Thanks to the good folks at EnCana for supporting Self Help's Art Program through EnCana's Artists for Charity event. Your commuity spirit, goodwill, exceptional talent and financial contribution is very much appreciated.

Special thanks to Darcie Erhardt and Salwa El-Maghwry for the tremendous amount of time they contributed to the success of this event. A job well done!

The funds raised of $4,025 will support our artists ability in the visual arts as well as supporting their mental wellness. For this we are truly grateful.

Marion McGrath, Chief Executive Officer

Thank you for coming out to support us at our very successful Santa's Workshop Craft Sale December 8, 9, and 10.

On October 22 and 23 the good people at Shell volunteered their time to put together a fantastic Thanksgiving Meal for our folks.

Thank you for a job well done and supporting Calgarians challenged with a mental illness.

Click Here to see them in action.

Everyone at Calgary Association of Self Help is very grateful for the Shell employee's support and volunteer work in helping improve our environment.

We are grateful for a job well done!

Click Here to see them in action.

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.

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

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.