Bulletin 12/06
October 6, 2006

English

»	Publications

bulletins

2006

B12.cfm

To :

Members
Executive Council
Alternates RVP’s
Local Presidents
Staff

Re: International Children’s Awareness (ICA) Canada and the Government of Canada Workplace Charitable Campaign (GCWCC) – United Way [La Campagne de charité en milieu de travail du gouvernement du Canada (CCMTGC) – Centraide]

Your Union, the Union of Taxation Employees would like to introduce you to our “Charity of Choice” and ask you to consider making a direct donation or payroll donation to the “International Children’s Awareness” organization through the GCWCC. The following is an excerpt from their website www.icacanada.org (the website is in English only).

WHAT IS

INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN'S AWARENESS (ICA)

CANADA

International Children's Awareness (ICA) Canada is a small, non-profit organization committed to long-term development throughout countries in need. At any given time, ICA has a handful of projects being completed and is working to obtain funding to begin other projects.

ICA projects help small community groups and families in developing nations. ICA works carefully to screen and select projects. Currently all projects are being completed in Cameroon, Ghana and Romania.

The scope of ICA is intentionally "small". We believe this makes us unique:

ICA focuses on relatively inexpensive projects that are usually overlooked by larger, better known non-profit agencies;
Our projects range in cost from a couple hundred dollars to tens of thousands of dollars; regardless whether you're an individual, a small group, or a large organization, there will be a sponsorship choice that is right for you. Furthermore, ICA believes that it's important for kids to get involved with humanitarian projects. Having choices available that are inexpensive provides kids an opportunity to sponsor a project through to fruition and get a sense of accomplishment;
By focusing on a few projects at a time, ICA can commit to ensuring proper quality control, ensuring that your money is spent effectively;
Project sponsors have access to complete information and updates about their project.

ICA is a registered Canadian non-profit organization (Registration # 88785-8660-RR-001). We follow all federal guidelines and contributions are fully tax deductible.

ICA is staffed entirely by volunteers.

The UTE has funded this organization through donations for the last two years by individual members, resolutions passed by the Presidents Conference and Executive Council, as well as, donations voted on by our members at their Annual General meetings. We would now like to ask our 26,000 members to also get involved with this worthy organization by diverting their very generous donations through the workplace campaign to ICA Canada.

Our Presidents Conference has heard and seen the works of this organization from Captain Ed Smith, the brother of one of our Ottawa members, via slides and speeches from him. He heads up the organization and leads the group to do the work, more specifically each year in Cameroon. As stated by the Organization, they are staffed entirely by volunteers, which means that 100% of your donation goes towards the projects and not salaries or administration costs.

Knowing that it also takes person power to make these projects happen, as well as money, the UTE recently passed the following resolution:

Be it resolved that UTE:

Create a line item in our budget for the “ICA International Fund” ~$10,000 including promotional items;
Make an annual donation of $500 to ICA;
Request our members to use the United Way to direct some or all of their donation to ICA
Sponsor a student who wants to go with Captain Smith to Africa. This would be approximately $5000 and the Honours and Awards Committee would solicit names and pick the person;
Subsidize a member with $2500 to go with Captain Smith to Africa
Develop a joint promotional item(s) with ICA and a portion of the sales would go to ICA.

The UTE Honours and Awards Committee will be detailing how our volunteers will be chosen very shortly.

At this time, I ask that you consider donating to this very worthy organization through the current and future GCWC campaigns.

In Solidarity,

Betty Bannon
National President, UTE

home