Time to Give: Ordinary Giving, Extraordinary Impact! - Imagine Canada

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Time to give:
Ordinary Giving, Extraordinary Impact!
Bill Gates’ and Warren Buff et’s
challenge to fellow billionaires to
give away more than half their net
worth was good news for charities around
the world. Th e Giving Pledge could mobilize
more than $600 billion from überwealthy
individuals that want to make
social change.
So what does this mean for the rest of
us? Does modest fi nancial support really
matter to charity? Yes!
Marcel Lauzière, President and CEO
of Canada’s leading charity umbrella,
Imagine Canada, says that not only do
everyday donors have a role to play but
Canadian Cancer Society,
Ontario Division
“ Anyone can be a
philanthropist, not
just the wealthy.”
Marcel Lauzière,
President & CEO, Imagine Canada
our impact can be signifi cant. “Anyone
can be a philanthropist, not just the
wealthy. It isn’t about the size of one
donation. Donors today are building
relationships with charities that are
meaningful to them. It’s about making
a commitment that, over time, can really
make a diff erence.”
Learn more about Canada’s charities and nonprofi ts at www.imaginecanada.ca
Credit Valley Conservation
by Julia Howell with Marnie Grona
The Canadian donor
• 8 4 % or 23 million Canadians,
aged 15 and older, donate to
charities and nonprofi ts each year.
• Canadians donate $437 each year
(up from $400 in 2004).
• A l l of these donations add up
to $10 billion.
Based on 2007 fi ndings from the
Canada Survey of Giving,
Volunteering and Participating.
Imagine Canada is a charitable organization whose mission is to support
Canada’s charities and nonprofi ts. It strengthens the sector’s collective voice,
acts as a forum and meeting place and helps to create an enabling environment
in which organizations can contribute to building stronger communities.

Credit Valley Conservation
Small step, new world
Mary Rollason was born with Down syndrome
and severe heart problems. After
her second infant heart surgery, doctors
discovered a brain injury. Though Mary is
now thirteen, what she can do is very limited.
She can speak just a few words, and
cannot walk or even crawl. But when her
physiotherapist recommended horseback
riding, new possibilities emerged.
“ She will enjoy the
benefits of this for
the rest of her life.”
Kevin Rollason, Mary’s father
A two-year riding program has dramatically
increased Mary’s strength and she
can now sit upright for the first time. Her
father, Kevin, says that riding has given
her core strength, and describes how his
daughter can now sit in a circle with the
other kids at story time – as opposed to sitting
at the back of the classroom or in her
wheelchair. “Now she’s at the same level
as the other kids, he said. “And it’s opened
up her world.”
And when dad tells Mary’s classmates
that she’s off to riding lessons, it further
raises her stature in the group – she can
ride horses! In fact, Mary rides on one of
the tallest horses in the stable.
“She looks so confident up there, sitting
tall, holding the bar, like any other rider,”
he said. “Even if she never walks, she will
enjoy the benefits of this for the rest of
her life.”
Why your support matters
Canada has one of the largest charitable and nonprofit sectors in the world. More than
160,000 organizations help to address some of the most intractable economic, social and
environmental challenges Canada faces. They engage and empower citizens, provide communities
with vital social, family and community services, and contribute to quality of life
through sports and recreation, arts and culture and religious practice. They also embody
Canadians’ commitment to the world around us, working to improve conditions around
the globe. In so doing, they enhance Canada’s international reputation and reach.
Mary Rollason enjoys horseback riding through a program delivered by the
Manitoba Riding for the Disabled.
Individual donations
fund 100% of program
Mary is one of twenty-four participants
in the Manitoba Riding for the Disabled
Association (MRDA), the only certified
therapeutic riding program in Manitoba.
The organization operates on a shoestring.
More than 100 volunteers – including physiotherapists
and occupational therapists
– donate their time. In the past year donations
(that fund 100% of the program)
have dropped by half threatening the
organization and curtailing its plans to
expand the program. MRDA’s Executive
Director Peter Manastyrsky said that this
is the only service available to kids like
Mary, and they would like to be able to
give each of the young riders more time.
They’d also like to accommodate the 18
children on their waiting list.
