Q. What percentage of my donation will go directly to projects?
A. We guarantee that not more than 15% of your donation will be retained for administration. Our goal is to use less than 10% for organizational purposes. We work hard to keep our administrative costs as low as possible. An additional 10% of your donation dollar is allocated towards our education and capacity building program in Canada.
Q. Does Change for Children issue tax receipts?
A. Yes, Change for Children Association is a registered charity. You will receive a charitable tax receipt for income tax purposes on donations of $20 or more within 6 weeks of when we receive the donation. Our charitable registration number is 11884 9496 RR0001.
If you make an online donation through CanadaHelps, Canada Helps will issue your tax receipt.
Q. When can I expect my receipt?
A. You can expect your receipt for your one-time donation within one to six weeks from the date we receive it.
If you are making monthly donations through your bank account or credit card, your annual receipt will be sent out in January for the previous tax year.
If you make your donation online through CanadaHelps, you will receive your tax receipt immediately from CanadaHelps.
Q. When is the cut off to receive a charitable receipt for a particular year?
A. Donations need to be received by us by December 31 for us to issue a charitable receipt for that year. We take into consideration reasonable post mail delays.
Q. How is my tax credit calculated?
A. Revenue Canada’s Tax Guide explains: In 2006, the first $200 you donate is eligible for a federal tax credit of 15.25% of the donation amount. After the first $200, the federal tax credit increases to 29% of the amount over $200. Generally, you can claim all or part of this amount up to a limit of 75% of your net income. For gifts of certified cultural property or ecologically sensitive land, you may be able to claim up to 100% of your net income.
You may also be eligible for a provincial tax credit. The amount of the provincial tax credit available varies between provinces. You do not have to claim all of the donations you made this year on your current-year return. You can carry forward any donations you do not claim in the current year and claim them on your return for any of the next five years.
For more information on claiming your charitable donations, see the General Income Tax and Benefits Guide.
Remember Albertans have increased benefits for charitable donations: Combined federal and provincial income tax credits on charitable gifts made by Albertans are now 25.5% on the first $200 and 50% on gifts above the $200 threshold.
Q. I donated several months ago. Why haven’t I received a receipt?
A. Please call us at 780—448-1505 or write us with as much information about your donation as possible. It’s possible we had an incorrect address for you. When you contact us, tell us your full name as it appeared on your donation, your address, when you made the donation and the amount. It is also helpful if we know how you made the donation: cheque, money order, credit card, online, etc. Include a phone number or email address so we can get in touch with you if we need to.
If you made your donation online through CanadaHelps, you will need to contact help@canadahelps.org for your receipt.
Q. I can’t find my receipt. Can I have another one?
A. We can send you a copy of your receipt. Be sure to give us your full name as it appeared on your donation, your address, the date you made the donation and the amount. Please include a phone number or email address so we can get in touch with you if we need to.
Q. Can you send my receipt to someone else?
A. The Income Tax Act obligates us to send receipts only to the person making the donation. This means that unless we receive signed documentation that a person gave you the money to forward to Change for Children, we can only send a receipt to:
Q: I’m making the donation in lieu of a gift. Can you send the receipt to that person?
A: The Income Tax Act does not allow this. We must issue the receipt to the person making the donation.
Q. I’m writing the cheque, but I want the receipt to go to my partner.
A. If your cheque is pre-printed with more than one name, we can send the receipt to anyone on the cheque. If your partner’s name is not on the cheque, you should check with the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency about sharing your tax credit with your partner when you file your income tax returns.
Q. I want to write a cheque to cover cash donations I collected for Change for Children. How can the people who donated cash get a receipt?
A. We can provide you with Donor cards that will help you collect the information needed from a donor so that Change for Children can issue them tax receipts. Please talk to us in advance.
Q. What is CanadaHelps and why can’t I donate directly through Change for Children’s website?
A. CanadaHelps is a secure website that provides information about charities and allows you to make online donations to charities of your choice. CanadaHelps provides this service to over 2500 organizations, and many thousands of donors. Using this service Change for Children does not have to spend money processing your credit card donations, ensuring that more of the money goes directly to our projects.
