding will be part of a multi-year commitment to improve the lives of people with developmental disabilities but also to attract and retain high quality staff."This funding recognizes the hard work and dedication of those on the front lines every day working with people with developmental disabilities," said David Barber, president of the Ontario Association for Community Living (OACL). "We are pleased that this government is working to ensure that agencies across Ontario can continue providing quality supports and services." Agencies will be eligible for increased funds beginning immediately. For more information visit: http://www.gov. on.ca/CSS/page/news/sep1101.html.
September 17, 2001
A research survey conducted by the Pew Internet & American Life Project finds that only 15% of American seniors over 65 years of age are "wired". Of this small Internet savvy population, however, 69% report going online daily, compared to only 56% for users overall. Ninety-three percent of seniors are using the Internet for email, 58% use it to find hobby information, 55% read the news, 53% search for medical information and 53% report surfing the Net "just for fun". -- Pew Research Center
September 17, 2001
The Self-Help Resource Centre is hoping to tackle Canada's volunteer shortage and at the same time assist new immigrants who are looking for work experience in Canada. The "Diversify the Source, Enhance the Force" project, funded by the Ontario Trillium Foundation, will develop support for new Canadians seeking volunteer work. The program will guarantee concurrent volunteer experience in a charitable agency, and participants will be given a chance to talk, learn and practice English in the groups.
The Self-Help Centre of Hamilton-Wentworth, the Self-Help Network of Sudbury-Manitoulin and the London Community Resource Centre are partnering with the Self-Help Resource Centre, which will continue implementation of the project until the spring of 2002. To learn more about this initiative visit: http://www.selfhelp.on.ca /launch.html.
September 17, 2001
Thirteen rural community leaders from across PEI are being recruited by Farmers Helping Farmers to participate in its Islanders in Africa project. Participants chosen will take a three-week trip to rural areas of Kenya and Tanzania early in 2002. Once there, they will provide training and expertise in projects taking place in those countries -- projects that aim to assist women farmers in East Africa to better feed their families and reduce their workload. "Farmers Helping Farmers has conducted development projects by providing training, educational materials and funding for resources, as well as exchange visits for agriculturally oriented Islanders, for over 20 years," said Patsy Dingwell, chair of the Farmers Helping Farmers education committee. For more information contact Janice Whalen at 902-651-2167 or email j.whalen@pei.sympatico.ca.
September 17, 2001
Canadian artistic organizations are invited to apply for du Maurier Arts Council grants to be awarded in support of arts projects being planned for 2002 and into 2003. All Canadian professional arts organizations incorporated for two years or more as of January 1, 1999, which produce events of an artistic nature, are eligible to apply for a grant. In 2001, the council provided $2 million in funding to 284 arts organizations Canada-wide and has awarded $56 million to 575 arts groups since it began 32 years ago. The deadline for this year's applications is October 31. To apply for funding visit: http://www.dumaurierartscoun cil.ca.
September 17, 2001
Last week, the Conference Board of Canada released a new report suggesting that there is a positive link between corporate sustainable development (SD) practices and share price performance. Ron Yachnin, co-author of the reportSustainable Development, Value Creation and the Capital Markets explained that "We examined the performance of seven prominent SD-style funds and indices and found that investment portfolios made up of companies committed to sustainable development have generally matched or outperformed their capital market benchmarks." The report also identifies 11 ways in which these practices, also often known as "corporate social responsibility" or "corporate citizenship" can directly influence costs and revenues. Find out more about the report at: www.conferenceboard.ca .
September 17, 2001
The Victorian Order of Nurses (VON), which is dedicated to delivering health and social services to Canadians in more than 1,300 communities across the country, now has a new form of support. The VON Canada Foundation will support the organization in three crucial areas, including education for staff and volunteers, fundamental research into the health and home care needs of Canadians and program development to respond to the evolving community and home care needs. For more information about VON Canada, visit: http://www.von.ca/english/f ront.htm.
September 17, 2001
The Gates Award for Global Health is currently seeking nominations for organizations that have made an outstanding contribution to improving health worldwide. The award, presented in its first year to the Bangladesh-based Centre for Health and Population Research, includes a $1 million honorarium. Administered by the Global Health Council, organizations from any country are eligible for nomination, including charities, private companies or public institutions that have made a "sustained and widespread contribution to global health". The closing date for nominations is December 5, 2001. For more information on the Gates Award for Global Health, visit: http://www.globalhealth.org/awards/GatesIntro.php3.
