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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. Please contact us 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.
ICFC: Why and What?
Q: Why do we need ICFC when there are existing international conservation organizations?A: Good question! The answer is that apart from ICFC there is no easy way for Canadians to make tax deductible donations to conservation efforts outside Canada. We do have excellent conservation NGOs in Canada, such as WWF-Canada, WCS Canada and the Nature Conservancy of Canada, but their programs are 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 projects with lasting conservation benefits. This includes much of the tropics and other areas
where there is a need for conservation assistance 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".
IFCF expenditures
Q: What are your expenditures on administration?A: Management and adminstration expenditures composed 15% of expenses in 2007 and less than one percent in 2008.
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 administering ICFC on a volunteer
basis. Our biologist is a part-time salaried staff member.
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.
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.
Q: What kind of followup of projects do you
do?
A: We plan to do both short-term and long-term followup on projects by gathering
information from our partners/agents and other local sources and by travelling to project sites as
warranted.
IS YOUR QUESTION NOT ON THIS LIST? Drop us a line and let us know.
International Conservation Fund of Canada