Q. What portion of my donation goes to CanadaHelps?
A. A very modest portion (3 percent) is allocated to CanadaHelps for the cost of credit card merchant rates, per transaction charges, banking and disbursement fees. For more details, please visit their website:www.canadahelps.org/donor_start.aspx
Q. I tried to make a donation through CanadaHelps but I ran into problems. How do I get help or find out what happened to my donation?
A. If you encounter any problems with the CanadaHelps website, please send an email to help@canadahelps.orgor call 416.628.6948.
Q. I want my donation to go to people in a specific country. How can I do this?
A. Please make your donation payable to ‘Change for Children’ and put the name of the country on the reference line. We will designate the money to projects in the country you identify.
Q. I want my donation to go towards a specific project. How can I do this?
A. Just indicate the project name on the reference line and we will designate the money to that project, for example “Honduras – HIV/AIDS “ or “Women’s Health Promotion – Nicaragua”
Q. I want to support Change for Children’s in Canada Development Education programs. How can I do this?
A. Many Canadians recognize the importance of our in Canada education and public engagement efforts – just indicate “Education-Canada” on the reference line of your cheque.
Q. How can I find out about the projects my donation is going to?
A. Visit our ‘Globa Projects’ page for general information. Regular updates are provided through our publication Building Bridges
Q. Does Change for Children sell, rent or trade donor information (eg., mailing and email addresses) to other agencies?
A. Absolutely not. We have no intention of buying, selling, or trading donor information.
Q. Can I receive a charitable receipt for a donated item?
A. Yes, but only in some situations. If you provide a recent receipt for the item. If you require a receipt for an item that you are donating it is best to discuss this with us before donating the item.
Q. Can I receive a charitable receipt for a donated service?
A. Unfortunately, the Income Tax Act does not permit the issuance of donation receipts for services rendered except in limited situations.
Q. Can I receive a charitable receipt for a gift certificate I donated for a silent auction?
A. Yes, as long as you are not the “issuer” of the gift certificate i.e. Charities can issue an official receipt for a gift certificate when the donor is NOT the issuer of the gift certificate; and has obtained the gift certificate for valuable consideration either from the issuer or other third party…more information on donations of Gift Certificates at http:www.cra-arc.gc.ca/tax/charities/policy/cps/cps-018-e.html
Q. Can Change for Children issue tax receipts to businesses or artists who have donated items for silent auction fundraising?
A. In some cases yes and in some cases no. Change for Children has a small and very busy staff which prevents us from having the capacity to fulfill this request, except in specific circumstances. It is our experience that many companies are happy to deduct the donation as a business expense, without requiring a donation receipt. That’s because this has virtually the same effect on their corporate tax return.
If an item (i.e. actual product) is donated by a business and we are provided with an invoice indicating the value of the item by the business donating the item we can provide a charitable receipt for that item.
If a gift certificate is donated by a company we cannot unfortunately provide a receipt.
Q. If I purchase an item in a silent auction at a Change for Children event it will I receive a tax receipt?
A. No, when you receive something of value in return for making a donation, this is considered a benefit which reduces the eligible amount of your donation for income tax purposes. In order to issue receipts for auction purchases, Change for Children would have to obtain valuations of the items and to obtain certified records. This situation would create a tremendous amount of work that we simply do not have the capacity to fulfill.
Most participants are quite happy to acquire the Auction item without any expectation of receiving a tax receipt.
Q. I bought a ticket to a Change for Children event for $60 but received a tax receipt for $40, why?
A. When a charity provides you with something of value in return for making a donation, this is considered a benefit, which is called an advantage. The advantage generally reduces the eligible amount of your donation for income tax purposes. In this case the meal you were provided at the event was valued at $20 and thus your charitable donation was for $40.
Q. Why should I donate to Change for Children when there are so many other charities doing similar work?
A. There are many organizations doing excellent and important work. What makes Change for Children’s approach so effective is our commitment to local ownership and self-determination. Four decades of development work based in this philosophy (solidarity NOT charity) has demonstrated that it is the only effective means to create sustainable change.