Learn more about Canada’s charities and nonprofits at www.imaginecanada.ca
I’m running
so she won’t have to.
Run
Join us on October 3, 2010.
Every year 170,000 Canadians
walk, run, raise funds and donate
to help create a future without
breast cancer. Register today.
Share
Everyone has a story to tell about
who inspires them to participate.
Share your story.
Visit cibc.com/runforthecure
cbcf.org
Think
PinkTM
Visit a CIBC branch today, make
a donation and select a gift from
the CIBC Pink Collection TM .
TM Trademark of the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. “CIBC Pink Collection” and “CIBC For what matters.” are trademarks of CIBC.

Imagine Canada Information Supplement
Doing unto others
Toronto’s Church of the Redeemer has been
running its outreach programs for nearly
two decades. It all began when the church
secretary recognized that there were hungry
people in the community, and began to feed
them. Word got out, and people arrived in
numbers that one person making sandwiches
at home just couldn’t meet.
Today, the church has a commercialsized
kitchen and serves breakfast and
lunch to up to 100 people five days a week.
About half of the guests are homeless, the
others are on social assistance or are
among the working poor. On any given
day, about a third are regulars, another
third are periodic patrons, and the remainder
are new faces.
John (not his real name) started coming
for meals three years ago. He had been in
and out of jail and was dealing with substance
abuse issues, floating between various
shelters and drop-ins. Simon Lewchuk,
Leona Fleck donates through her
workplace’s giving program.
“ My values are aligned
with the company.”
Leona Fleck,
Employee, Envision Financial
outreach coordinator for the church, said
that John liked their warm, welcoming
environment. “Our volunteers take time to
interact with the folks,” he explained. John
quickly became a regular and was eventually
able to secure housing through the city.
He now volunteers with the outreach program
four days a week.
Lewchuk said that while John is a success
story, this isn’t the norm. “We don’t always
see dramatic changes.” He added, “Our
calling is to love and show compassion for
people. Our hope is that they will find a
job and a place to live but we know that
their issues are complex and that change is
a long and slow process.”
In addition to providing food, the church
also offers nursing care twice a week, haircuts
once a week and periodic legal programs.
All of this good work is funded by
the generosity of individual donors, who
give, on average, $200 each year.
Giving at work
Like her co-workers at Envision Financial,
Leona Fleck didn’t hesitate in supporting
the company’s “Let’s Can Hunger” campaign.
Why does she give? “I’m very fortunate,”
she replied. I don’t have to worry
about where my next meal is coming from.
My values are aligned with the company.”
Based in British Columbia, Envision has
run its “Days of Caring” – a week-long
volunteering program that gets more than
100 employees to roll up their sleeves for
local charities – for the past four years.
Immediately after the event, the company
launches a fundraising campaign, which
raised $50,000 last year (the company
topped it up with $10 per employee).
Envision’s current focus on hunger and
food security resonated with Fleck, a bank
manager who has been with the company
Church of the Redeemer’s outreach
program serves breakfast and lunch
to up to 100 people five days a week.
for 22 years and has been donating through
payroll deduction for just as long. “I always
struggle when I’m in the city with those
who are asking for help on the street,” she
said. “I want to reach into my pocket but
they need more than just handing over a
coin can do.”
Fleck sees giving at work as a way to
help in a more organized way that will
have a greater impact. Plus, she’s giving
more. “I started by giving a couple of
bucks with each paycheque and didn’t
even notice it coming out.” Now she gives
at the “leadership” level ($500+) and
actively encourages other employees to
give, too. What started as a $52 annual
payroll donation is now thousands of dollars
in support of critical needs. And that
makes her feel great.
Envision Financial is a participant in Imagine Canada’s Caring Company program.
Learn more about Canada’s charities and nonprofits at www.imaginecanada.ca
A steady connection
“I have great affection for all the creative
people who scratch out a living daily,” says
Barbara Beaton, a long-time donor to
Calgary-based Alberta Theatre Projects
(ATP). “I know how hard it is to have a
secure future when you’re in the arts.”
Barbara describes herself as an ordinary
Canadian with a secure income. After 30
years with the Calgary District School
Board, she retired in 1992, and she’s been
a patron of the arts ever since.
Barbara’s love of the arts began through
choral singing as a child in Medicine Hat.
