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This is an archive of CharityVillage NewsWeek.
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To view other articles in the archive, use our Chronological Index.
NewsBytes: November, 2002
Articles are arranged in reverse chronological order.
CharityVillage welcomes Steven Wright to the team
November 25, 2002
This week, we are pleased to introduce Steven Wright, the newest member of the CharityVillage team. Steven has taken on the role of recruitment advertising account manager for Metro Toronto, replacing Mary Gomer, who died suddenly last month. Steven has a strong background in Toronto's nonprofit community, most recently working with Harbourfront Centre. Get to know a bit more about Steven in this profile: www.charityvillage.com/charityvillage/steve.html
November 25, 2002
Toronto businessman and philanthropist Kenneth Thomson, whose father founded the Thomson Corporation, is contributing $70 million for the expansion of the Art Gallery of Ontario and donating his $300 million collection to help fill it. "The Art Gallery of Ontario has always held a special place in my heart, and I am confident that it represents the best opportunity to share my passion for art with the people of this city, Ontario, Canada, and the world," said Thomson, who is an avid art collector. His donation includes the Thomson Collection of nearly 2,000 works of art, the greatest in private hands in Canada. For more information, visit: www.ago.net/info/ago_news/articles.cfm?news_id=116
November 25, 2002
After a five-year investigation into the tragedy that infected thousands of Canadians with HIV and hepatitis C, the RCMP began to lay criminal charges last week. The Toronto-based RCMP Blood Task Force charged the Canadian Red Cross Society with six counts of common nuisance by endangering the public. A variety of criminal negligence and common nuisance charges were also laid against Drs. John Furesz, Wark Boucher, Roger Perrault, and Michael Rodell, as well as the Bridgewater, NJ pharmaceutical company Armour. Before the Canadian Red Cross began testing for HIV in 1985 and hepatitis C in 1990, thousands of patients were infected with blood diseases after receiving tainted blood and blood products. For more information on the Red Cross's response to the charges, visit: www.redcross.ca/english/newsroom/pressrelease/2002/112002.html.
November 25, 2002
In response to the provincial government's creation of the Nova Scotia Arts and Culture Partnership Council, members of Nova Scotia's cultural community have created their own organization dedicated to arts funding. The newly formed group, calling itself Arms Length Funding for the Arts (ALFA), believes that arts funding should remain arms-length and should be run by artists themselves, not by government. ALFA member Andrew Terris says that the new arts council proposed in October by Culture Minister Rodney MacDonald is nothing more than an arts advisory committee run by politicians. The government-proposed council would include ten representatives from the cultural sector and two from within government. This is the latest in a string of events that began earlier this year when the provincial government disbanded the previous arts council.
Fast Fact: Charitable donations up again in 2001
November 25, 2002
The latest figures from Statistics Canada reveal that an economic slowdown did not adversely affect charitable donations in 2001. Canadians reported donations totalling $5.51 billion to charities last year, up from $5.44 billion in 2000. The median contribution was $200, with people in Nunavut reporting the highest median at $360, followed by PEI at $320, and Newfoundland and Labrador at $300. Manitoba had the highest percentage of taxfilers declaring charitable donations in 2001 at 29%, with Ontario (28%), Saskatchewan (27%), and PEI (27%) trailing closely behind. Nationwide, slightly more than 25% of people declared charitable donations on their tax return. Donations increased in all provinces and territories except Nova Scotia and British Columbia. -- Statistics Canada
November 25, 2002
As part of a new government strategy to begin settling thousands of Indian residential school lawsuits, the Anglican Church of Canada agreed to pay $25 million to compensate First Nations people who say they were abused as students at the schools. Public Works Minister Ralph Goodale, minister in charge of the federal Office of Indian Residential Schools Resolution, commended the "remarkable moral leadership shown by the Anglican Church." Residential schools were also run by the Presbyterian, United, and Roman Catholic churches and the four churches were negotiating together from the fall of 2000 until earlier this year, when the group disbanded and the Anglican church continued talks on its own. Mr. Goodale said the Presbyterian and United churches have returned to the negotiating table and that the Anglican agreement establishes some benchmarks. For more information, visit: www.anglican.ca.
