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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: July, 2006
Articles are arranged in reverse chronological order.
Introducing "Building a Great Volunteer Program"
July 31, 2006
We're pleased to announce the launch of our latest CharityVillage Campus course: Building a Great Volunteer Program. In this great new course, developed by CharityVillage contributor Donna Lockhart, you'll learn essential steps to integrating volunteers successfully into your organization. In addition to the regular course content, you'll have access to 20 downloadable resources that you can print off and put to use in your organization today, including sample position descriptions, interview checklists, and tips for orienting your volunteers successfully.
From now until August 31, save 25% on your registration with our early-bird discount. The course is just $97 per user. Find out more today at: www.charityvillage.com/cv/learn/cvcvol.html.
July 31, 2006
Alberta's Ministry of Community Development recently unveiled the Alberta Nonprofit/Voluntary Sector Initiative (ANVSI). Its goal is to encourage collaboration to ensure sustainability of the sector and help address current and future challenges including funding, human resources, insurance, and volunteer screening. The council is comprised of nonprofit/voluntary sector leaders and Alberta government representatives. Together, council members will develop a framework to guide and strengthen the relationship between the Government of Alberta and the province's nonprofit/voluntary sector. For more information, visit: www.gov.ab.ca.
Fast Fact: American women volunteer at higher rates than men
July 31, 2006
A first-ever federal study released by the US-based Corporation for National and Community Service reveals that, in every state, volunteers are more likely to be women than men, and women with children and those who work have higher volunteer rates than other women. Across the country, 32.4% of women volunteer, compared with 25% of men. Among women who volunteer, 63% are employed and 34% are outside the labour force. As well, women with children under age 18 volunteer at a significantly higher rate (39.9%) than do women without young children (29%). Overall, 65.4 million or 28.8% of American adults volunteered in 2005, an increase of nearly six million volunteers since 2002. American volunteers spend a median of 50 hours per year volunteering, and gave a total of 8.2 billion hours of volunteer service in 2005. -- Corporation for National and Community Service
July 31, 2006
Last week, Ottawa-born investor Eric Sprott and his wife Vizma donated $7 million to the Ottawa Hospital to create an endowment fund to support and advance the work of scientists at the new Sprott Centre for Stem Cell Research. It is the largest individual donation in the hospital's history. "This will be a very significant centre in Canada and the world, for that matter, and this type of donation, hopefully, will allow it to hire more researchers and more doctors to investigate more solutions to more diseases," said Eric Sprott. The Sprott donation brings the fundraising total of the Ottawa Hospital Foundation's Legacy Campaign to $85 million. The campaign's goal is to raise $100 million over five years for facility upgrades, new equipment and leading-edge medical research and education. For more information, visit: www.ohfoundation.ca.
July 31, 2006
The Canadian Community Economic Development Network's (CCEDNet) newest program focuses on giving young people who care about social issues a chance to make a difference locally. CreateAction, the first program of its kind in Canada, will place 60 post-graduate youth with community organizations across the country over the next two years. Interns will work in jobs ranging from food security to economic development. The goal of CreateAction is to arm young people with the skills and experience to start careers that help solve social, economic and environmental issues in Canadian communities. "In the past, young people had to work internationally to get this kind of experience," says Rupert Downing, CCEDNet's executive director. "Now, youth leaders can make an impact that's felt locally." For more information, visit: www.ccednet-rcdec.ca.
July 31, 2006
The federal heritage ministry is committing $5.6 million over three years to the Confederation Centre of the Arts in Charlottetown. The funding will help cover the centre's operating costs. "Confederation Centre of the Arts is a world class facility that all Canadians can take pride in," said Bev Oda, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Status of Women. "Governments don't create culture, but we have a moral obligation to encourage Canadian artistic expression." Two weeks ago, the centre also received a donation of $200,000 from the Michael S. Schurman Family Foundation for youth arts education programs. For more information about Confederation Centre, visit: www.confederationcentre.com.