A fondness for theatre emerged years
later, when the Canmore Opera House – a
19th century log building – was brought
to Calgary’s Heritage Park in 1973. Young
people put on seven shows a day there,
using drama as an educational tool to
engage audiences in Alberta history. “There
were 40,000 students exposed to this idea
of combining history and theatre. I thought
it was a pretty good thing,” she said.
Thank you to our generous corporate supporters.
When ATP was founded
Barbara became an early subscriber
and soon added “donor”
to her relationship with the
company. For the past ten years
she’s been a member of ATP’s
Director’s Circle, giving a
minimum of $1,000 each year.
“My connection has been steady,”
she said. Yes, the program offers
her access to the company and
its leadership but Barbara is clear
that personal benefit really
doesn’t come into play. “It’s incumbent on
me to help those whose work I admire.”
Recently, Barbara took another step by
contributing a number of oil company
shares to the company, a sizable gift that
supports their work in the schools and an
apprenticeship program. Why make such
a significant donation? “It’s a good place
to put it because of my own work as a
teacher,” she said simply.
Barbara Beaton is a long time Alberta Theatre
Projects donor.
She’s looking forward to a new role running
the theatre company’s volunteer gift
shop this fall, and planning her next
financial contribution: she intends to support
a choral music program in her hometown.
When asked what she would advise
to other prospective philanthropists she
suggests reflecting on the past. “Look to
your childhood. What were the things that
really made you feel good?”
Share the
Power of a Wish®
Make-A-Wish ® Canada thanks our National Corporate Stars for
their generous contributions of more than $100,000 towards our
magical wish granting efforts.
With strong corporate and individual support, we will continue
our 27 year tradition of granting wishes to children with
life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human
experience with hope, strength and joy.
“Make-A-Wish ® knows that our wish is to live and get better.
They make us live by giving us something to live for. That is
hope, and that’s what they gave to me. Thank you from
the bottom of my heart.”
Jennifer | Wish Child
www.makeawish.ca

84% of Canadians give to charities. 12.5 million
Canadians show their support through volunteering.
But we still need to renew and grow Canada’s
charitable donor base.
Canadians want to keep giving to get us through the
challenges of today and the decades ahead.
Let’s make it easier for Canadians to support the
causes that matter to them the most!
Imagine Canada proposes the Stretch Tax Credit for
Charitable Giving, a new and simple tax incentive
for all Canadians.
STRETCH TAX CREDIT for CHARITABLE GIVING
The purpose of the Stretch Tax
Credit is to encourage more
Canadians to begin to give and to
support those who already give to
give more.
HOW IT WORKS:
The Stretch Tax Credit would boost
the federal tax credit from 15% to
25% for each new dollar up to $200
and from 29% to 39% for each new
dollar above $200. This incentive will
encourage Canadians to “stretch” their
giving even more.
For more information on the Stretch Tax Credit for Charitable Giving visit:
www.stretchtax.imaginecanada.ca
WHY WE NEED IT:
Charities and nonprofi ts in every
community work on behalf of
Canadians to provide services and
supports that contribute to quality
of life and economic prosperity. We
need to act now to renew and grow
Canada’s charitable sector and donor
base to ensure organizations working
across the country and around
the world can meet the changing
needs and growing demands of the
individuals, families and communities
they serve.
Imagine Canada is a charitable organization whose mission is to support Canada’s charities and nonprofi ts. We strengthen
the sector’s collective voice, act as a forum and meeting place and create an enabling environment in which organizations
contribute to building stronger communities.
Data presented from the 2007 Canada Survey of Giving, Volunteering and Participating by Statistics Canada, Imagine
Canada and Volunteer Canada available at www.givingandvolunteering.ca
Photos courtesy of Hospitals of Regina Foundation, Drive Away Hunger and the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation CIBC Run for the Cure.
Inspiring a stewardship ethic
For many youth living in southern Ontario’s
Credit River Watershed area, the education
programs at Credit Valley Conservation
are often their first experience of being in
a natural, undeveloped setting. The area is
one of the most culturally diverse, attracting
immigrants from around the world –
some arriving with a healthy fear of wildlife.
