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Frequently Asked Questions
Donations to ICFC
Q: Is my donation tax-deductible in Canada?A: Yes.
Q: Can my donation be earmarked for a
particular project?
A: Generally it can. Look for the "Support this program" on pages of programs that could
use additional funding.
Q: What do you do with unrestricted
donations?
A: We apply them to the best projects we can find. When necessary, we will hold funds
until they can be applied to the right project.
Q: Do you accept donations of
shares?
A: Yes. You can use the form on our donation
page or contact us by email or phone (Anne: 902-275-4860) and we'll tell you how to proceed.
Q: I'm making the donation in lieu of a gift. Can
you send the receipt to that person?
A: No, the Income Tax Act does not allow this. We must issue the receipt to the person
making the donation.
Q: What is your privacy policy? (Will I receive a
barrage of mail from you?)
A:
ICFC will not sell, trade or give your information to any other entity.
We keep mailings to a minimum and use an opt-in system for our communications to supporters.
We typically send (often combined) the Annual Report for the year in which a donation was received,
an annual invitation to make further donations to ICFC, and your donation tax receipt. There may also
be the occasional special communication regarding a specific program that you support.
ICFC: Why and What?
Q: Why do we need ICFC when there are existing international conservation organizations?A: Good question! The answer is that before ICFC there was no broad scale international conservation organization in Canada, hence no easy way for Canadians to make tax deductible donations for conservation outside Canada, with some limited exceptions (see the footnote in our About Us page). We do have excellent conservation NGOs in Canada, such as WWF-Canada, WCS Canada and the Nature Conservancy of Canada, but their programs are almost entirely carried out within Canada. (However, with a large donation, you might be able to make arrangements with WWF-Canada or WCS Canada to have them partner with a sister organization in another country to carry out programs in that country.) ICFC allows Canadians to support nature conservation worldwide.
Q: What areas in the world are your
priorities?
A: Areas of high biodiversity and/or extensive wilderness and where opportunities exist
for achieving long-term conservation gains. This includes much of the tropics and other areas
where there is a need for conservation support from beyond the country's borders.
Q: What kind of projects do you
support?
A: Please see our selection criteria for the work we
undertake. We engage in direct conservation efforts rather than research or what are called
"integrated conservation and development projects".
ICFC expenditures
Q: What are your expenditures on administration?A: Management and administration expenditures composed 4% of expenses in 2010, 2.3% in 2009, less than one percent in 2008, and 15% in 2007. The balance was spent on programs. Our figures are very low in part because managing directors run the organization as volunteers.
Q: What are your expenditures on
fundraising?
A: There have been none so far, and we expect that in future fundraising will make up a
very small percentage of our expenditures.
Q: Are the staff and directors paid or
unpaid?
A: Directors are unpaid. Currently two directors are running ICFC on a full-time volunteer
basis. Our biologist is a part-time paid staff member. We expect to add additional paid staff this year
and beyond.
Programs
Q: How do you decide what projects to support?A: After applying our selection criteria, it comes down to deciding which opportunities seem to offer the best value, in terms of lasting conservation gains, for money, as well as assessing feasibility and risk. We hear of good project opportunties from an informal network of advisors/friends who are highly experienced in nature conservation.
Q: What kind of oversight of projects do you
do?
A: We work closely with local agents who carry out the field activities of a project. We
are involved in project planning, monitoring implementation, maintaining financial records and
ensuring there is proper documentation of project activities and outcomes. We also make site visits
as warranted.
Q: What kind of followup of projects do you
do?
A: Most of our programs involved long-term efforts and hence are monitored on an
ongoing basis. Short-term projects will be followed up informally through various means including site
vistis, communications with project partners, and independent evaluations.
IS YOUR QUESTION NOT ON THIS LIST? Drop us a line and let us know.
International Conservation Fund of Canada