On behalf of all of us at Calgary Association of Self Help we are pleased to announce that your 2007/2008 individual donations have been leveraged with a $25,000 grant under The Alberta Community Spirit Donation Program. This generous support will strengthen the resources in our Resource Activity Centre, Community Skills and Supports Programs and the Art Program. For this, we are extremely grateful.

Click Here to view the latest Annual Report.

The Alberta Government’s Community Spirit Programs http://culture.alberta.ca/communityspirit/default.aspx turns your $1 after-tax donation into $4 for Calgary Association of Self Help. It consists of two parts. 

The Enhanced Charitable Tax Credit http://culture.alberta.ca/communityspirit/taxcredit.aspx increases the Alberta portion of the personal charitable income tax credit so that the total tax credit for personal donations over $200 is 50%.  That means that giving $200 to Calgary Association of Self Help only costs you $100 after the $100 personal tax credit on your Alberta and Canada Income Tax.

The Alberta Community Spirit Donation Grant Program http://culture.alberta.ca/forms/TPRC0062GD.pdf matches up to $25,000 per year of personal donations to a charity like Calgary Association of Self Help. The donation grant will be calculated by dividing the program’s funds ($20 million) by the value of individual donations received by eligible organizations.  The donation grant will vary year to year depending on the number of program applications received and the value of cash donations.  That is incredible donation leverage for Albertans and Alberta charities.  (The Community Spirit Programs applies only to personal donations, but does not apply to corporate donations or grants).

Canada Revenue Agency: www.cra-arc.gc.ca/charities

From Business in Calgary, March 2009
ClearView Plumbing and Heating is giving away $1,000 each month to a different local charity and asking Calgary residents to nominate their favourite charity to receive the donations. Kyle Lumsden, president and owner of ClearView Plumbing and Heating, says that one of the things he has enjoyed about running the business for over 12 years is the opportunity to get to know different people, organizations and communities all over greater Calgary. So when Lumsden and his wife, Melanie, began to think about giving something back they wanted to do it in a way that would benefit as many of these communities and organizations as possible. That’s how the ‘Charity of the Month’ idea was born.

Beginning in November 2008, ClearView committed to donating $1000 each month to a different charity, for 12 months. Anyone can nominate a charity or organization by going to ClearView’s website, www.clearviewplumbing.ca/charity-of-the-month, and filling out the form. ClearView’s website also carries information about the winning charities, and how to make donations and get involved.

We’re still here - ready to continue our commitment to make a real difference
in the lives of people in our city with a mental illness
- 78 hours a week, 7 days a week, 364 days of the year.

You make it possible every single day that you
send cash or donate online, drop off clothing and household items,
volunteer your time and talents or talk to your family,
friends and colleagues about mental illness.

You act on behalf of those you know need our support to live
with an enduring mental illness - and, perhaps most importantly,
you act on behalf of those you don’t know.

We have a lot of work to do to make a healthier Calgary for all
– and we’ll be keeping in touch about what comes next.

For today, I want to be clear about one thing,
all of this happens because of you.

Thank you. We are so very grateful for your support.

Marion McGrath
Chief Executive Officer

Etiquette experts say once a gift is given, it's the recipient's to do with as they wish, whether it be returning it or re-gifting it. Good etiquette doesn't require you to keep anything, just that you are grateful when you receive it. 

If you received an article of clothing, appliances, furniture, electronics or food that you don't want or don't need but that someone else could benefit from, please consider re-gifting it to Calgary Association of Self Help’s Recycling Project and our Looking Good/Feeling Good Clothing Bank. 

We would be truly grateful. 

Last year, our client volunteers provided 341 hours to manage the free Looking Good/Feeling Good Clothing Bank.  We served 1,676 people and gave away 4,061 free articles of clothing.

Click here to check out the many ways you can get involved.

Click here to see the Globe and Mail "Breakdown" articles on the mental health crisis in our country

Calgary Association of Self Help places a high value on our relationship with you, our donors.  Without your support we would not be able to achieve our mission to promote the abilities of adults with mental illness. We thank you for your commitment to us.

We believe that transparency and accountability are essential to our success.  With this in mind, we have recently joined Imagine Canada’s Ethical Code Program.

The Ethical Fundraising and Financial Accountability Code lays out a set of standards for charitable organizations to manage and report their financial affairs responsibly.  By adhering to these standards, we are complying with generally accepted practices for soliciting and managing donor dollars.  This is important because you, our supporters, are entitled to transparency and the greatest impact possible for your investment in us.

If you have any questions about our adherence to the Ethical Code, please feel free to contact Marion McGrath, CEO or request a copy of our latest Annual Report or financial statements.  You can also download the Ethical Code itself by going to www.imaginecanada.ca.

Click here for a recent article in MacLean's magazine that highlights Imagine Canada's Ethical Code Program.