FAQ

Getting involved with the Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign

I’m not a grandmother. Can I still be involved in the Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign?

You don’t have to be a grandmother to support or join the Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign! There are many ‘grandothers’. Grandothers are individuals from all walks of life who have become a part of the Grandmothers Campaign – women, men, daughters, sons, grandkids, friends, neighbours, schools, and faith groups – and they participate and contribute to our shared goals in meaningful ways. To learn more about how you can contribute and participate, please visit our Get Involved page, or email campaign@stephenlewisfoundation.org.

What’s the relationship between the Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign and the Stephen Lewis Foundation?

The Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign is an initiative of the Stephen Lewis Foundation. Launched in 2006, groups of grandmothers and grandothers organize events and activities to raise funds and awareness in solidarity with the SLF’s community-based partners and grandmothers in sub-Saharan Africa. For more information about the Grandmothers Campaign, visit About Us. Learn more about the Stephen Lewis Foundation here.

COVID-19 Operational Update

Has COVID-19 affected how the SLF operates?

Our office is closed to the general public but our staff have returned in a new hybrid work model. If you will be coming to the office, please ensure that you have made arrangements with a staff member and be advised that you will be required to wear a mask while in the office and refrain from entering the office if you are ill. Your understanding is greatly appreciated.

Calls: All voicemails, including reception, will be monitored throughout the day each weekday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Eastern time). We will reply to your messages as soon as possible. As some staff continue to work remotely, return calls may come from a private/personal phone number.

Mail: Please continue to send mail to our office address. If you are sending a package, please contact reception to make arrangements at info@stephenlewisfoundation.org, or call 1-888-203-9990 Ext. 0.

Donations: Credit card donations made by phone and payments arriving by mail may take up to one week to process and for you to see the transaction in your account. Receipts for donations by mail typically take approximately six weeks to be mailed.

COVID-19 Appeal: In solidarity with SLF partners who are responding to intersecting pandemics – HIV and AIDS and COVID-19 – we’ve launched the COVID-19 Appeal. Find out how you can help community-based organizations safeguard decades of progress made in the response to HIV and AIDS. Learn more here.

Donations

Online

I need help making a donation online.

I made a donation online but I didn’t get my receipt, or can’t print my receipt. Can a copy be emailed or mailed to me?

I need help with my online fundraising page.

Monthly

How do I update, change, pause or cancel my monthly donation?

When will I get a receipt for my monthly donations?

Receipts

Does the SLF issue official donation receipts?

Can my official receipt be sent to someone else?

According to the Income Tax Act, we may only send official donation receipts to the person making the donation. This means we can send a receipt to:

the person or people whose names are on a pre-printed cheque
the person who signed the money order
the person whose name is on the credit card

NOTE: An important exception to this general rule occurs with cash donations. Please see Fundraising: Issuing Receipts.

What if my donation is a gift to someone? The Income Tax Act does not allow us to issue a tax receipt to someone as a gift. We must issue the official donation receipt to the person making the donation. To let someone know you have made a donation in their honour, you can send them a tribute card.

Can the receipt to be made out in my partner’s name? We can send the official donation receipt to anyone whose name is pre-printed on your cheque. If your partner’s name is not on the cheque, check with the Canada Revenue Agency about sharing your tax credit with your partner when you file your income tax return.

When will I get my receipt?

For online donations, you will receive your official donation receipt immediately via email.

For a one-time donation made by cheque or by phone, your official donation receipt will be mailed to you within four to six weeks.

For monthly donations through your bank account or by credit card, you will be issued an annual official donation receipt in February of the following year.

What is your Charitable Registration number?

Other Donations

Can I donate supplies?

Shipping goods to sub-Saharan Africa is expensive and often costs more than the value of the goods donated. For this reason, most NGOs recommend that you donate money, so that community-based organizations can purchase the specific goods they need most. If you have office supplies to donate for the Stephen Lewis Foundation office, in Toronto, please contact info@stephenlewisfoundation.org, or call 1-888-203-9990 Ext. 0

Can I donate miles or points from loyalty programs?

For my birthday/anniversary/celebration, I’ve asked for donations to the SLF. Do I need to register? Do you provide donation cards or other resources?

A loved one has passed away and we are requesting donations in lieu of flowers. Do we need to register? Do you provide donation cards for us to provide at the funeral or memorial?

Fundraising

Organizing

I would like to organize a fundraiser. How do I get started?

Can an SLF representative speak at our event?

Issuing Receipts

I’d like to fundraise for the SLF by collecting pledges for my event. Will the SLF provide tax receipts to everyone who makes a pledge or donation?

Donations of $20 or more are eligible for a tax receipt. To issue a receipt, we need the donor’s full name, address, and amount donated. The easiest way to do this is to set-up a fundraising page via our website, and have friends and family donate online. They’ll receive a tax receipt instantly by email.

Contact campaign@stephenlewisfoundation.org, or call 1-888-203-9990 Ext. 0 for more information or help setting up your fundraising page.

We would like to organize a raffle, lottery, or draw to raise funds. Will the SLF provide tax receipts to people who buy tickets?

In most circumstances, it is against the law to organize a lottery to raise funds for the Stephen Lewis Foundation. Unless you are a registered charitable or religious organization, you cannot organize a lottery or raffle or draw. The Criminal Code of Canada prohibits the act of ‘selling a ticket with a chance to win a prize’ unless a gaming license has been acquired. To acquire a gaming license, you must be a charitable or religious organization, which uses the funds raised for local purposes.

We are selling tickets for admission to our fundraising event. Will the SLF provide tax receipts to people who purchase our tickets?

The Stephen Lewis Foundation cannot issue official donation receipts for the cost of a ticket, the partial cost of a ticket, or a suggested minimum donation to an event. According to the Income Tax Act, these contributions are not freely given – they are required in order to attend the event – and are therefore not eligible for official donation receipts. Any donations of $20 or more received at the event can be forwarded to the SLF and will be eligible for an official donation receipt. We need the donor’s name, address, phone number, and email address (if possible) to issue a receipt directly to them.

For any questions pertaining to event tickets and official donation receipts, please call 1-888-203-9990 Ext. 0, or email campaign@stephenlewisfoundation.org.

We collected cash donations at our event. Can I write a cheque to the SLF for the amount of the cash and have tax receipts sent directly to the donors?

If someone gave you cash to donate on their behalf, you can send the money to the SLF by personal cheque, or by calling 1-888-203-9990 Ext. 0 and making a credit card payment. Please be sure to mention that your payment is covering donations received from someone else. We can issue an official donation receipt to cash donor(s), who donated $20 or more, as long as you provide us with their name, address, postal code, phone number, email (if possible), and the exact amount of their cash donation. We cannot issue a tax receipt to the person making a payment on behalf of someone else.

People are donating items and services to our event. Will the SLF be able to provide tax receipts for their contributions?

The Income Tax Act does not permit the SLF to issue official donation receipts for services rendered, or for donated time. The SLF does not issue official donation receipts for donated items, because Canada Revenue Agency requirements are too onerous. Event organizers have told us that many businesses are happy to deduct the donation as a business expense without requiring an official donation receipt.

FAQ

FAQ