July 31, 2006
The latest data from Statistics Canada shows that revenue from live performances accounted for almost half (49%) of total revenues for for-profit and not-for-profit performing arts companies in 2004. Grants, subsidies and donations from various government and private sector sources made up 27% of total revenue, down slightly from 28% three years earlier. Overall, revenues generated by both sectors surpassed an estimated $1.2 billion in 2004, up 4.2% over 2003 and 25.5% higher than in 2001. For-profit companies generated just over half of this total. Earned revenue was much lower for not-for-profit companies than for-profits. For every $100 in operating revenue for nonprofits companies, ticket sales generated $42 and merchandising, royalties and rentals another $8. Governments provided $29, while the private sector donated the remaining $21. In contrast, for-profit operating revenue was almost entirely earned, with only $2 coming from government funding and $1 from private sector donations. -- Statistics Canada
July 31, 2006
Governor General Michaëlle Jean recently announced 77 new appointments to the Order of Canada, including a number of philanthropists and volunteers. Philanthropists David M. Campbell and Linda Haynes were appointed as Members to the Order of Canada. Among those recognized for voluntary service were: Janet M. Davidson; Vithal Rajan; Frederick P. Blackstein; Esther Braden; Susan Butler; M.A. Grete Hale; and Zaheer M. Lakhani, to name a few. The Order of Canada was established in 1967 to recognize outstanding achievement and service. It is Canada's highest honour for lifetime achievement. For more information, visit: www.gg.ca.
July 31, 2006
A survey of the wealthiest 1% of Americans - those with household incomes of at least $300,000 or net worth of at least $5.9 million - finds that almost half (46%) plan to leave part of their estate to charity when they die. Those surveyed plan to leave most of their estates to spouses or children, but will give an average of 9% of their assets to charity in the event that there is no living spouse. Of those who plan to leave funds to charities, 48% will donate to academic institutions, 44% to health-related organizations, 36% to religious institutions, 30% to public policy groups, and 17% to libraries or museums. A majority of the respondents have taken action to protect their estates from taxes, including establishing a trust (67%), giving money away (55%), and setting up a foundation (18%). -- U.S. Trust Company
July 31, 2006
Bell Canada announced that its 18th annual Bell Celebrity Classic charity golf tournament raised $200,000 for SickKids Foundation - part of Bell's five-year $10 million commitment to the foundation. More than 500 guests and 100 celebrities attended this year's event, including Mario Lemieux, Louis Gossett Jr., The Tragically Hip, Doug Gilmour, Mike "Pinball" Clemons, Damon Allen, Curtis Joseph, and Catriona Le May Doan among many others. For more information, visit: www.bce.ca.
July 24, 2006
Imagine Canada has released a new study of small- and medium-sized community organizations in Canada. Building Blocks For Strong Communities compared the structure, development and supports for Canada's small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and small- and medium-sized community organizations (SMOs), and also examined supports available to SMEs and SMOs in other countries. Drawing on learnings from Canadian and international experience, the study made recommendations on how public supports for SMOs in Canada could be improved. This includes financial supports, information and learning resources, improving government-sector relations, and increasing awareness of the sector and its contributions. For more information or to download the full report, visit: www.nonprofitscan.ca.
July 24, 2006
Last week, Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Social Development, announced the new members of the Service Canada Voluntary Sector Advisory Committee. The committee will play a key role in assisting the federal government to ensure that its programs and services enhance employment outcomes for individuals and communities, and will help the government to restore accountability and ensure effective and efficient program delivery. "This advisory committee will help strengthen the positive relationship between Service Canada and its community-based service delivery partners," said Minister Finley. "The advisory committee will also ensure that government decision-making respects the unique role that the voluntary sector and community-based organizations play in contributing to Canada's employment and labour market." For more information, visit: news.gc.ca.
July 24, 2006
The Association of Fundraising Professional's State of Fundraising 2005 Survey reveals that 64.4% of Canadian fundraisers raised more money in 2005 - a 2% increase from the 2004 survey. In the US, 62.9% of fundraisers raised more in 2005 than the previous year. Sixty-six percent of Canadian organizations reached their goal in 2005 and 71.3% believe their organizations will raise even more funds in 2006. Sixty-three percent of respondents also said that relief efforts for the Southeast Asia tsunami had no impact on their fundraising and 91% felt there would be no long-term impact from the relief efforts. Find out more about the results of the survey in this week's Cover Story. -- AFP
July 24, 2006
A new research study conducted by Community Foundations of Canada and the Law Commission of Canada concludes that Canadian social policy is undermining the success of newcomers to this country, hampering their access to employment and vital services, and creating a web of discrimination that makes it harder for immigrants to settle here, even though they are more educated and more skilled than their predecessors.