Cultural centre receives million-dollar award
November 25, 2002
The Vancouver East Cultural Centre, also known as the 'Cultch', is gearing up for some changes thanks to a major financial boost. The centre is this year's recipient of a $1 million award from the VanCity Credit Union, which presents the award annually to a nonprofit organization that contributes to community development. Credit union members select the winning organization, which is chosen from a pool of three to four finalists each year. Employees of the 30-year-old theatre say the funds will be used to improve the building, a converted church, and make it more versatile. A new art gallery and lobby are also in the works. For more information, visit: www.vancity.com/menuId/53115. To learn more about the Vancouver East Cultural Centre, visit: www.vecc.bc.ca
November 25, 2002
A unanimous vote in the House of Commons resulted in a victory for Canadians with disabilities. All MPs supported the demand of the disability community that the government withdraw proposed changes to the disabilities tax credit. "Government must be sensitive to the real life needs and challenges of people living with disabilities. When confronted with the facts about how this inhumane policy was attacking Canadians already struggling with difficult circumstances, Members of Parliament did the right thing," said NDP Leader Alexa McDonough." In September, the Federal Finance Department proposed changes that would have created stricter criteria for determining whether a disabled applicant was eligible for the disability tax credit.
November 25, 2002
It was another successful year for McDonald's McHappy Day, which raised $4,007,421 for Canadian children's charities. More than 1,270 McDonald's restaurants across the country donated one dollar from every Big Mac, Breakfast Bagel and Happy Meal sold on November 20th. Major recipients of McHappy Day include the Canadian Ronald McDonald Houses and Ronald McDonald Children's Charities (RMCC). RMCC is a nonprofit organization that helps fund registered Canadian charities whose community-oriented programs focus on improving the quality of life for children, and families of children, with life-threatening or chronic illnesses and disabilities. For more information about Ronald McDonald Children's Charities, visit: www.rmcc.ca/en.
November 25, 2002
According to a new report, entitled Engaging Youth in Lifelong Service, 44% of adults in the US volunteer, 61% of whom began volunteering when they were young. Households where adults volunteered as youth also give slightly more than households that started their giving in adulthood. For example, households with an income between $25,000 to $49,000 give an average of $1,124; households that were not active as youth give an average contribution of $802. The study also found that youth involvement also encourages family volunteering in future generations. Nearly 60% of adults who volunteered in their youth had parents who volunteered and 70% of adults who volunteered as youth now volunteer with their children. These households also donate nearly twice as much as households where neither parents nor youth volunteer. -- Independent Sector
November 25, 2002
Canada's community-based AIDS movement gathered last week to honour the M-A-C AIDS Fund as the recipient of the 2002 Canadian AIDS Society (CAS) Leadership Award (Corporate Category). The Fund has supported the work of the CAS for more than a decade, and in particular, the annual AIDS Walk Canada campaign. "On behalf of everyone at the M-A-C AIDS Fund it is with a great sense of sharing and partnership that I accept this award," said Bruce Hunter, a representative from the Fund's board of directors. "Today our giving extends across 49 countries, but our heart still resides in Canada. This award also belongs to the people and those organizations we give to." Since the organization was established in Canada in 1994, more than $40 million has been raised through various initiatives to provide assistance to Canadian charities whose mission is to provide daily services for men, women and children affected by HIV/AIDS. For more information about the M-A-C AIDS Fund, visit: www.macaidsfund.org.
November 25, 2002
Osteoporosis Quebec is making sure that everyone's got milk as part of a major awareness campaign launched last week . In partnership with Agrinove, which donated 80,000 litres of shelf-stable Grand Pré brand milk to the campaign, teams from the organization are taking up positions at strategic locations around the Island of Montreal. In exchange for a voluntary donation, pedestrians and drivers receive a litre of milk along with information about osteoporosis. It's all part of Osteoporosis Quebec's mission to educate, empower, and assist Quebec community groups and individuals in the prevention and treatment of the condition. For more information about Osteoporosis Quebec, visit: www.osteoporose.qc.ca/e _home.htm.
November 25, 2002
The Tellery, in collaboration with the Storytellers School of Toronto, is holding a writing contest to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Toronto Festival of Storytelling. The Future Folklore Story Contest is open to Toronto area writers under 18 years of age, and provides them with an opportunity to create original fables, myths, and stories about the city. Winners will present their stories at the festival, which runs from February 22-23, 2003 at Harbourfront Centre. The contest deadline is December 31, 2002. For more information, visit: www.futurefolklore.ca or e-mail stories@futurefolklore.ca.