September 17, 2001
The Association for Progressive Communications (APC) will soon be awarding its 2001 APC Betinho Communications Prize. The $7,500 prize recognizes outstanding examples of how the Internet can make a positive difference in the world. Nonprofit organizations, community-based groups, coalitions, working groups or social movements anywhere in the world that have successfully used information and communication technologies as an integral component of their development work are eligible for the prize.
Last year's winner, the Max Foundation, is an online support network operating in English, Spanish and Portuguese for the families of children suffering from leukemia. The foundation also hosts Latin America's first online bone marrow tissue registry. Nominations will be accepted until September 24, 2001. To learn more about eligibility criteria, visit: http://www.apc.org/english/betinho.
September 17, 2001
A task force working with the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has stated that the group will not restrict the ".org" suffix to nonprofit groups. They determined that ".org" serves a role beyond noncommercial organizations and no evictions from the domain will take place. However, the group does point out that marketing of the suffix should be targeted at nonprofits. In addition, the task force has also cleared the way for domain names ending in ".museum" and ".coop". To learn more about ICANN's authorization of these domains, visit: http://www.icann.org/tlds/.
September 10, 2001
The Voluntary Sector Initiative's Capacity Joint Table (CJT) has issued a second call for proposals from nonprofit organizations that would like to be involved in researching sources and mechanisms of funding and their impact on sustainability. The aim of the research project is to record the various funding sources for the voluntary sector and different funding mechanisms currently in place. The study will analyze the impact of different sources of funding on organizational stability and develop a representative list of funding sources. It will also examine the advantages and disadvantages of various funding mechanisms. The deadline for proposals is September 21. For more information visit: www.vsiisbc.ca/eng/joint_tables/capacity/rfp_aug15.cfm.
September 10, 2001
The recent study of "Netville", a wired suburb near Toronto, compared the daily social interaction of Netville's wired residents (those with broadband Internet access) with that of non-wired residents living in the same neighbourhood. The study found that computer mediated communication (CMC) is linked to a greater involvement with friends, family and neighbours and concludes that "Internet use is associated with high levels of in-person and telephone contact, the exchange of support, the growth of personal networks and increased community involvement." For more information visit: web.mit.edu/knh/www/downloads/khampton01-abs.html.
September 10, 2001
York University's Schulich School of Business and the Maytree Foundation have partnered to create a six-month management certificate program for executive directors and managers of settlement, employment and neighbourhood agencies working with new Canadians. "The program is designed to promote improved management capacity in the immigrant and refugee-serving sector," said Brenda Gainer, director of the Nonprofit Management & Leadership Program at York University's Schulich School of Business. With the help of university faculty and experienced practitioners from the sector, participants will learn such things as project management, business planning, outcome evaluation, systemic advocacy and human resource management. The deadline for applications is September 12. For more information on the program visit: www.maytree.com/RefugeeImmigrantProgram/ ManagementCertificate/ManagementCertificate.htm.
September 10, 2001
New research forecasts that by 2020 child malnutrition will decline by 20% but 132 million children will still go without enough food for healthy development. Contributing to the decline will be a slowdown in population growth, an increase in international trade and the improvement of crop yields. It is expected that Latin America will eliminate almost all child malnutrition, while China will reduce it by 50%. India will improve but will still contain one-third of the world's hungry children. Unfortunately the situation in sub-Saharan Africa is projected to worsen, with the number of malnourished children climbing to 39 million. - International Food Policy Research Institute
September 10, 2001
A survey funded by the federal government indicates that Canadians want changes to the way private information is accessed and used for marketing purposes. Conducted for Industry Canada and the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC), the study found that 82% of people interviewed want companies to get their permission before personal information is used for marketing or business purposes. Telemarketing was a primary concern, with 61% of respondents reporting that they would like to stop all telemarketing calls to their homes, even if they were to miss out on appealing opportunities.
