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Imagine Canada Ethical Code Program

Fundraising practices
1. Fundraising solicitations on behalf of the charity will:
  - be truthful; and
  - accurately describe the charity's activities and the intended use of donated funds.
  SickKids Foundation: The mission of SickKids Foundation is to inspire our communities to invest in health and scientific advances to improve the lives of children and their families in Canada and around the world.
  
  The Foundation embraces the following core values that together are reflected in the way we work toward our mission, with each other, and our community. These values were developed by Foundation staff and adopted by the Foundation’s Board of Directors:
  
  Honesty and Integrity: We commit to the highest standards of conduct and ethical practice in all of our endeavours.
  Accountability & Responsibility: We demonstrate personal and collective accountability and responsibility in all of our programs and fulfill our promises to our stakeholders.
  Respect & Teamwork: We are inclusive and supportive, both internally and externally, in our work together.
  Excellence & Innovation: We create an environment where learning, initiative, and creativity flourish. We encourage innovation and manage risk in our pursuit of excellence.
  Diversity & Balance: we respect and build upon individual differences and perspectives. We are sensitive to each other’s and our personal, family and employment goals.
  
  In order to maintain the trust of our communities, SickKids Foundation must provide accurate, factual and consistent information about the work that we do. Therefore, fact-finding and fact-checking are core responsibilities of the Public Affairs team. Development Officers are instructed to verify the following information with Public Affairs before finalizing their documents and presentations:
  - Facts, figures and appropriate representation of the hospital, Research Institute and Foundation
  - Phone number and address accuracy
  - Mandatory privacy language
  Public Affairs secure approval from appropriate clinical staff regarding any communication about a specific medical condition or disease. A formal consent procedure is in place for the use of any patient family story.
2. The charity will not make claims that cannot be upheld. It will refrain from using marketing materials or making representations that could be misleading. The charity will not exploit its beneficiaries. It will be sensitive in describing those it serves (whether using graphics, images or text) and fairly represent their needs and how these needs will be addressed.
  
  SickKids Foundation: In 2003, the Public Affairs department established the SickKids Family Ambassador program. The Ambassador program is the Foundation’s primary means of capturing the stories of patients and families. Each story portrays the quality of family-centred patient families receive throughout the course of their child’s treatment, offers an inspiring account of how the family copes, and depicts SickKids as a world leader in child health research, education and care.
  
  Currently, there are approximately 300 patients in our database; approximately 130 are active SickKids Family Ambassadors meaning that the Public Affairs team has an ongoing communication with these families.
  
  Patient ambassadors either self select or are identified by a staff member. They are individuals and families who are willing and honoured to share their SickKids story for fundraising purposes. The Ambassador program gives families a way of giving back to the hospital for the specific care they received. Any time a patient or family is referred to the Foundation, Public Affairs follow a mandatory protocol to ensure all privacy legislation and hospital policies and procedures are followed. The consenting protocol has been approved by the hospital’s risk management team.
  
  Patient stories are told through a variety of print and electronic media, such as publications, proposals, newsletters, brochures, websites, fundraising television and radio broadcasts. Patients and families are also called upon to act as spokespeople for media events or public events that require a personal story.
  
  Public Affairs are sensitive to the changing circumstances of the patient ambassadors, and will pull their story from circulation in order to respect family wishes and privacy.
  
  When a family is selected for an event, Public Affairs will ensure that the family is fully briefed about the nature of the event or project.
  
  The patient profiles available in our database are for internal use only. Written consent must be obtained from Public Affairs and the patient’s family in order to use a profile externally.
  
  Consent and accuracy are key. A consent form must be completed for all new patients who have agreed to share their story. The consent forms are filed in Public Affairs, SickKids Foundation.
  
  It is important to note, that before a story is shared with the Foundation and/or publicly, Public Affairs also obtains the approval of the primary physician/caregiver on the medical accuracy of any written SickKids Ambassador profile. The Public Affairs team also reviews any written material pertaining to a patient family with the patient and/or guardian to ensure we have captured the information accurately.
3. When the charity conducts online solicitations its practices will be consistent with or exceed the provisions of the Canadian Code of Practice for Consumer Protection in Electronic Commerce, which is downloadable.
  