November 18, 2002
Even the hardest working nonprofit employees and volunteers need to have a little fun. This week, we're pleased to introduce a new CharityVillage NewsWeek feature: the Funnies. We lead off the merriment with Wayne Amundson's topical "Association Life" series that's run on his Association Xpertise Inc. web site. We'll be presenting new funnies at least every month, and more often if we can. Find the funnies by clicking on the thumbnail image to the left, or at: www.charityvillage.com/charityvillage/funnies.asp
November 18, 2002
Montreal's École Polytechnique is $8 million richer thanks to a donation from alumnus Pierre Lassonde. Lassonde, the Quebec-born president of a major gold mining corporation, says he hopes his gift will inspire other French-speaking Quebecers to give. "What I'm hoping is that a gift like this will have a snowball effect - that it will create a consciousness that, 'Hey, we can do that, too. We can be generous.'" The funds will be put toward the construction of a new $80 million complex that will expand the engineering school's existing facilities by 40%. For more information about the École Polytechnique, visit: www.polymtl.ca.
November 18, 2002
As part of last Friday's National Philanthropy Day celebrations, the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) renewed its call for all charities in Canada to prohibit the use of percentage or commission-based fundraising, in accordance with its Code of Ethical Principles and Standards of Professional Practice. The organization requires each of its more than 2,200 Canadian members to annually sign the association's Code of Ethics, which addresses issues such as compensation, donor trust, donor privacy, and use of donated funds.
"Individuals serving a charity for compensation must accept the principle that charitable purpose, not self-gain, is paramount," said AFP President and CEO Paulette Maehara, CFRE, CAE. "If percentage-based compensation is accepted, then the charitable mission becomes secondary to self-gain, and there is an incentive for a fundraiser to put his or her own interests ahead of the charity's and the donor's interests. As charities must rely on public trust and confidence, such a situation is simply unacceptable and unethical." This comes on the heels of a series of articles published in the Toronto Star last week that highlighted the questionable fundraising practices of several Canadian charities. To read the AFP's position paper on percentage-based compensation, visit: www.afpnet.org.
November 18, 2002
Organizers of Vancouver's Air Canada Championship announced that the PGA Tour's seven-year run in the region is over. Last fall, Air Canada decided to end its title sponsorship of the event after 2002 and organizers were unable to secure a replacement sponsor. The tournament raised more than $5 million for charity during its run and each year about 1,700 people served as volunteers.
November 18, 2002
The Canadian Association of Food Banks' 2002 HungerCount reveals that 747,665 people in Canada received emergency groceries from a food bank during the month of March 2002 ‘ a 4.1% increase over the past year, and a 97.8% increase since 1989. Those who were receiving social assistance made up the highest percentage of food bank recipients at 58%, workers constituted 11.9%, people receiving disability support made up 8%, and 40.8% of all food bank recipients were children. -- Canadian Association of Food Banks
November 18, 2002
Ontario's Health and Long-Term Care Minister Tony Clement announced that more than 600 community-based agencies that provide a diverse array of health services for those who need special care, will benefit from a $5.1 million funding increase. "The announcement is part of the government's plan to ensure everyone in Ontario has access to quality community care when and where they need it," Clement explained. This latest investment is in addition to the $20.4 million increase in funding announced last month for Ontario's 43 Community Care Access Centres (CCACs). For more information or to view a detailed list of agencies receiving funding, visit: www.gov.on.ca/health.
November 18, 2002
The Spirit of Sport Foundation (SSF) is now accepting nominations for the 30th annual Canadian Sport Awards (CSA). "We are extremely proud to be celebrating thirty years of sporting excellence in Canada," said Andrea Grantham, program director for the SSF. "The Canadian Sport Awards honour true champions in sport, including athletes, coaches, volunteers, media and corporate supporters. These champions are excellent role models for all Canadians, young and old." This year, the foundation is also introducing the Coach of the Year Award, which will honour a coach who demonstrates outstanding coaching skills and contributes to Canadian sporting excellence at a national and/or international level. The deadline for nominations is January 9, 2003. For complete nomination rules and guidelines, or for more information about the awards, visit: www.spiritofsport.ca.
November 18, 2002
A year-long capital campaign at the Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art in Toronto got off to a good start last week with the announcement of an anonymous private donation of $2.5 million. The gift helps put the museum more than halfway toward a planned $15-million expansion and renovation. This "lead gift" will be used for the construction of a new third floor on the present two-storey site. To date, the museum has raised $10 million, or 67%, of the total money needed before construction can begin in the spring of 2004. For more information about the Gardiner Museum, visit: www.gardinermuseum.on.ca.