The government has already taken steps to ensure privacy with the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act, which began implementation on January 1, 2001 to regulate personal data collection. At present the law only applies to federally regulated industries, airlines and telecommunications companies but by 2004 it will apply to all provincially regulated industries as well. To find out how the law will affect charities visit our research section at: /cv/research/rdm23.html. To learn more about this latest survey visit: www.piac.ca/n ewsrelease_sept601.htm.
September 10, 2001
Provincial lottery and casino money earmarked to fight poverty will be used to permanently fund social activist groups, the Quebec government has decided. Under the new program, human rights groups, injured workers organizations, antipoverty coalitions, women's rights groups, social housing activists, and others will receive an annual source of funding. The activist groups will receive between $10 million and $14 million a year, with the government planning to contribute an additional $50 million over a three year period. "Nobody is interested in financing [these groups]. Nobody is making any political capital with this. But the state now recognizes this is imminently important for society," said former labour leader Gerald Larose. Still, some community leaders are apprehensive of the government attempting to interfere with social activism.
September 10, 2001
Cisco Systems, a high-tech company based in the US, is providing a new program for the victims of massive lay-offs. Cisco employees who lost their jobs because of cutbacks were given the option to forgo the standard severance package and work at homeless shelters, food banks and other charities for a one-year period. During that time they receive one third of their regular Cisco salary but maintain their stock plans and other benefits. The nonprofit organizations benefit from the expertise of highly skilled people and the employees keep up relations with Cisco, should they start hiring again. To date 80 people have taken advantage of the program.
September 10, 2001
The Canadian Policy Research Network has published a study which indicates that families with disabled children are being treated as clients instead of governors of the resources available to them. The study advocates more rights for these families and an improved capacity in governing their use of services and programs. According to the study many parents of disabled children are limited in their ability to lead full lives and therefore do not possess full citizenship, which raises the issue of citizens' rights to programs operated by the voluntary sector. The current belief in Canadian society is that family responsibility is primary with social service programs playing a more secondary support role. Because of the voluntary nature of charity services, at present families with disabled children do not have a right to receive assistance from private organizations. To view the complete report in PDF format, visit: www.cprn.com/d ocs/family/ecf_e.pdf.
September 10, 2001
Whitney Pier, on Cape Breton Island, recently launched a new community-based program. As part of the Community Employment Innovation Project (CEIP) the federally funded research strategy aims to have recipients of employment insurance and income assistance work on community projects. The District 7 Innovation Project Association Board, which is assisting in the implementation of the project, is currently accepting nonprofit community work that involves such tasks as working with children and seniors, helping in food banks or assisting with maintenance work in Whitney Pier. For more information about this program contact Willena Ryder by phone (539-6853), fax (564-6853) or e-mail d7ipa@ns.sympatico.ca.
September 10, 2001
The Ontario Native Women's Association, working to collect warm clothing for native communities in the province, has been tricked into buying garbage. A man from Oshawa contacted the Thunder Bay branch recently and offered to donate $100,000 in new clothes if the organization would pay the $2,000 shipping bill. They came up with the funds and anticipated that a truck would soon arrive with a sizeable donation of goods. When it did arrive it was filled not with new clothing but with trash, including broken dishes, soiled, mouldy clothing, and scrap building materials. "A lot of people were expecting winter clothing, and now they get nothing," said Pierre Giroux, who works with the association. A complaint has been filed with police but they have had no success in contacting the man who sent the trash. To learn more about the Ontario Native Women's Association, visit: http://www.onwa.org/.
September 10, 2001
A group of high profile performers from Canada and the US have joined forces to release a CD to benefit the legal defence of protesters arrested during the Summit of the Americas, held this past spring in Quebec City. Musician Chris Brown started the project after he witnessed events during the protest. Brown is joined on the two-CD compilation by 25 musicians including Sarah Harmer, Ani DiFranco, the Tragically Hip, Barenaked Ladies, and Bruce Cockburn, with David Suzuki providing a spoken word piece. The GasCD, which stands for Governments Accountable to Society and Citizens Democracy, will be available through Maple Music, an independent Internet music distribution company. The first group to receive proceeds from the sale of the disc will be the Quebec Legal Collective, a group of law students who are assisting those arrested during the protest. To learn more, visit: http://www.maplemusic.com/.
