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Legal Policies & Guidelines

Please take note of our legal policies and guidelines for your DIY for Wishes activity.

Make-A-Wish® Canada is very pleased to be the recipient of funds raised by individuals, organizations, or businesses. Those who engage in fundraising activities on behalf of the foundation via donor events or external events must promote and maintain the positive image of Make-A-Wish. Use of our name and/or logo must have prior approval from our Foundation.

It is the policy of Make-A-Wish Canada not to solicit funds through door-to-door appeals. As of January 2023, Make-A-Wish does engage in telemarketing methods for fundraising, but this is done through specifically contracted firm and DIY fundraisers should not engage in this method of raising funds. Our Foundation reserves the right to decline participation in any fundraising proposal that does not fall within our mandate.

  • The activity will be promoted and conducted in a manner which avoids the appearance of Make-A-Wish endorsing any product individual, group or service. 

  • Make-A-Wish reserves the right to decline association with any DIY fundraiser when it believes that such association or DIY activity may have a negative effect on the reputation of the organization.

  • The official name is Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Canada and may not be altered in any way. The Make-A-Wish logo is a registered trademark; please do not alter the logo in any way. 

  • Promotional materials and/or advertisements cannot be purchased with Foundation funds and are the responsibility of the organizer.

  • Promotional materials must state that you and/or your organizations are conducting a fundraising initiative “In Support of Make-A-Wish”.

We have a special Make-A-Wish 'in support of' fundraiser logo that is available for you to use on any materials you develop on your own.  Be sure to leave adequate space around the logo so that it is not crowded by other visual elements. Please don’t copy & paste the logo from an online search. We have the logo in blue, white and bilingual. For an .eps version, please contact us at diyforwishes@makeawish.ca

LOGO BLUE      LOGO WHITE     BILINGUAL LOGO BLUE   BILINGUAL LOGO WHITE

Make-A- Wish Canada is a registered charity and will issue charitable tax receipts for eligible donations in accordance with Canada Revenue Agency guidelines.

If your donors have not received their receipt, please email Donor Care at info@makeawish.ca. Have the donor’s full name and all other details on hand (cheque #, amount, etc.).

Make-A-Wish CAN provide charitable tax receipts to donors at third party events under the following circumstances:

  • Donations of $5 or more made online through your fundraising page will receive emailed tax receipts automatically.
  • Cash or cheque donations of less than $20 will not be receipted unless specifically requested.
  • For smaller donations requiring a tax receipt (minimum $20), the event organizers must submit, along with any funds, a detailed breakdown on a Make-A-Wish donation-tracking sheet with the full name, address, donor signature, and amount to be receipted. A separate cheque in the amount of the total of the receiptable cash donations must be forwarded with the tracking sheet. We prefer not to receive event donations in cash.
  • Charitable tax receipts for in-kind donations (e.g. auction items) will only be issued when the gift is received directly by, and authorized by, Make-A-Wish. Event organizers must contact Make-A-Wish before promising tax receipts on our behalf for in-kind donations. CRA maintains strict guidelines as to what in-kind donations are receiptable and Make-A-Wish adheres strictly to those guidelines, so the final decision to issue a tax receipt rests with Make-A-Wish.

Make-A-Wish CANNOT issue a charitable tax receipt:

  • To donors, sponsors or organizers who receive value from a donor/external event.
  • For gifts of service. At law, a gift is a voluntary transfer of property. Gifts of services (donated time, skills or efforts) provided to a charity are not property, and therefore do not qualify, according to the CRA, as gifts for the purposes of issuing tax receipts.
  • For the purchase of auction items. If someone purchases an item at an auction, they are considered by the CRA to have received something of value (the item) and therefore a tax receipt will not be issued.
  • For the purchase of a ticket or entrance fee to an event (gala, show, sporting event etc). The purchaser is considered by the CRA to have received something of value (the event) and therefore a tax receipt will not be issued.
  • Sponsorship dollars are not receiptable, as sponsors are considered by CRA to be receiving marketing value in return for their sponsorship.

The organizer is responsible for all aspects of the fundraising initiative, including but not limited to:

  • recruiting and managing volunteers
  • event advertising
  • press releases
  • ticket sales/registrations
  • budgeting
  • all expenses incurred
  • event sponsorship and/or solicitation
  • special event/liability insurance/licensing
  • processing of auction and other payments

The applicant is responsible for ensuring liability insurances are in place. The sponsoring organization/individual will indemnify and save harmless Make-A-Wish and its servants, agents, employees, officers and directors from and against all claims, suits and causes of action arising out of the fundraising event.

All DIY activities should be accessible to people with disabilities. The activity should take place at a location that meets provincial accessibility requirements and regulations. DIY organizers should promote and plan for any special accommodation needs of participants, volunteers, and/or staff. 

It’s free to get started!

No need for any extra paperwork! When you register it includes the signing of the DIY waiver, this means you agree with all Make-A-Wish Canada terms and conditions.

Make-A-Wish doesn’t apply for any permits or insurance on behalf of fundraisers. If your event requires either, these need to be applied for by the fundraiser and not Make-A-Wish.

Permits

Depending on where you hold your DIY event, you may need an event permit. Permit requirements, including fees and timeline, vary based on where you live/who will host the event so check with your venue and local municipality. Generally, applications must be submitted at least 60 to 90 days prior to the event.

Insurance

As the organizer, you are responsible for obtaining necessary insurance or liability coverage. Check with your venue on their specific requirements and start your checklist! Several insurance vendors offer special event insurance policies to protect you, your guests, and your venue from things like accidents, unexpected damages and cancellation costs.

All donor/external fundraising events are to acquire their own sponsorships. We ask that you inform us of who you are approaching for sponsorships and donation requests to not inadvertently jeopardize an existing relationship that Make-A-Wish already has in place. You may and should recognize all sponsors on event materials and signage. They are helping make your event a success. Sponsors are not eligible for tax receipts. They are receiving value for their dollars (tickets, brand recognition etc.) and therefore do not qualify for a tax receipt.

A business acknowledgment letter can be provided to sponsors or other corporate contributors as proof of payment. Most companies claim sponsorships as business or marketing expenses.

Make-A-Wish has the right to withdraw its name from affiliation with the sponsoring organization or the event if the Board of Directors or Make-A-Wish determines at its sole discretion that the Event is or will be injurious to Make-A-Wish. Make-A-Wish may, at any time, withdraw the right to use its name for fundraising or other purposes and the right to conduct fundraising and/or a fundraising event in its name and all such activities shall forthwith cease and be discontinued.