November 18, 2002
Having recently fought a battle with cancer, Montreal Canadiens captain Saku Koivu is launching a charitable foundation to raise $8 million for diagnostic equipment. The now-healthy Koivu spent much of last year being treated for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in Montreal, and says his illness made him realize the importance of adequate healthcare. During his treatment, the Finnish native had to travel 150 kilometres from Montreal to Sherbrooke for access to one of only two PET scans (Positron Emission Tomography) in the province. Money raised by his new foundation will go toward the purchase of a PET/CAT Scan machine for the Montreal General Hospital. Koivu will donate $1,000 to the foundation for every point the Canadiens earn in the league standings this year, and he'll add another $100,000 if the Canadiens win the Stanley Cup. Canadiens president Pierre Boivin has promised to match the captain's donations. For more information about the new foundation, visit: www.sakukoivufoundation.com.
November 18, 2002
At a unique fundraiser later this month, art lovers will get a chance to purchase paintings that could be worth a lot more than what they paid for them. The Ontario College of Art and Design (OCAD) has gathered hundreds of paintings by artists, celebrities, students, faculty, and alumni. The pieces will all be sold for $75 each at an upcoming event to raise money for the school's scholarship fund. The catch is that buyers won't know whose work they are purchasing until after the sale is made. Contributors to the fundraiser, called "Whodunit?", include Margaret Atwood and Bruce Cockburn, artists Mary Pratt and Charlie Pachter, and participants from OCAD. Organizers suggest that prospective buyers visit the school during the preview period on November 28-29 to select paintings they'd like to purchase. The sale is scheduled to begin at 11am on November 30 and December 1, where pieces will be sold on a "first come, first serve" basis. For more information, visit: www.ocad.on.ca.
November 18, 2002
According to an extensive study two-year study, approximately 71% of all event-related online donations are made during work hours - 9:00am to 6:00pm. Only 29% of online giving occurs during evening and weekend hours. Based on more than 300,000 online transactions for fundraising events in the US, the study found that, on average, weekday donations account for 87% of online contributions, with an average of 48% of donations being made between 10:00am and 3:00pm. Only 13% of Internet gifts are made on the weekend. There is very little differentiation as to which day of the workweek records the highest rate of online gifts, however, Sunday averages the lowest amount. -- Kintera
November 18, 2002
The Hospital for Sick Children Foundation will offer something new to the direct response market this week with a full-length television program - the first of its kind in Canada. Place of Miracles: Inside The Hospital for Sick Children will air nationally on CTV and on local stations throughout the country beginning November 22. Designed to raise support for Sick Kids, the program features the compelling stories of several patients, along with appeals by such celebrities as Jackie Chan, Mike Myers, Sonja Smits, Gordon Pinsent, Sheila McCarthy, Sherry Miller, and Sarah Chalke. It is the first children's hospital in Canada to introduce a full-length direct response TV program for national broadcast as part of its marketing activities, and follows the launch two years ago of two shorter, two-minute DRTV spots for the hospital. For more information, visit: www.sick kids.ca/foundation/custom/news_drtv.asp.
November 18, 2002
The Planned Parenthood Federation of Canada (PPFC) recently announced the winners of this year's Helen and Fred Bentley Awards of Excellence. The awards recognize two Planned Parenthood affiliates for excellence of achievement for activities that enhance the lives of adults, youth, and/or children. The first place winner for 2002 is Planned Parenthood Fredericton for its Hearing Women's Voices: A Woman-Specific HIV Prevention Project, a comprehensive HIV resource kit developed through research conducted in Central and Southern New Brunswick.
The second place winner of this year's Bentley Awards is the Planned Parenthood Association of British Columbia for the development and implementation of a First Nations Workshop on Reproductive Health and Sexuality. In the workshop participants learned the importance of acknowledging past issues of loss, grief, humiliation, and abuse in residential schools before working towards healthy choices in relationships and reproductive health. For more information about Planned Parenthood, visit: www.ppfc.ca.
November 11, 2002
Two Toronto brothers who are already well known supporters of Mount Sinai Hospital, pledged another $10 million to the downtown Toronto facility last week. Joseph and Wolf Lebovic's gift is the largest private donation the hospital has ever received. The brothers have been recognized for their contributions before with the Joseph and Wolf Lebovic Centre for Molecular Medicine, but when the hospital's newest building opens next spring, it will also bear their names. Joseph Lebovic, who is a director of the Mount Sinai Hospital Foundation, said that the hospital "is both a symbol of excellence in health care in this province and also a symbol of the strength of the Jewish community." For more information about the Mount Sinai Hospital Foundation, visit: www.mtsinai.on.ca/foundation.
