Rescinded [2010-03-24] - Charitable Organizations Policy - Chapter 7-2
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Note to reader
Policy objective
To set limits for departmental assistance to, and participation in, charitable campaigns within the Public Service.
Policy statement
The government normally prohibits canvassing, soliciting, and the collection of funds in government offices or using government premises except for the following charitable campaigns:
- the annual United Way/ Healthpartners Campaign;
- the Royal Canadian Legion Poppy Fund; and
- Red Cross blood donor clinics.
Charitable organizations other than those mentioned above may be permitted to display campaign posters in the main lobbies and on bulletin boards of departmental premises.
For other requests from other charitable organizations, the Treasury Board will review each request individually.
Application
This policy applies to departments and agencies listed in Schedules I, I.1 and II of the Financial Administration Act.
Policy requirements
To display campaign posters on departmental premises, charitable organizations other than those mentioned in the Policy statement must obtain the prior approval of the deputy minister or agency head for each facility and occasion.
Such posters must observe the intent of the official languages program.
Subject to prior approval, the Treasury Board will limit assistance to charitable organizations other than those mentioned in the Policy statement to the following activities:
- distribution, using pay cheque stuffers, of one campaign notice to public servants in the locality which benefits directly from the organization; or
- identification by the charitable organization of public servants to work strictly as volunteers to answer enquiries, receive donations, and collect pledge cards. When such assistance is approved, the responsibility for contacting other public servants rests with the volunteers. Approval of this alternative is limited to one-time fund-raising drives by organizations that provide services and benefits to the general public.
References
The Treasury Board approved this policy under Sections 5 and 6 of the Financial Administration Act.
This chapter replaces Chapter 328, "Charitable Campaigns", (March 1981) of the Personnel Management Manual volume 13.
Enquiries
Enquiries about this policy should be referred to the responsible officers in departmental headquarters who, in turn, may direct questions about policy interpretation to:
Safety, Health and Employee Services Group
Staff Relations Division
Human Resources Policy Branch
Treasury Board Secretariat
United Way/Healthpartners Advisory Committee
Introduction
The government assists the United Way/Healthpartners organizations directly in annual fund-raising campaigns by permitting volunteers to canvas public servants during working hours. Public servants may use payroll deductions to make their contributions, and cheque-stuffing services may be provided to advertise the campaign.
Organization
The United Way/Healthpartners Advisory Committee, through its executive secretary, is responsible for guiding and assisting the campaign in the Public Service across Canada. The Advisory Committee consists of the following officials:
- chairperson: Deputy Minister, Supply and Services Canada (SSC);
- members: chairperson, past chairperson and chairperson elect of the United Way/Healthpartners Campaign, Public Service Division, National Capital Region, and the executive secretary; and
- secretary: executive secretary, United Way/Healthpartners Advisory Committee, SSC.
Chairing the Public Service Division is the senior officer of the department or agency designated to organize the annual campaign and provide the necessary administrative support. Although the person chairing the campaign changes annually, continuity exists because the Deputy Minister, SSC, and the executive secretary are permanent members.
Public Service involvement
Usually all locations with 200 or more federal employees form a federal service division of a local United Way/ Healthpartners campaign. Departments and agencies in areas where no federal service division exists may conduct a campaign within their organizational units and report directly to the local United Way/ Healthpartners organization.
Each location in which a federal service division has been formed should establish a roster of host departments from the major departments and agencies situated there. The roster should reflect the agreement of local managers, be reviewed and updated annually, and be forwarded to the executive secretary, Ottawa. In the National Capital Region, the United Way/Healthpartners Advisory Committee establishes the roster of host departments.