The study, entitled Unsettled: Legal and Policy Barriers for Newcomers to Canada, identifies seven key barriers and accompanying recommendations for Canada's policy and lawmakers. It also includes suggestions for non-governmental organizations and a compendium of ideas that lists programs already working to overcome the barriers identified in the report. "The study is crystal clear - settlement issues cannot be solved by one sector alone," says Monica Patten, CEO of Community Foundations of Canada. "We need to engage government, business and the community if we want our country to be a place where newcomers thrive." For more information or to download the full report, visit: www.cfc-fcc.ca.
July 24, 2006
Vancity, Canada's largest credit union, is once again offering four British Columbia nonprofit groups the chance to compete for the largest corporate gift of its kind in Canada - a $1-million annual grant to support community projects. This year's finalists for the Vancity Award include:The winner is chosen by Vancity's members and will be announced in November. For more information, visit: www.vancity.com.
- AIDS Vancouver Island and Cool Aid Society for a new initiative to house a wide variety of primary health care and social services in one location for at-risk people.
- Atira Women's Resource Society to provide pre- and post-natal healthcare for at-risk pregnant and early parenting women and their children.
- Crisis Centre for the expansion of its www.youthinbc.com life-saving program that will provide 24/7 one-on-one online chat support to youth and adults in crisis across BC.
- Quest Outreach Society to expand its food exchange that recovers good food from ending up in landfills and redistributes it through agencies in the Lower Mainland.
July 24, 2006
According to a new study, people who live in rural areas of Canada were more likely to devote time to volunteer work than their urban counterparts in 2003, regardless of their level of education. The study also found that the association between education and volunteering was stronger in Canada's rural areas. In rural areas nationwide, 63% of people with a university degree reported that they had done some volunteering in 2003. In contrast, in urban areas, only 42% of university degree holders did some volunteering. In terms of participation in an organization, 67% of Canada's most rural residents with a college certificate or diploma reported that they were a member of an organization, compared to 55% of those living in urban areas. -- Statistics Canada
July 24, 2006
The Ontario Arts Council published a new study that provides an in-depth examination of artists in various regions of Ontario, including regions, counties, districts, local municipalities and postal areas. Artists by Region in Ontario highlights data about Ontario's arts labour force and provides comparisons with the overall Ontario labour force, as well as comparisons between municipalities and postal regions in the province. The study also includes a breakdown by occupation for eight municipalities with more than 750 total artists: Toronto (21,000 artists); Ottawa (4,400); Mississauga (2,000); Hamilton (1,700); London (1,400); Markham (900); Kitchener (800); and Brampton (800). For more information, visit: www.arts.on.ca.
July 24, 2006
The Ottawa Sun reports that the high price of gas is taking its toll on charities, with many organizations struggling to maintain services that rely on vehicles for operation. The local Salvation Army operates a community van seven days a week, providing outreach for Ottawa's homeless community. Although the group budgeted more money to operate the van this summer, "when it's [gas prices] fluctuating as much as it has been, it becomes very unpredictable and harder for us to budget," said Mike White, director of programming. Peter Tilley, executive director of the Ottawa Food Bank, took a proactive approach. "We budgeted $35,000 for gas this year instead of $28,000 from last year," he said. The Mission uses a 15-passenger van to transport hospice clients to and from doctor appointments, and a cargo van is used to pick up donations. "In terms of cutting further, there's not a lot of leverage for us," said Laird Eddy, director of Mission services. "We will have to pay the additional costs."
July 24, 2006
Despite all the advances in technology that are meant to simplify our lives, Canadians put in more hours of work each week in 2005 than they did in 1986. During the past two decades, the average total workday (including both paid and unpaid work) for people aged 25 to 54 increased from 8.2 hours in 1986 to 8.8 hours on average in 2005. Although it does not sound like much, this gain of just over half an hour amounted to more than 200 extra hours in paid and unpaid work last year compared with 1986, or the equivalent of about nine extra days. On average, the entire increase came from paid labour, which rose from an average of 4.7 hours a day in 1986 to 5.4 hours last year, while unpaid work dropped slightly. -- Statistics Canada
July 24, 2006
Mari-Lyn Hudson of Heart@Work is in the midst of writing a book and is requesting your stories of experiencing kindness. She is exploring three themes:Send your stories (no more than 300 words) to kindnessinc@myway.com and be sure to include your contact information and a brief bio. The deadline for submissions is August 15th, 2006.
