Federated Health Charities is a federation of 21 health charities that provide client services and patient support, fund medical research, and deliver health education to people in Ontario. Our story goes back to the 1960s when a group of provincial employees in the Ontario Public Service (OPS) got together to raise money for the Canadian Cancer Society‘s annual Daffodil Campaign. In 1983, this campaign became Federated Health Charities.
For 40 years, Ontario provincial employees in the OPS, OPP and crown agencies have come together each spring in our Federated Health Charities Campaign to raise funds for our 21 member charities through payroll donations, one-time donations, special events and lottery ticket sales. Although Federated Health Charities does receive some donations from members of the public, our main source of support has always been Ontario public servants in the OPS, OPP and crown agencies.
Provincial employees support Federated Health Charities in two ways – through their donations and by fundraising for Federate Health Charities in their workplaces throughout our province. Thanks to the hard work, commitment, and generosity of our volunteers – donating their time to run our campaign on top of their regular duties – the Federated Health Charities Campaign has raised more than $54 million to support our member charities since 1983.
The relationship between Federated Health Charities and the Ontario Public Service is at the root of our success – from a single campaign for a single charity, Federated Health Charities has grown into one of Canada’s most successful and longest-running workplace fundraising campaigns. Because our campaign is organized by and for provincial employees, we can fundraise among OPS, OPP and agency employees at a greater and more cost-effective scale than our member charities could working alone. This not only saves our charities time and money, it means that donations to Federated Health Charities go further.
Federated Health Charities pass on 100% of all donations we receive to our member charities. Whether you give $1 or $1,000, 100% of your donation will be distributed to the charity or charities of your choice – that is our promise to our donors.
We are tremendously grateful to provincial employees and the Ontario Public Service for the support they provide in running our campaign. Their generosity and volunteerism allow us to keep our costs low – we don’t spend money on swag or paid fundraising. For the administrative costs we do have, the 21 members of Federated Health Charities each pay a portion of these costs out of their established fundraising budgets. The amount each charity contributes to our costs is based on the percentage of donations they receive so each charity receives the same return on their investment.
Wednesday, March 22, 2023, is the first day of the holy month of Ramadan, a time when people of the Islamic faith come together to spend time in prayer, reflection and acts of charitable giving, as well as fast.
Fasting from dawn to dusk – abstaining from water and food – during Ramadan is one of the pillars of Islam and is practiced by most Muslims. This requires changes in eating and sleeping habits, so people can wake up earlier to prepare and eat their pre-dawn meal, suhoor, and then break their fast with iftar, which is served after sunset.
For Canadians living with diabetes, fasting during Ramadan may increase their risk for complications, such as dehydration, low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), and high blood sugar (hyperglycemia). For Muslims who decided to fast during Ramadan, Diabetes Canada has a summary of current research and recommendations to help Muslims with diabetes avoid these risks.
Federated Health Charities wishes Muslim communities in Ontario and across Canada a safe, joyful and healthy Ramadan.
Ramadan Mubarak!