September 10, 2001
Marie Kenny has combined her love of biking along the Confederation Trail and her desire to raise funds for a good cause. With the help of the PEI Women's Institute she has organized the first ever Women's Institute Legacy Bike Tour, which runs from September 10-14. Participants will start things off in North Cape and finish five days later at East Point Light House. "I felt that it would be great way to go out and get involved in physical exercise, as well as helping the community," says Kenny. All funds raised from the event will go toward the purchase of a video endoscope for Prince County Hospital as part of their Bring Good Health to Life campaign to purchase new medical equipment for the hospital. To learn more about the Bring Good Health to Life campaign, visit: http://www.pchcare.com/life/campaign.htm.
September 4, 2001
To help service our growing base of Career Centre clients in Alberta, CharityVillage® is pleased to announce that Louise Kay has joined our team as Recruitment Advertising Manager for Alberta. Based in Edmonton, Louise is an active leader in the sector, working as a fundraising consultant, and with the Resource Centre for Voluntary Organizations at Grant MacEwan College.
"We're committed to making CharityVillage® a truly national site," said CharityVillage® Vice President Maggie Leithead. "With local people on the ground from Vancouver to Halifax, we're very excited that Louise is coming on board to help fill out our coverage in the Alberta region."
Find out more about Louise in this profile or reach her today at louise@charityvillage.com.
September 4, 2001
Because we have received such positive feedback about writer Cam Tait's regular feature "Spotlight", CharityVillage® is pleased to introduce the new regular column "Coffee with Cam". "Spotlight" will continue to highlight the contributions of individuals and organizations in the nonprofit sector, while "Coffee with Cam" will feature Cam's ruminations on all things nonprofit in Canada. Find this week's article at: /cv/news/coffee.asp.
September 4, 2001
The government of Ontario is calling for local community proposals and proposals from Francophone and Aboriginal populations to the Early Years Challenge Fund. As part of its overall Early Years Plan, the government is helping communities develop and sustain local Early Years Plans that will meet children’s early learning needs during the most critical time in their development, from the prenatal stages to age six. The fund will match contributions from the charitable, voluntary and business sectors to support local programs that help parents give their children the best possible start in life.
The deadlines for applications are October 15, 2001 and November 30, 2001. For further information on the Early Years Challenge Fund, phone the Early Years Challenge Fund Branch, Ministry of Community and Social Services at (416) 326-2800 or visit: http://www.childsec.gov.on.ca.
September 4, 2001
A new study by the Columbia Foundation and the Canadian Council on Social Development (CCSD) reports that Canada may be facing a looming labour crisis. Baby boomers continue to make up the largest segment of the workforce and this fact combined with a decrease in fertility rates indicates that Canada has an aging labour pool. In 2000 workers aged 35 to 54 represented half of Canada's workforce, while 25 years ago this demographic made up only one-third of the workforce. With the oldest of the boomers now turning 55, the age of early retirement, and with the transition period between work and retirement beginning at an earlier age, the momentum of this situation is building.
- Columbia Foundation
September 4, 2001
Victoria-based Frozen Dirt Media is introducing a new website, WeDoHosting. The site, which is set to launch during the first week of September, will offer web-hosting services free of charge to nonprofit organizations around the world. The staff of Frozen Dirt initiated the project hoping to encompass their own civic causes into something that would benefit as many people as possible. They will provide up to five megabytes of free hosting space as well as five email accounts and ftp/front page access. Unlike many other free hosting services, participating organizations will not be required to have banners or pop-up screens on their web pages. To find out more, visit: http://www.nfphost.com.
September 4, 2001
This fall the Canadian Centre for Philanthropy (CCP) will begin a consultation process to assess the views of the voluntary sector regarding the legal definition of charity and the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency's charitable registration process. Once the consultation process is completed, the centre will seek views on the steps necessary to ensure the registration system is more transparent, accessible and user-friendly. This consultation is part of the CCP's ongoing efforts to reform the regulatory treatment of charities and nonprofits in Canada. To view the consultation paper in PDF format, visit: http://www.ccp.ca/information/definition/definition.pdf
September 4, 2001
The great-grandsons of Timothy Eaton, who founded Eaton's in 1869, have divided the $35 million in assets previously held by the Eaton Foundation. John Craig, Fred, Thor and George Eaton have severed the last of their financial ties to establish four new foundations using approximately $9 million each in assets from the dismantled foundation. The Eaton Foundation, which was established by John David Eaton in 1958, traditionally supported causes or institutions that were favoured by the brothers. It usually distributed between $1.6 million and $2.7 million each year, but had donated amounts of up to $1 million to such institutions as the Upper Canada College, the University of New Brunswick, the Royal Ontario Museum and the Headwaters Health Care Centre.