- Kindness with yourself - received or given kindness and its effect on you
- Kindness at work - among colleagues and co-workers and how it affects your organization
- Kindness in the community - what acts of kindness do you perform or have you received from someone else, and what effect did it have on you?
July 10, 2006
CharityVillage.com is pleased to announce the appointment of a new member to our great team: Carol Roberts. Carol replaces Steven Wright as our account manager for the City of Toronto. Steve has been promoted to our new sales manager position. "We're delighted to add yet another terrific person to our team," said CharityVillage president Maggie Leithead. Carol is committed to the nonprofit sector and to delivering exceptional customer service. Say hello to Carol today.
July 10, 2006
Imagine Canada recently published a series of new subsector and regional profile reports, based on information from the National Survey of Nonprofit and Voluntary Organizations (NSNVO). Regional reports are available for: British Columbia; Alberta; Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and the Territories; Ontario; Quebec; and Atlantic Canada. As well, there are subsector reports covering sports and recreation organizations, religious organizations, social services organizations, and arts and culture organizations. For more information, visit: www.nonprofitscan.ca.
July 10, 2006
The Great Canadian Theatre Company (GCTC), which has been operating in Ottawa for more than 30 years, will soon have a new home. The new facility will feature a main theatre with 270 seats and a smaller 95-seat studio space. Set to open next summer, the theatre will be called the Irving Greenberg Theatre Centre to acknowledge a $2.5 million donation from the Greenberg family, of Minto Developments. The gift is in memory of Irving Greenberg, an entrepreneur and theatre lover. In addition, the provincial government has committed $2.6 million and the City of Ottawa will contribute $1.3 million to the project. For more information about the GCTC, visit: www.gctc.ca.
July 10, 2006
A recent national survey found that Canadians would donate an average of $117,000 to charity if they won a million dollars. A significant portion of respondents (16%) said they would be willing to establish a charitable foundation to ensure their philanthropy lasts beyond their lifetime, and 1% said they would donate the entire million. The survey also showed that younger Canadians are the most generous, with those ages 18-24 leading the pack at an average donation of $156,000. The group who would donate the least is the 35-44 age range, at $93,000. -- Decima Research
July 10, 2006
According to a new national study on early learning in 11 Canadian cities, children from low-income households have the toughest time getting regulated daycare. The report, entitled Learning from Each Other: Early Learning and Child Care Experiences in Canadian Cities, is the first national study that examines the local provision of children's services across the country. It examined childcare, kindergarten, and out-of-school-hours care for six- to 12-year-olds and concluded that Canadian cities do not have sufficient services for children up to 12 years of age, with the exception of kindergarten, which is universal. The study found that the most successful local initiatives share common features: they are created for all children and are not targeted to a specific population; they allow for local flexibility and local accountability; and have an ongoing commitment from all partners and the support of a broadly based organization in the community. To download the report in PDF format, visit: www.toronto.ca.
July 10, 2006
The CBC and the Dominion Institute have invited twenty leading thinkers to comment on the single issue or event that they think could transform Canada by 2020. For example, what would Canada look like if oil cost $300 a barrel in the year 2020? How would the country function, or not, in the aftermath of the separation of Quebec? Where and how would we live if global temperatures rose dramatically in the next fourteen years? What will our cities look like by 2020? What forces could transform our economy, the healthcare system or our role in the world?
CBC.ca will post the essays online as they are released over the next six months, and coverage on CBC Television and CBC Radio will include interviews, commentary and mini-documentaries on the ideas raised by each of the contributors. Find out what some of Canada's great thinkers have to say, or share your vision of Canada's future for a chance to win a $2,020 cash prize. Visit: www.twenty-twenty.ca.
July 10, 2006
An Ontario family is helping to preserve habitat for the endangered piping plover by donating land on Miscou Island off New Brunswick's northeast shore. Dr. John Connolly and his family donated five separate tracts, totalling 90 hectares, to the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC). "The Connolly Properties on Miscou Island are an excellent addition to NCC's conservation holdings," said Denise Roy, Land Securement Officer with NCC. "The geographical location of the properties and their ecological significance have made them a critical target for NCC's conservation efforts." For more information, visit: www.natureconservancy.ca.