“The idea of walking freely through a
meadow is new to them,” said Shawn
Verge, program coordinator for the Conservation
Youth Corps program. Other
participating youth, he added, “have never
escaped the city environment.”
Donors to Conservation Youth Corps
(CYC) contribute half of the costs of educating
up to 1000 students each year on the
real and potential impact of climate change.
Ten thousand trees are planted by youth to
increase the canopy cover, creating more
carbon and oxygen release. Young people
also learn how to monitor the health of the
river by constructing salamander boards –
wooden planks that create habitat
for these barometers of environmental
health. Electro-fishing teaches
them to count fish as well, by producing
an electrical current in the
water that temporarily and harmlessly
stuns them. And for those
interested in natural resource management,
mock planning exercises
give them the chance to take on the
role of park planner, botanist or
environmental educator, all facing
an imagined landscape where climate
change has taken its toll.
What does the program hope to
achieve? “We are creating a stewardship
ethic,” Verge responded. He described
how one student – after volunteering for
two summers – was hired on as an assistant
this summer. “Having enjoyed learning
about tree species and local flora and
fauna he became ecologically literate,”
said Verge. While inculcating the next
Imagine Canada Information Supplement
Credit Valley Conservation’s
Youth Corps
generation of professional environmentalists
may not be the goal, that same student
starts university this fall to pursue a career
in environmental engineering. “This is
great,” Verge enthused, “but whatever they
decide to do, this experience will guide
their decision-making processes and
their lives.”
Giving Opportunity Giving Thanks
Boys and Girls Club after school programs help over
200,000 children and youth across Canada to achieve
their best potential through:
• Healthy physical activity
• Nutritious meals and snacks
• Academic support and scholarships
• Life and career skills
• Positive, supportive relationships
Thank you to all of our corporate partners
whose generous gifts are helping to provide
needed, life-changing support to Canadian
children and youth.
Please help us give every child in Canada the opportunity
for healthy development.
Make giving to one of Canada’s leading children’s charities
a part of your holiday tradition.
Learn more at: www.bgccan.com
With special thanks to:

Where to Give
A Profile of Canada’s
Charitable Sector
With more than 85,000 charities in
Canada, this sector is large, diverse and
vibrant. When combined with nonprofit
organizations, the numbers extend beyond
160,000. From local sports clubs to environmental
clean-up initiatives, art galleries
to crisis phone lines, nonprofits are driven
by a mission to serve the public good.
Which organizations to support and how
is your decision alone. But to help you in the
process, here is a brief overview of the range
of work carried out in this vital sector.
Why give now?
Demand up, donations not
keeping pace
Charities are having difficulty fulfilling
their missions, Imagine Canada’s Sector
Monitor research program reports.
The Sector Monitor surveyed more
than 1,500 charity leaders and found that
just over half are having difficulty fulfilling
their missions. And just over a quarter
say their very existence is at risk.
This is possibly due to increased
demand for services in response to the
recent economic downturn that may
have influenced an increase in expenditures
without a corresponding increase
in revenues.
Find out more:
www.imaginecanada.ca/sector_monitor
Arts & Culture
Dance, music, theatre, visual arts, craft,
film, writing, architecture and design –
just some of the forms of creative expression
nourished by arts and culture organizations.
Through this work our unique
stories are told and our shared cultural
identity is preserved and celebrated.
Education
Education is one of the ways that our
society intentionally passes on its accumulated
knowledge, skills and values
from one generation to the next. Educational
institutions include pre-schools,
elementary, primary, secondary, technical
and vocational, continuing education,
colleges and universities.
Environment
Preserving our natural spaces and species
drives the work of environmental organizations.
From river restoration, to urban
greening initiatives to animal welfare,
these organizations ensure the health and
longevity of our ecosystems.
Faith
Faith-based organizations support a variety
of causes which tap into the core values of
a segment of our Canadian society. These
organizations serve community needs in a
multitude of ways including physical, spiritual,
and economic support.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Health
Nonprofit hospitals, nursing homes, community
health centres, and other providers
are integral to the physical and mental
health for each of us, our family, friends and
other individuals in our communities. They
are there for crisis intervention, rehabilitation,
emergencies as well as promoting
public health and wellness education.
Human and Social Services
Human and social service organizations
deliver specialized supports and services to
meet a broad range of community needs.