September 4, 2001
Findings from a Canada West Foundation report indicate that the increase of casinos, video lottery terminals and online gambling has allowed governments to triple the amount of money they take in compared to eight years ago. Jason Azmier, who conducted the study, says "the big numbers are what grab you, $5.5 billion in profits for governments, almost as much money as from alcohol and tobacco combined."
Although the revenues are growing, governments have not increased the money they spend on education and prevention. "There are all kinds of awareness, advertising and messages out there and people go into the schools (saying) 'If you're going to use alcohol use it carefully, drink responsibly.' You don't see that for gambling," said John Kelly of the Responsible Gambling Council in Ontario. The Canada West Foundation will release another report this fall outlining recommendations such as education and research. For more information, visit: http://www.cwf.ca/pubs/200107.cfm?pub_id=200107.
September 4, 2001
The International Network for Cultural Diversity (INCD), a Canadian-based network, is hoping to gain the support of world leaders at the UN World Conference against Racism and Xenophobia. They will propose the construction of a treaty which would remove culture from trade agreements and help to preserve regional cultures.
The group formed after a UNESCO study found that countries flooded by imported culture experience increased racism. To date more than 300 organizations from more than countries have signed the network's declaration of principles. For more information about INCD, visit: http://www.incd.net/content/index.phtml?pd=welcome.
September 4, 2001
The International Council Meeting (ICM) of Amnesty International has come away with a new agenda for the organization's future. During the meeting delegates considered new directions and issues for the future work of Amnesty, agreeing that they must expand their mandate in order to work on a wider range of human rights, as outlined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. "At its heart, Amnesty International is and remains a movement fighting for individuals whose rights are violated. The difference is that from now on, we will work, not only against torture or for prisoners of conscience, but against all forms of discrimination, whether they affect political and civil rights or economic, social and cultural rights," said Irene Khan, the new Secretary General of the organization. To learn more about Amnesty International, visit: http://www.amnesty.org.
September 4, 2001
World record marathon swimmer Vicki Keith and her husband John Munro have completed the first ever tandem swim across Lake Ontario. They undertook the 19 hour, 35 kilometre challenge as a fundraiser to start a swim team for both able-bodied and disabled children in the Kingston region, where the couple lives. Keith decided to organize the fundraiser after she heard that there were very few sports programs for disabled youth in the area. "This swim is a start and it's important to get the process running," she said. While living in Toronto she developed one of Canada's top swim team for disabled people. Anyone interested in making a donation or helping raise awareness about sports programs for the disabled can email Vicki Keith at varietyvillageflames-kingston@hotmail.com.
September 4, 2001
A Cape Breton environmental group is setting up a team of volunteers who will be trained to handle oiled wildlife and monitor beaches in the event of an offshore oil spill. In conjunction with local Emergency Measures, Environment Canada and the Canadian Coast Guard, the Atlantic Coastal Action Program (ACAP) will have people take a one-day course before adding them to an island-wide list of volunteers who can be called upon in the event of an oil spill. Judy McMullen, program coordinator for ACAP, points out that with 700 kilometres of coastline, communities must be prepared. "I think this is overdue, since we are so vulnerable with our coastline," she said. To learn more about the Atlantic Coastal Action Program, visit: http://www.ns.ec.gc.ca/community/acap/index_e.html.
September 4, 2001
The Greater Toronto chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) will begin a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) study group in the latter part of September. The study group will be open to any AFP member who plans to take the CFRE exam in December. Members of the CFRE will act as facilitators during each session and will assist the group to prepare for the exam. If you are interested in participating please contact Cynthia Quigley at cquigley@afptoronto.org or visit: http://www.afptoronto.org.
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