November 11, 2002
Organizers are thrilled with the results from a benefit concert and "unplugged" fundraising dinner held last month in Vancouver. Bryan Adams, Jann Arden, Barenaked Ladies, Chantal Kreviazuk, and Sarah McLachlan all donated their time and talent to perform at the events, helping to raise $1.75 million for the BC Cancer Foundation's new BC Cancer Research Centre, slated to open in 2004. The concert exceeded the projected $1 million target, making it the largest benefit concert in Canadian history in terms of money raised. "The overwhelming support for these events and the amount raised has far exceeded all expectations," said Iain MacKay, chair of the BC Cancer Foundation. "Thanks to the generosity of everyone who attended, organized, and took part in these extraordinary concerts, we are one step closer to beating this devastating disease with the construction of a world-leading cancer research facility in Vancouver." For more information, visit: www.bccancer.bc.ca/DON/FoundationNews/start.htm.
November 11, 2002
Clarica is inviting Canadian charities to submit proposals outlining innovative programs designed to give children access to community benefits they might otherwise miss out on because of money, health, special needs, or other factors. This is the second year for Clarica's Contribution to Canada's Children program, which focuses on promoting equal access for children aged six to 18 years to developmental opportunities related to education, sports and recreation, the arts, technology, social skills, healthy living, and relationship-building. In 2002, the program distributed approximately $1.4 million to 36 programs across the country. Organizations interested in submitting proposals have until February 15, 2003 to do so, and all must submit their proposal using Clarica's recently launched online application form. For complete instructions on how to apply, visit: www.clarica.com/e/about/commun/focus/children.asp.
November 11, 2002
Statistics Canada recently released figures from the 2001 census of people living in collective dwellings, including nursing homes, hospitals, hotels, and motels. For the first time, homeless and other "transitional" shelters were also included in the count. On May 15, 2001, the day the figures were recorded, 14,145 people were residing in temporary shelters. Of those people, 8,780 were male, 5,370 were female, and 1,490 were under the age of 15. Shelter use was highest in Ontario, with 6,100 respondents saying they slept at a shelter. Quebec was the second highest at 3,365. Nunavut and Prince Edward Island reported the fewest people sleeping in shelters, with five each. -- Statistics Canada
November 11, 2002
A donation made earlier this year to an ethics program at St. Michael's College, part of the University of Toronto, has upset many people at the school. According to Garfield Mahood of the Non-Smokers' Rights Association, it has already resulted in the resignation of several members of the program's 10-member advisory board. The donation came from Imperial Tobacco in Montreal, and was donated on behalf of an alumnus of St. Michael's. Mahood said his group wants the university to screen out donations associated with the tobacco industry. However, Dr. Richard Alway, president of St. Michael's, said the college does not plan to return the funds, nor does he feel the college was being unethical in accepting a donation linked to a tobacco company - even though it went to fund an ethics program. Bob Willard, a former board member who resigned from the advisory board of the St. Michael's program, called Continuing Education in Corporate Social Responsibility, said it's important for universities to "model the principles that it encourages its students to practice after they graduate. This grant draws attention to just such a principle," said Willard. "Governing one's behaviour by the minimal standard dictated by what is merely legal is often not an acceptable standard for ethical behaviour." For more information about St. Michael's, visit: www.utoronto.ca/stmikes.
November 11, 2002
Approximately 75,000 families with children under the age of 12 reported being hungry in 1996, and the number of Canadian children going hungry is on the rise, with no sign of letting up. This is just one of the findings in a new report from the Canadian Council on Social Development (CCSD). The sixth annual Progress of Canada's Children report looks at how Canadian children from different economic backgrounds have been faring in subjects such as reading, writing, math and science. The study found that of those children doing well at school, nearly one in two had never experienced poverty, while one in three had been persistently poor. "What's especially disturbing is the steady erosion of the support system or social infrastructure that low-income families used to rely on," says Marcel Lauziére, president of the CCSD. "Just as our physical infrastructure, our bridges and roads are crumbling, so too are the key pillars of our social infrastructure which are essential if our poor children are to have a fighting chance in life." For more information, visit: www.ccsd.ca/pubs/2 002/pcc02/index.htm.