July 10, 2006
Last week, representatives from the BC provincial government and the federal Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development signed an historic agreement that will lead to the recognition of First Nations' jurisdiction over First Nations' education in British Columbia. The First Nations Education Steering Committee (FNESC) will work with interested First Nations to assist them in developing education laws and establishing Community Education Authorities to deliver education programs and services. "This agreement on First Nations' schools is the first of its kind in Canada and is a major step toward our goal of closing the education gap between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal British Columbians," said Premier Gordon Campbell. Governing powers that First Nations' schools will assume under a Canada-First Nation Education Jurisdiction Agreement include: teacher certification, school certification, and the establishment of curriculum and examination standards. For more information, visit: www.fnesc.ca.
July 10, 2006
In a case study of a for-profit multichannel retailer, the company increased monthly e-mailings from an average five per month to 12 per month (roughly three times a week) and produced 38% more revenue than the five-times-per-month program. However, over the course of a month's mailings, the 5-times approach produced a total unsubscribe rate of 0.74%, compared to 1.77% for the 12-times mailings, an increase of nearly 140%. Over a month, spam complaints increased 1,300%, from a monthly rate of 0.046% to 0.646% for the 12-times mailings. The lost address (spam complaints + unsubscribes + hard bounces) rate jumped from a monthly 1.53% to 3.44%. Over 12 months, this means 41.3% of the list will disappear, compared to an annual loss of 18.3% for the five-times mailings. In dollars, the negative financial impact totals $2.5 million. The potential lesson for nonprofits that solicit donations via e-mail: less is more. -- ClickZ Network
July 10, 2006
Last week, Mackenzie Investments unveiled the Mackenzie Charitable Giving Fund, the first charitable giving fund of its kind offered by a mutual fund company in Canada. It allows Canadians the opportunity to grant money to the charities of their choice each year, and uses the expertise of Mackenzie and third-party fund managers to seek to grow the value of their original donation over time. "We expect to increase the awareness about charitable giving in Canada by offering this new approach through the more than 30,000 financial advisors that work with Mackenzie," said Brad Offman, assistant vice president of strategic philanthropy for Mackenzie. For more information, visit: www.mackenziefinancial.com/giving.
July 4, 2006
The Canadian Council on Social Development (CCSD) has just released a new report entitled The Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector in Ontario. It is the first in a series of regional reports on the vital 'third pillar' of Canadian society. Written by Katherine Scott, the research is based on the National Survey of Nonprofit and Voluntary Organizations, which was conducted by a consortium of organizations in partnership with Statistics Canada.
The study finds that Ontario has a comparatively small nonprofit and voluntary sector - as measured by organizations per capita - than elsewhere in Canada. While the majority of groups serve their local communities, there is a notable presence of national and international organizations in Ontario. As well, most employment in the nonprofit and voluntary sector in the province is permanent and full-time, but the rates of temporary employment and part-time work are much higher than the national average. To download the report in PDF format, visit: www.ccsd.ca.
July 4, 2006
A former student of the University of Western Ontario (UWO) has left $4.3 million to the school, the largest ever bequest to the university. "This is the tip of the iceberg because we are now in the largest transfer of wealth from one generation to another," said Ted Garrard, vice president external at UWO. "Donors have told us more than $100 million will come to the university through their estate plans." This latest bequest is from Mercedes Heal, who earned a bachelor's degree in secretarial science in 1935 and died in November at the age of 92. Never married, she lived most of her life frugally in a modest home and made most of her excursions by bicycle and public transit. Garrard said $3 million of Heal's bequest will generate bursaries for medical students on an as-needed basis. The remainder will be used for First Nations support services at Western. For more information about the university, visit: www.uwo.ca.
July 4, 2006
A new US-based report finds that wealth and income aren't the only factors that influence charitable giving to arts, education and health charities. Charitable Giving to Education, Health and Arts: An Analysis of Data Collected in the Center on Philanthropy Panel Study, 2003 examined the effects of several different variables - beyond wealth and income - that determine why people give to certain types of charities. These included activities such as volunteering and giving to other subsectors, as well as the number of people in the household and geography.
Donors to arts organizations were the most likely to contribute to other causes. Arts giving tended to decrease with family size and among those households that reported active Catholic or Protestant affiliation. After income and wealth, the only other factor with a strong positive correlation to giving to education was philanthropic activity (giving and volunteering) in other subsectors. The same is true for giving to health organizations. However, health giving is lower in households headed my men. For more information, visit: www.campbellcompany.com/news.html.
