Media Release: New tool provides easy access to charitable information
Toronto, February 15 2012 - Canadians now have an easy way to get detailed information about the 85,000 registered charities in the country.
CharityFocus.ca, a new bilingual web site developed by Imagine Canada, provides detailed financial information based on an organization’s filings to the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). But more importantly, charities now have the opportunity to start supplementing this information with details about their programs and accomplishments. Together, the information found in CharityFocus provides a balanced picture of Canada’s charities – their work, their funding and their people.
“When looking at a charity, it’s important to consider the whole picture,” says Marcel Lauzière, President and CEO of Imagine Canada. “We’ve seen a number of attempts recently to rank charities based solely on finances. Imagine Canada consistently reminds Canadians that numbers alone say nothing about the programs that a particular charity runs to support its community nor do they shed any light on impact or results. With CharityFocus you can use easy to read charts and graphs to check the financial details but, as charities upload their unique information, you’ll soon be able to see what they’ve accomplished. We call on our colleagues throughout the charitable sector to participate in this initiative.”
Visitors to the site can use powerful search tools to find organizations by name, area of work or location, and can make donations right on the spot.
Charities, in addition to being able add their own material, have free access to a “Quick Prep” tool that will help them more easily and accurately complete their annual filings to the CRA. The site is easy to use and available free of charge in both official languages.
Production of CharityFocus was made possible by a financial contribution from Canada Revenue Agency, with support from RBC Foundation and Cenovus Energy.
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Imagine Canada is a national charitable organization whose cause is Canada’s charities and nonprofits. We strengthen the sector’s collective voice, serve as a forum and meeting place, and provide a supportive environment for organizations to build stronger communities. www.imaginecanada.ca
For further information:
Lisa Hartford, ABC [English Media]
Imagine Canada - Toronto
lhartford@imaginecanada.ca
1‑800‑263‑1178 ext. 301 or 416-597-2293 ext. 301
Alyssa Gebert [French Media]
Imagine Canada - Toronto
agebert@imaginecanada.ca
1‑800‑263‑1178 ext. 311 or 416-597-2293 ext. 211
Did you know that there are 161,000 nonprofilts and charities in Canada?
Did you know that Canada’s nonprofit and voluntary sector is the 2nd largest in the world?
The sector represents $79.1 billion or 7.8% of the gross domestic product
The sector is larger than automotive and manufacturing. It generates $112 billion in revenues and employs 2 million people
Canadians donated $10 billion in 2007
Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick have the highest donor rates.
Canadians volunteered 2.1 billion hours in 2007
Young Canadians aged 15 to 24 are more likely to volunteer than Canadians in any other age group
One percent of nonprofits command 60% of all revenues flowing to the sector
Canadians with the lowest household incomes give a greater percentage of their income than others
Saskatchewan has the highest volunteer rate in the country, followed by the Northwest Territories and the Yukon
Those exposed to giving and volunteering activities early in life are more likely to continue those behaviours as adults