November 11, 2002
After disbanding the old arts council earlier this year amid angry protests from the arts community, the Nova Scotia government unveiled a new replacement council that aims to save money while preserving artistic freedom. The Nova Scotia Arts and Culture Partnership Council will be in operation by early next year and will have a board made up of 13 members from the cultural community and two government appointees. Tourism and Culture Minister Rodney MacDonald said the new body, which aims to be a partnership between the government and artists, will hand out money based on both artistic and business merit, though it won't have a dedicated amount of money to distribute. "What we want is to have both these views at the table," he said. "For too long, we've seen government on one side of the table and the artistic community on the other side." He added that the new board will guarantee that every part of the province is represented. For more information, visit: www.gov.ns.ca/news/details.asp?id=20021105001.
November 11, 2002
The Ontario Heritage Foundation is seeking nominations of youth who are contributing to heritage preservation in their communities. The Young Heritage Leaders 2002 program, now in its third year, honours young volunteers who have made significant contributions to cultural, natural or built heritage preservation. Municipal councils, regional councils, First Nation councils, and Métis community councils are encouraged to work in conjunction with local education, youth, and heritage groups to determine candidates for recognition. Examples of eligible voluntary activities include: hands-on work restoring or maintaining a heritage structure; volunteer service at a museum, historical site, conservation area, or parkland; developing exhibits, Web sites or publications about local history; or demonstrating leadership in the protection of endangered wildlife and habitat. The deadline for nominations is December 16. For more information, visit: www.heritagefdn.on.ca/Eng/About/yhl.shtml.
November 11, 2002
According to a new report published by the US-based Benton Foundation, "authentic alliances between local media and community organizations represent the yet-to-be realized future of effective community-centred, community-driven programming." Partners in Public Service: Models for Collaboration contains stories of eight collaborations between public television stations and community organizations, including museums, libraries, and historical societies. Aside from these profiles, the report also provides useful information on the elements of a successful partnership, and resources to assist organizations in developing their own relationships with the media. To view the full report in PDF format, visit: www.benton.org/Practice/Features/PIPS/PIPS.pdf.
November 11, 2002
Consumers International, a federation of 250 organizations around the world, conducted a study of more than 460 web sites and found that consumers are being put at risk by misleading, inaccurate, and incomplete information. According to the report, 49% of health and financial sites didn't warn users about consulting a health professional before acting on any information, 50% of the medical and financial advice sites failed to provide full information about the authority and credentials of the people behind the advice, 39% of sites that collected personal information did not have a privacy policy, 30% provided no address or phone number, and 60% provided no information about whether or not their content was influenced by commercial interests, sponsors, or advertisers. -- Consumers International
November 11, 2002
Concordia University announced it will establish a $2 million endowment fund for its Leonard & Bina Ellen Art Gallery. The fund will allow the gallery to better pursue its mandate to collect, research, conserve, and exhibit Canadian art. Of the total, $1 million is from the Max & Iris Stern Museums Legacy, donors Abe and Harriet Gold, and the art gallery's board, with an additional $1 million from the Concordia University Foundation. "This new fund will ensure that the gallery grows at a pace befitting its role as the leading university museum dedicated to Canadian art," said Concordia rector Frederick Lowy. For more information, visit: pr.concordia.ca/ctr/2002-03/Nov_7/01-Gallery/index.shtml.
November 11, 2002
More than 80 popular Canadian artists joined together to record a song in memory of the women who have disappeared from Vancouver's downtown east side in the past 20 years. The song, The Streets Where You Live, features musicians from across the country, including Stephen Page of the Barenaked Ladies, Sarah Harmer, Gord Downie of Tragically Hip, Jim Cuddy, and Bif Naked. The song will appear on Warner Music's upcoming Women & Songs 6 collection in late November. Royalties from airplay and album sales will go to the Buried Heart Society, a nonprofit organization created to promote the protection and counselling of women who suffer from drug abuse, prostitution, and poverty. For more information about the society, visit: www.buriedheart.com.
November 4, 2002
The Canadian Cancer Society, BC and Yukon Division and the Variety Club of British Columbia each received a bequest of $1 million recently. The funds are from the estate of Joanne Phillips, a long-time Vancouver resident who was a generous and active supporter of her community. "She was an amazing woman," says friend Bonnie Sutherland. "She lived a life of helping others and she has ensured that will continue long after she has left us." Ms. Phillips, who died of cancer in April, designated that her donation to the Canadian Cancer Society be used for breast cancer research, while her gift to the Variety Club will be used to improve the lives of children across the province who have special needs. For more information about the Canadian Cancer Society, BC and Yukon Division, visit: www.bc.cancer.ca. For more information about the Variety Club of British Columbia, visit: www.variety.bc.ca.