July 4, 2006
According to the latest Giving USA report, the amount donated by Americans last year nearly equaled the all-time high of $260.5 billion reported in 2000. Almost 60% of charities that participated in the survey said they raised more money in 2005 than in 2004. Only 28% said they raised less, and 12% raised the same amount as in 2004. Donations from living Americans grew by 2.9%, to $199.1 billion, while charitable bequests dropped by 8.6% to $17.4 billion, reflecting what researchers said was a "steep decline" in the number of deaths in the past two years. -- Giving USA Foundation
July 4, 2006
Warren Buffett, the second-richest man in the world, will be giving away most of his wealth to charity, according to a report in Fortune magazine. Under the plan announced last week, Buffet will gradually give away 85% of his investments to five foundations. One of those foundations is the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which will receive the bulk of the stock, about 83%. He will join Bill and Melinda Gates as the only trustees of the foundation. Buffet's current net worth is an estimated $44 billion. For more information, visit: money.cnn.com.
July 4, 2006
The Canadian Coalition of Community-Based Employability Training (CCCBET) has published a report focusing on the specific issues and barriers preventing the integration of immigrants and refugees into the Canadian workforce. According to CCCBET, the top three barriers affecting the hiring in Canada of immigrants reported by survey respondents were: language skills, recognition of foreign work experience and credentials, and Canadian work experience. Additional barriers mentioned included cultural issues, discrimination issues and issues related to accessing employers and jobs. As labour shortage problems loom for everyone, including employers in the nonprofit sector, organizations must pay more attention to the largely untapped talent in the workforce, as well as to the barriers that immigrants and refugees may inadvertently face during the employee recruitment and selection process. For more information about CCCBET, visit: www.savie.qc.ca.
July 4, 2006
Ontario's Ministry of Research and Innovation announced an investment of $5 million to the Heart and Stroke Foundation Centre for Stroke Recovery. The funding helped kick off Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario CEO Rocco Rossi's solo kayak voyage for stroke research. "There are approximately 100,000 paddle strokes between [Toronto] and Ottawa and that is a metaphor for our need to redouble our efforts to deal with this deadly and incapacitating illness," said Rossi. "The Centre represents one of the best hopes to make a real difference and I am delighted and proud to be part of it." For more information about Rocco's Paddle for Progress on Stroke, visit: www.heartandstroke.ca/rocco.
July 4, 2006
Americans gave more than $260 billion to charitable causes last year, according to the most recent statistics. More than a third of that amount ($93.2 billion) went to religious organizations, an increase of 5.9% from 2004. Educational organizations also fared well, receiving $38.56 billion, up 13.1%. Foundations ($21.70 billion), health organizations ($22.54 billion), human service organizations ($25.36 billion), public-society benefit organizations ($14.03 billion), environment and animal organizations ($8.86 billion), and international relief and aid ($6.39 billion) all experienced increases last year. Arts, culture and humanities organizations, on the other hand, saw giving decline to $13.51 billion, a drop of 3.4% from 2004. -- Giving USA Foundation
July 4, 2006
Increases in university tuition fees are having a devastating effect on low-income families in Canada, according to a report released by the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT). "It's shocking that low-income families have to devote up to 67% of their after-tax income to pay for one year's tuition fees for one child to attend university," said CAUT president Greg Allain.
The Economics of Access: The Fiscal Reality of PSE Costs for Low-Income Families examines tuition fees as a proportion of after-tax income for different income groups. The study ranks the provinces on the basis of an equity index with Newfoundland and Labrador having the best ranking and Nova Scotia the worst. "The shocking reality is that low-income families in most provinces simply don't have the resources or access to credit needed to finance a post-secondary education at today's costs. This report illustrates how financial barriers are shutting out low income families from colleges and universities," concluded Allain. For more information, visit: www.caut.ca.
July 4, 2006
Brahma Compression of Calgary recently donated $100,000 to the Kids Cancer Care Foundation of Alberta. The company, which manufactures small horsepower gas compressors designed for the oil and gas industry, raised the funds through a sales initiative that saw the company donate a percentage of its sales to the foundation. "Our success has come from our customers, so this was an opportunity for Brahma to join with our customers in giving back to the community," said president Don Schafer. "We're hoping customers will continue to participate and that this number will grow even larger." According to Kids Cancer Care founder and CEO Christine Wandzura, the Brahma contribution is the single largest annual donation the charity has received. To learn more about the Kids Cancer Care Foundation of Alberta, visit: www.kidscancercare.ab.ca.
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