International Children’s Awareness (ICA) Canada and 2019 CRA Charitable Campaign

Bulletin
04/19
Date

To:      Executive Council
           Alternate Regional Vice-Presidents
           Local Presidents
           UTE Staff

Re:  International Children’s Awareness (ICA) Canada and 2019 CRA Charitable Campaign


Your Union, the Union of Taxation Employees would like to remind you of 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 2019 CRA Charitable Campaign.  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 projects.

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 Union of Taxation Employees has funded this organization through donations for the last several 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 again like to ask our 26,000 members to also get involved with this worthy organization by diverting their very generous donations through the 2019 CRA Charitable Campaign to ICA Canada. 

Our Presidents’ Conference has heard and seen the works of this organization from Retired Major Ed Smith, the brother of one of our former 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. 

At this time, I ask that you consider donating to this very worthy organization through the current CRA Charitable Campaign.

In Solidarity,

Marc Brière
UTE National President