Introduction
Welcome to My Campfire Fund!
Thank you for your interest in our new initiative! By taking part in this opportunity you have committed to help support D-Camps, whether through raising your camp fee or helping Diabetes Canada continue to provide camp to hundreds of youth each year.
We all know that fundraising can appear challenging but with some planning it can be a lot of fun and give you, and especially your camper, a sense of satisfaction and achievement!
FAQs
Below you will find a list of Frequently Asked Questions to help guide you in this process. We hope you refer to this to help you get started or answer questions along the way.
How was the minimum fundraising goal set?
The minimum fundraising amount is automatically set to represent the Tier 2 fee for the camp your child is attending. You will see this balance on your account once you have registered and it will be reflected on your online platform. All camp fees are subsidized to varying degrees and do not reflect the true cost of camp. On average, Diabetes Canada covers about two-thirds of the true cost of camp. By setting the minimum fundraising amount at the Tier 2 fee, we will help increase revenues and create more sustainable programs. For more information on the true cost of camp in your region, please contact camps@diabetes.ca
Who can I contact for help?
If you have any questions about My Campfire Fund, please contact 1-800-BANTING or email mycampfirefund@diabetes.ca and our team will connect you to the right person based on your question.
I’ve never raised money before – how do I do it?
We want to help you achieve your fundraising goal as easily as possible. Your local fundraising coordinator will be a great resource to help create a campaign that plays to your strengths. Please contact 1-800-BANTING or email mycampfirefund@diabetes.ca and our team will connect you to the right person based on your location.
What is the fundraising deadline?
The fundraising deadline is set for June 1st. This allows us time to apply funds raised to your camp account and work with you on paying any outstanding balance. The payment deadline is June 15th for all camp families, regardless of whether or not they are participating in My Campfire Fund.
How will the funds raised be applied to my camp balance?
After the fundraising deadline has passed (June 1st), the Camp Registrar will access your My Campfire Fund account to review what has been entered and will apply that amount to your camp account balance. Example: If your camp balance is $1000 and you raise $1000, your camp balance will be $0. If you only were able to raise $900, your balance would be $100
What happens if I don’t raise the minimum?
After the fundraising deadline has passed (June 1st) and the amount you have raised is applied to your camp account, the Camp Registrar will contact you by email to let you know your current camp balance. If you were unable to raise the minimum, you will need to cover the difference, with a payment due on your camp account, by June 15th
Can I just make a donation on my page to pay the balance myself?
Yes, but while you are welcome to make a personal gift through your My Campfire Fund page, due to CRA guidelines, you will not receive a tax receipt for income tax purposes. If you would like more information, please contact us at 1-800-BANTNG ext. 7107.
Can my spouse or common law partner donate to my child’s
fundraising campaign?
Yes, however, due to CRA guidelines, they will
not receive a tax receipt for income tax purposes. If you would like more
information, please contact us at 1-800-BANTNG ext. 7107.
how does that get applied to my My Campfire Fund total?
I have cash and/or cheques collected,
Do not mail cash donations. If you receive cash donations,
deposit them in your personal chequing account and write a cheque or obtain a
money order to cover the full amount. Be sure to attach a pledge form (this can
be downloaded from your Participant Centre) with a comprehensive list of the
donors’ contact information and amounts so that each donor is receipted
accordingly. Bring this or mail it to your local Diabetes Canada office and it will be processed against your campaign
account. My fundraising balance is short of the
minimum but I have a bunch of cash on hand from events I ran. Can I just bring the cash to camp with me? No,
final camp payments are due by June 15th. We have a hard deadline as we cannot accept a
camper at camp with an outstanding camp balance. Please ensure that all offline donations are
entered by June 1st and the offline donations received to Diabetes Canada by
June 15th. What if I exceed my goal? Those
funds will help further support your child’s camp through a variety of ways,
such as our subsidy program and camp programming. As the Association covers
roughly two-thirds of the costs of camp, even reaching the tier 1 fee does not
allow Diabetes Canada to break even on costs. We are also unable to carry forward funds
to your camp account for the following year as we can’t guarantee your spot at
camp. What happens if I cancel my camp
registration after the funds have been raised? While
we hope that you don’t have to withdraw from camp, we understand that sometimes
an illness, injury or family emergency means a child is no longer able to
attend camp. In that case we will work
with you on next steps. Please contact the Camp Registrar at 1-800-BANTING to
help you with this. Are there incentive prizes? Yes!
If you meet your fundraising minimum and then if you exceed your goal you will
receive a reward! These prizes will be
made available to your child at camp on the first day. As you will see, the possibilities
for fundraising are limitless! However, with any fundraising activities,
certain guidelines must be considered. Please find following a few things we
would like you to keep in mind while implementing your fundraising plan. Should
you have any questions about this information, please contact D-Camps at
1-800-226-8464. Corporate DonationsImportant
Guidelines for Fundraising with D-Camps
If you live
in a small community and are planning to approach corporations for donations,
please contact your local Diabetes Canada office first. The local
offices do fundraising as well and you will want to compare your list to theirs
to ensure you aren’t approaching the same companies at the same time. They can
also be a great resource for information and may also have posters or banners
you can borrow for an event!
Door-To-Door Campaigns
Due to
Diabetes Canada's existing door-to-door campaign in some
communities, solicitation of residential households is not recommended. This
prevents residents from being approached multiple times by different people
asking for Diabetes Canada related donations.
Contact D-Camps at 1-800-226-8464 for more information.
Applying for Donations
We cannot
solicit or apply for donations on a participant's behalf. Please provide your
donors with your personalized letter of support should they require one (sent
with your welcome package e-mail).
Games of Chance/Lotteries
Rules
regarding games of chance differ from province to province so you will need to
check with the appropriate governing body in your area. Should a license be
required, we cannot apply for one on your behalf. If you are holding an event,
silent auctions do not require a license and are a great way to generate extra
donations! Most items donated to your auction are eligible for a gift-in-kind
receipt, however, due to recent changes to CRA
guidelines, gift certificates are no longer eligible. In order to provide one, Diabetes Canada requires an invoice
showing a zero balance from your donor that includes the business name, address
and description of the item (including value). Please contact 1-800-BANTING for
more details.
Household Tax Receipts
Due to
government regulations, donations made by your spouse or common law partner are
not eligible for a tax receipt since the tax credit is transferable to you and
you are already receiving benefits as a result of your D-Camps participation.
Use of Funds
For each camp
program there is a minimum amount we are requesting that you fundraise, that
amount represents the Tier 2 fee at your camper’s camp. All funds raised will be put towards your
camper’s camp fees.