  SickKids Foundation: The Director of IT for SickKids Foundation is responsible for ensuring compliance with the Canadian Code of Practice.
4. When the charity conducts face-to-face solicitations, including but not limited to door-to-door campaigns or street-side fundraising, its practices shall include measures to:
  - provide verification of the affiliation of the person representing the charity; and,
  - secure and safeguard any confidential information, including credit card information, provided by donors.
  SickKids Foundation: All employees and relevant third party organizations sign agreements with confidentiality provisions in place to ensure that the information is not accessed, disclosed or shared more widely than is necessary to achieve the purpose for which it was gathered. We also take measures to ensure the integrity of this information is maintained and to prevent its being lost or destroyed.
5. Volunteers, employees and third party consultants/solicitors who solicit or receive funds on behalf of the charity shall:
  - adhere to the provisions of this Ethical Fundraising and Financial Accountability Code;
  - act with fairness, integrity, and in accordance with all applicable laws;
  - adhere to the provisions of applicable professional codes of ethics, standards of practice, etc.;
  - cease solicitation of a prospective donor who identifies the solicitation as harassment or undue pressure, or who states that he does not wish to be solicited;
  - disclose immediately to the charity any actual or apparent conflict of interest or loyalty; and
  - not accept donations for purposes that are inconsistent with the charity's objects or mission.
  SickKids Foundation: A copy of the Ethical Code is referenced in appropriate SickKids Foundation agreements. Where appropriate, SickKids Foundation conducts training sessions to ensure a full understanding of the intent of the code.
6. The charity will provide, upon request, its best available information on the gross revenue, net proceeds and costs of any fundraising activity (including the fundraising costs categorized as education and/or public awareness) it undertakes.
  
  SickKids Foundation: SickKids Foundation requires all requests for information to be submitted in writing (see Imagine Canada Ethical Code Request Form for SickKids Foundation and Confidentiality Note). To ensure the accuracy of any financial information, SickKids Foundation provides information based on audited financials. Audited financials are available October 1 for the fiscal year ending on March 31st.
7. The charity shall not, directly or indirectly, pay finder’s fees, commissions or percentage compensation based on contributions.
  
  SickKids Foundation: SickKids Foundation adheres to the Imagine Canada Ethical Code program with regard to compensation of its staff and consultants.
  
  The Compensation Philosophy approved by the Board of Directors states:
  - compensation must be competitive in order to attract and retain highly competent staff
  - compensation practices will be in keeping with the best practices for the management of complex professional organizations, with special reference to comparable philanthropic organizations in North America
  compensation is tied to the achievement of both strategic and operational goals with the overall aims of enhancing philanthropic relationships, moving SickKids Foundation towards organizational excellence and meeting or exceeding financial targets
  
  The compensation philosophy is in place for the Foundation to achieve its business objectives:
  - attract and retain outstanding talent in fundraising, grant making and corporate and administrative support
  - encourage excellent performance at the organizational and individual employee levels
8. Charities that undertake cause-related marketing in collaboration with a third party should disclose how the charity benefits from the sale of products or services and the minimum or maximum amounts payable under the arrangement. If no minimum amount is specified, the charity should disclose this.
  
  SickKids Foundation: SickKids Foundation will disclose this information upon request. Inquiries regarding dollars raised through Children’s Miracle Network are directed to their Canadian office.
9. The charity will not sell its donor list. If applicable, any rental, exchange or other sharing of the charity's donor list will exclude the names of donors who have so requested (as provided in section A8, above). If a list of the charity’s donors is exchanged, rented or otherwise shared with another organization, such sharing will be for a specified period of time and a specified purpose and must be limited to what is allowed under Federal and/or Provincial privacy legislations.
  
  SickKids Foundation: As part of our Privacy Policy, SickKids Foundation does not sell, rent, or trade our donor lists.
10. The charity's governing board will be informed at least annually of the number, type and disposition of complaints received from donors or prospective donors about matters that are addressed in this Ethical Fundraising and Financial Accountability Code.
  
  SickKids Foundation: A report is provided by the Director, Public Affairs for distribution to the Board of Directors at the September board meeting.

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