November 4, 2002
A Canadian charity that raises money for emergency medical relief in Israel may soon lose its charitable status with the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency (CCRA). The Montreal-based Canadian Magen David Adom, which has operated since 1976, launched a court action after the CCRA threatened in 2001 to revoke its charitable status. The CCRA raised concerns about the possibility that a Magen David Adom ambulance might cross the Green Line, as the pre-1967 border is known, when responding to an emergency call in a Jerusalem suburb. According to Arthur Drache, a lawyer for the Magen David Adom, "they said it was against Canadian policy for Canadians to help in the building of any Israeli infrastructure beyond the Green Line, and they interpreted that to mean delivering any charitable service."
Last month, a federal court dismissed this argument, but accepted a second CCRA argument related to how the charity supervises funds handed over to Israel. Drache said the CCRA imposed new requirements 'out of a clear blue sky' and that it had not given the group sufficient time to comply before another letter arrived declaring that the group's charitable status would be revoked. The charity intends to appeal the case to the Supreme Court and a court decision on whether or not to allow the appeal is expected in mid-November.
November 4, 2002
The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) recently announced several regulatory changes affecting charities. Manufacturers can now donate liquor to eligible charities and nonprofits that have Special Occasion Permits for fundraising events which benefit charitable, educational, religious, or community objectives. However, all donated alcohol is considered sold and is therefore subject to levies and taxes. In addition, charitable and religious organizations with a valid raffle lottery licence issued by the AGCO, or their local municipality, may now award liquor as a prize. Of course, only those over the age of 19 years can be awarded such a prize and this condition must be disclosed on all ticket sales. For more information about liquor licensing and the regulatory framework in Ontario, visit: www.agco.on.ca.
November 4, 2002
Research conducted in the UK finds that 76% of people feel their family would respect their decision to leave money to charity in their will, while 68% said they would be happy to learn that their parents had left some money to charity in their will. Interestingly, only 54% of respondents said they knew about the tax benefits associated with leaving a bequest. At present, 70% of people in the UK regularly give money to charity during their lifetime, but only 4% leave a charitable donation in their will. -- Remember A Charity
November 4, 2002
Last week, two prestigious awards were handed out in recognition of outstanding and innovative work in Canada's nonprofit sector. The Cornwall Alternative School of Regina received the $20,000 overall award at the fifth annual Donner Canadian Foundation Award for Excellence in the Delivery of Social Services. Individual awards of $5,000 each were also presented in nine categories: child care (Kids Come First Childcare Centre of Vaughan); counselling (YMCA of Sarnia Lambton); crisis intervention (Sarnia-Lambton Rebound); alternative education (Seymour Community Services Society); traditional education (Cornwall Alternative School); prevention and treatment of substance abuse (Sudbury Action Centre for Youth); provision of basic necessities (Metro Food Bank Society); services to the disabled (Community Living Campbellford/Brighton); and services for seniors (Etobicoke Services for Seniors). The awards use a unique system, developed in partnership with The Fraser Institute, which represent an important step in the development of an objective, quantifiable measure of performance for nonprofit organizations.
Also awarded was the Peter F. Drucker Award for Canadian Nonprofit Innovation. The Latin American Diabetes Program (LADP) at the London InterCommunity Health Centre was this year's recipient, receiving $20,000. MCC Employment Development of Calgary received this year's only honourable mention for its Financial Literacy program. The awards recognize nonprofit programs that have made a difference in the lives of the people they serve, while producing results that exemplify Peter F. Drucker's definition of innovation. For more information about the Donner Awards, visit: www.fraserinstitute.ca/donner/award.asp. For more information about the Drucker Award, visit: www.innovation-award.ca/celebrationevent.html.
November 4, 2002
The Daily Bread Food Bank ended its Thanksgiving food drive on a high note this year, after receiving an unexpected donation of $200,000, the largest one-day cash contribution ever received by the Toronto charity. Canadian brokerage firm Sprott Securities Inc. donated one day's trading commissions to the drive - enough to buy almost 50,000 kilograms of food, and bring the food bank within sight of its 405,000 kilograms goal. "People recognize it as a great cause. A lot of people were aware the drive wasn't going as well as they had hoped," said Susan Streeter, a Sprott director and equity analyst who organized the event with firm president Scott Lamacraft. "We hoped to make a contribution that would make a difference." For more information about the Daily Bread Food Bank, visit: www.dailybread.ca.