Target populations they serve include children,
youth, families, the elderly and the
economically disadvantaged.
International Development
These organizations embrace the global
community and range in mission from those
that encourage mutual respect and international
friendships, social and economic
development, promotion and monitoring of
human rights in addition to providing aid
during times of disaster or emergency.
Sports & Recreation
Keeping Canadians physically active is the
main goal of sports and recreation
organizations. Whether it’s on the lawn
bowling court or at the skateboard park,
these organizations ensure that there are
a wide range of opportunities for active
living and building skills, leadership,
teamwork and self-esteem.
LEADING THE WAY TO A FUTURE
WITHOUT BREAST CANCER.
The Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation is a recognized leader in funding innovative research, and we’ve been instrumental
in supporting education and awareness programs, early detection, effective treatment and a positive quality of life for those
living with breast cancer. But we couldn’t do it without the help of individual Canadians like you. Thank you for your support.
To learn more and support us in our vision of creating a future without breast cancer, visit www.cbcf.org/action
“When you’ve
had cancer,
every day
is a gift.”
-Chris Taylor
A gift left in your Will can save lives. If cancer is your cause, support one
of the top 5 cancer research centres in the world. To learn more about
planning your gift, call 416-946-2295 or email legacy@pmhf.ca
See Chris Taylor’s story at www.pmhf.ca
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Help Touch Lives in Your Community
www.von.ca
Donate Today
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“Thanks to the
groundbreaking research,
the care of Dr. Messner
and the compassion of the
whole team at the Princess
Margaret Hospital,
I’m here today.”
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Yes Montreal‘s Youth
Employment Conference.
Envision Financial employees volunteering
at Abbotsford’s Fraser Valley Gleaners.
Giving is easy
More than 80,000 charities are listed on
CanadaHelps, the most comprehensive
Canadian online giving portal. Through
CanadaHelps.org anyone can donate to
any registered Canadian charity.
Give today: www.canadahelps.org
What does community
mean to you?
The stories we have featured are
examples of unique and meaningful
ways to give back to the community.
We hope you found them informative
and inspiring. Now, what will you do for
your community?
Imagine Canada Information Supplement
Two trustmarks to look out for
Ethical Code Program
Ask your favourite charity if they participate in Imagine
Canada’s Ethical Code program. Use of the trustmark
demonstrates an organization’s commitment to
the responsible management and accounting of the
funds that donors entrust to them.
Find out more: www.imaginecanada.ca/ethicalcode
Caring Company Program
Ask if your employer is part of the Caring Company
Program, Canada’s leading corporate citizenship initiative.
Program participants reflect a growing community
that recognizes the important role that business and the
workplace can play in meeting social needs. And if your
company doesn’t have an employee giving program, here’s
your chance to get one started!
Find out more: www.imaginecanada.ca/caringcompany
Choosing your cause
In addition to looking for trustmarks, such as the Ethical Code, you should also feel
free to do your own research in order to reach a comfort level with the charity or cause
of your choice. Most charities have websites and, as public-facing organizations, they
are inclined toward transparency in their operations. Look for a list of their board of
directors and staff (if they have any) to see who’s involved, and you can also download
their annual report to find out how they receive and spend their funds and what kinds
of annual activities they engage in.
Reputable charities will be happy to answer any questions you have. Send them an
email, call or ask to visit them on site. Your donation is an important source of income
and a show of support for the good work they are doing in the community.
Donor Resources
Imagine Canada’s Ethical Code:
www.imaginecanada.ca/ethicalcode
Association of Fundraising Professionals’ Fundraising Code of Ethics:
www.afpnet.org/ethics
Canada Revenue Agency, the Federal Government Regulator:
www.cra-arc.gc.ca/chrts-gvng/menu-eng.html
CanadaHelps, the online giving portal:
www.CanadaHelps.org
Community Foundations of Canada:
www.cfc-fcc.ca
Leave a Legacy, advice on giving through your will:
www.leavealegacy.ca
Philanthropic Foundations of Canada:
www.pfc.ca
Volunteer Canada, the national leader on volunteerism:
www.volunteer.ca
Learn more about Canada’s charities and nonprofits at www.imaginecanada.ca