Federated Health Charities differs from United Way in three ways:

• First, the charities that receive funds from Federated Health are health-related charities—the United Way funds social-service agencies. The 17 Federated Health member charities are not agencies of the United Way;
• Second, Federated Health’s campaign only takes place inside the Ontario Public Service. Unlike the United Way, the campaign is not conducted in the general public;
• Third, in addition to raising money, Federated Health is also a workplace health awareness campaign dedicated to helping members of the OPS live healthier lives.

No. Federated Health’s two staff members are employed by the 17 member charities, and each ministry’s and agency’s campaign is made possible through the energy and commitment of OPS volunteers.

No. OPS offices in the province participate in the health awareness and fundraising programs of Federated Health Charities Campaign. To get your office involved, contact your Ministry or Agency campaign chair (there is a directory of chairs here).

To participate in the campaign, each charity must provide services throughout the province. That means that each has regional offices or chapters providing education and patient care programs in cities and towns all over Ontario.

These area offices receive funding from the Ontario offices of the charities so they can provide local services. A large portion of the money raised by Federated Health goes to medical research.

The charities award research grants to scientists they believe to be doing the most promising work towards treatments and cures. Those scientists are located throughout Canada. It is important to remember that a scientist’s work benefits everyone, not just those in the city in which the work actually takes place.

No it does not. Every year we start from scratch with pledges, so if you made a pledge for last year’s campaign for the full 26 pays, the final donation will come off your last pay in June. If you wish to pledge for another year, simply go to WIN or fill out the paper form to make another year’s pledge.

Yes. But the point of the Health Charities Campaign is to use the workplace to create an easy, efficient way for the Ontario Public Service to donate to health charities—particularly through payroll deduction.

None. Campaign expenses are not deducted from your donation. Each of the 17 charities shares the expenses, and pays them before the campaign begins. Every dollar that you donate goes directly to your requested charities.

No. Federated Health does not set an amount that each will receive in the campaign. Where the money goes is determined by the donors. All monies designated by donors are sent to each member charity.

As part of the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care’s budget, the health premium is used to help fund the reduction of wait times for cancer, cardiac, cataract, MRI/CT, and joint replacement services. None of that money is distributed to Federated Health Charities 17 charities and the services they provide. Our charities enhance, and never duplicate, services from hospitals, clinics or other government-funded sources.

Unfortunately, people affected by these 17 health conditions have needs that range far beyond government’s ability to meet them. That’s why they depend on Federated Health’s charities for services government doesn’t supply—emotional support, telephone hotlines, practical assistance, education programmes, counselling—along with a substantial investment in the search for treatments and cures.

All our charities must meet these criteria:

• they must operate province-wide, fund medical research, support health education and awareness, and offer client and patient services;
• they must address a health condition not currently represented in the federation;
• they cannot receive funding from the United Way.

When the campaign grows enough to support the addition of a new charity, organizations recommended by our donors, and other charities, are invited to apply.

When you give to Federated Health through payroll deduction, the total amount of your gift (in the period January-December) appears in box 46 of your T4 slip.

If you give by cash, cheque, or credit card the Federated Health office will mail a tax receipt to your home address. (Canada Revenue Agency requires that your home address appear on the receipt.) You should receive that receipt by mid fall.

Yes. Notify your payroll administrator of any change you wish to make to your pledge.

Individual donor information is maintained in order to issue income tax credit under the regulations of the Canada Revenue Agency.

This information is kept in a strictly confidential manner and is never traded, rented, sold or otherwise revealed to any organization in whole or in part—including the charities that benefit from the campaign.

Since we don’t reveal the names of our donors to our member charities, they don’t know you’ve donated through the OPS Federated Health Charities Campaign.

All of the 17 Federated Health charities conduct campaigns in the general public, so it’s possible that some of those programs may reach your home.

You can simply choose simply to ignore those requests, or to contact the charity and ask it to not send requests because you prefer to give through the OPS Health Charities Campaign.

If you check the “All 17 Health Charities” box on the donor form, the donation is divided using the following formula: 60% of the donation is split evenly among the 17 charities while the remaining 40% is divided using the percent that each charity received from the previous year’s campaign—a formula devised by the charities themselves in order to ensure the donations were distributed fairly.

Yes. Donors can make those types of donations by payroll or cash, cheque, Visa or MasterCard. There is a place in the donation page within their WIN self-service Portal, and at the bottom of the donor form where they can arrange to have a card sent to family or friends in memory or in honour of a friend or loved one, informing them of the donation.

The family, or the individual, will be told which charity (or group of charities) was designated to receive the donation (though not the amount of the donation).

These donations can be made at any time throughout the year through the Federated Health Charities Office at 647-278-9861.

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