November 4, 2002
A Toronto man faces two charges of fraud over $5,000 after thousands of dollars was stolen from a charity fundraising dinner held earlier this year. The $1,000-a-plate formal dinner, where former US president Bill Clinton was the guest speaker, was in support of Toronto Hadassah-WIZO children's charities. Peter Janeteas, 42, appeared in court last week and was given bail but police refuse to say how the alleged fraud was carried out, although a police source said the accused man was one of the organizers of the event. The amount believed to be involved was in the range of $40,000 to $50,000 and investigations are continuing. Proceeds from the event were to go toward Hadassah-WIZO programs for children in Israel, including schools, hospitals, and the Hadassah-WIZO Canada Research Institute for Study of Autism and Pervasive Developmental Disorders. For more information about the Canadian Hadassah - WIZO, visit: www.canadian-hadassah-wizo.org.
November 4, 2002
A Queen's University research group received a generous and unexpected boost to its work. It comes in the form of a $3 million donation from Britain's Department for International Development to the Southern African Research Centre's flagship program, the Southern African Migration Project. Researchers are trying to determine why 14 of the top 20 AIDS-stricken countries in the world are in southern Africa. "They approached us, it was unsolicited," said project director Jonathan Crush, adding that the program is gaining an international reputation for doing good work in South Africa. "That means that other funders have become interested. People out there are seeing the impact of our work." For more information, visit: qnc.queensu.ca/story_loader.php?id=3dbfea49c0ed5.
November 4, 2002
Young people who've lived on the streets are coming forward to share their stories. Operation Go Home is celebrating the launch of Street Hearts, a book of creative writing inspired by life on the street. The idea began when several youths attending a memorial ceremony earlier this year for murder victim Elaine Assam-Thunderbird, wrote poems and other lyrics to express their feelings. Operation Go Home realized that this was a way to help young people communicate so the organization helped start a creative writing program with author Phil Jenkins as a teacher. Ten students were coached on writing styles and produced the writings that were collected in the book, which is now being sold for $12. Proceeds go back into the program. For more information about Operation Go Home, visit: www.operationgohome.ca.
November 4, 2002
George Brown College is currently seeking employers who would like to participate in its Faculty of Business and Creative Arts co-op education program. Between January and April, post-graduate students who are studying event planning and marketing, marketing management-financial services, and marketing analysis and database marketing/business intelligence will be placed with suitable organizations for a minimum work term of 360 hours. In addition, undergraduate students will also be participating in the January - April work terms in the following areas: accounting, financial planning, financial management, human resources, management studies, and marketing. For more information about the program, visit: www.gbrownc.on.ca/~bizcoop/ccce/home.html or e-mail Doreen Pashkoff, Co-Operative Education Officer, at dpashkof@gbrownc.on.ca.
November 4, 2002
The international Association for Volunteer Administration (AVA) honoured Suzanne Lawson, executive director of the ALS Society of Canada, with its lifetime achievement award. The first Canadian to win the Harriet Naylor Distinguished Member Service Award, Lawson is a passionate advocate for AVA and has encouraged the association to enhance its global role in volunteer administration. "My life in the profession of volunteer administration, in both its salaried and unsalaried versions, has been an attempt to live with the paradox of servant-leadership," she said in accepting the award. "For me, both a theology and a statement of values, servant-leadership has proven to be an ever-present intellectual and emotional puzzle and a driving vision of what the world could be." For more information, visit: www.als.ca/als_new s.asp?intNewsID=104. To learn more about the AVA, visit: www.AVAintl.org.
November 4, 2002
Mark Slater was exhausted but happy after skating non-stop for 48 hours. Slater, a former strength-training coach for the Ottawa Senators and the Toronto Maple Leafs, was raising funds for an Ottawa baby with severe cerebral palsy. The money will help 10-month-old Laura Carkner receive a costly treatment in the US that might restore some of her sight and brain function and will allow her to eat without requiring a tube in her stomach. He said there were points during the two-day skate when he didn't think he could go on. "I bit off more than I can chew, because the pain was immense, but when I see Laura it doesn't matter." Donations from the skate and silent auction reached close to $30,000, with the help of a $10,000 contribution from the Don and Shirley Green Family Foundation and a $5,000 donation from Tony and Elizabeth Graham.
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