Operating Standards & Accreditation

As part of our accountability to donors, volunteers and other supporters within the community, we are strident in maintaining responsible fundraising and financial practices, and we remain fully transparent in our reporting, backed by audited statements and reports. Below are a few accreditations that are central to our work.

We’re a flagship member of the Imagine Canada Standards accreditation program (launched in 2012), which safeguards donors’ rights by recognizing charitable organizations that demonstrate transparency and accountability. The program protects the public by evaluating charities’ performance in five key areas: governance, financial accountability, fundraising standards, human resources, and volunteer management. To date, we have demonstrated compliance with over 70 standards—in many cases, exceeding expectations within our sector.

We have been recognized for accountability and transparency in reporting by the Voluntary Sector Reporting Awards (VSRA) for three consecutive years: 2007, 2008 and 2009. In 2010, we were also honoured with the special “Exemplar” designation.

Each year, an independent accounting firm conducts a full audit of our finances; all of our financial statements are delivered in accordance with the Canadian accounting standards for not-for-profit organizations as well as United Way Canada–Centraide’s Canada’s Transparency and Accountability Financial Standards. You can view our Charitable Registration number on the Canada Revenue Agency’s website as well as our most recent T3010 return.

Need more information? You can view past and present financial statements and annual reports on our Annual Reports page. For more information on our ethical fundraising and financial-accountability practices, please visit our Code of Conduct and Policies page.