Charity Standards
January 24, 2008
Many members of the Canadian Council of Christian Charities (CCCC) will have received an invitation to sign up as a "Code Builder" with Imagine Canada by adopting their Ethical Code and paying a fee. We have received requests to state how this program relates to the CCCC Seal of Accountability.
Ethical Fundraising Codes
The Seal of Accountability was created by the CCCC in 1983 to provide a set of standards backed up by on-site verification of compliance. The standards are one way that Christian charities can demonstrate accountability to their donors and other stakeholders. They cover such topics as fundraising, governance, transparency and accountability. One of the reasons for having a set of standards specifically for Christian ministries was to assure all stakeholders of the Christian nature of the charity.
Imagine Canada developed its Ethical Fundraising Code in 1998 to address fundraising practices. This code was incorporated into the CCCC standards, so all certified members of CCCC have also met the provisions of this code. Imagine Canada’s Ethical Fundraising Code has made some revisions to the code and relaunched it this month. There are many ethical codes that apply to fundraising practices at both the ministry level (such as CCCC and Imagine Canada) and at the individual fundraiser level (such as the Association of Financial Planners and the Canadian Association of Gift Planners).
Our Position on Ethical Fundraising Codes
Christian charities that raise funds from non-Christian donors may find value in subscribing to the ethical code of a secular organization. Every additional code a charity subscribes to does involve additional cost and reporting, so a charity will want to do a cost/benefit analysis.
Charity Standards
Imagine Canada has also released a draft of a new set of standards it is proposing for Canadian charities. Imagine Canada is but the latest to make proposals for charity standards. The Better Business Bureau/Wise Giving Alliance is also developing its charity standards for Canada, and numerous sub-sectors have their own standards.
CCCC believes that all charities should have a standards program available to them. Since CCCC’s Seal of Accountability can only be used by Christian ministries, there is room for another standards body for secular charities, and we endorse the development of standards programs for secular and faith-based charities of other religions.
Imagine Canada consulted with CCCC during the development of their proposed standards. Our assistance to them is not an endorsement but simply one way for CCCC to contribute towards a healthy charitable sector.
Our Position on Charity Standards
CCCC is the only Canadian monitoring organization that is a member of the International Committee of Fundraising Organizations (ICFO), an organization of monitoring agencies from eleven countries and CCCC is the only organization in Canada that does on-site compliance verification.
CCCC is committed to informing the public of the Seal of Accountability and have done so through distributing 1.5 million promotional pieces directly into the hands of Christian donors. We have also taken out full page or two page advertisements promoting our certified members in the Christian media. We will be continuing these promotions while looking for new opportunities to reach donors.
Many Christian charities, particularly educational institutions and missionary-sending ministries, already subscribe to multiple standards bodies. Again, there is a cost/benefit to participating in a standards program. Imagine Canada’s proposed standards are a parallel set of standards to the CCCC’s Seal of Accountability (but without the verification program) and as such, we see them as an appropriate option for the secular and non-Christian faith-based sectors.
New Charities Board and our Position
The draft Imagine Canada standards include a suggestion for a new charities board to self-regulate Canadian charities. We do not support a new regulatory body for charities, even if it is sector-initiated, because the value of another layer of oversight has not been demonstrated. CCCC is willing to have a discussion about what is best for the charitable sector. There are other models that we believe are more efficient than what is being considered.
Recommendation
The public clearly expects charities to be good citizens and does want them to be accountable. One of the best ways of satisfying this concern is by certification with a standard-setting body, such as the CCCC. We encourage Christian ministries, particularly those that are not under the oversight of a parent body, to consider certification with CCCC.
More information on certification with CCCC is available at: www.cccc.org/seal
