Donation Policy

Effective Date:15 july 2026
Last Updated: 15 july 2025

Friends of Nunavummiut appreciates the generosity of individuals, businesses, restaurants, community organizations, foundations and other supporters who wish to contribute to our mission.

This Donation Policy explains how financial and non-financial contributions are accepted, managed, acknowledged, restricted, refunded and used through FriendsofNunavummiut.ca and related fundraising activities.

Friends of Nunavummiut is a private and independent initiative focused on supporting food security, nutrition, food-waste reduction and community-led assistance for Nunavummiut communities.

1. Purpose of This Policy

This policy is intended to:

Explain how donations may be made.
Clarify whether tax receipts are available.
Promote responsible and transparent use of donated resources.
Protect donors, beneficiaries, partners and the organization.
Establish rules for restricted and unrestricted donations.
Explain when a donation may be declined or returned.
Provide contact information for donation-related questions.

By making a donation, you acknowledge that you have reviewed and accepted this policy.

2. Our Current Legal and Charitable Status

Friends of Nunavummiut is described as a private, independent and non-governmental initiative.

Unless the website clearly confirms that Friends of Nunavummiut has become a Canadian registered charity or another type of qualified donee, donors must not assume that contributions qualify for an official charitable donation receipt or Canadian tax credit.

Only Canadian registered charities and other qualified donees may issue official donation receipts that donors can use to claim charitable tax credits or deductions.

Before publishing this policy, the website must display one of the following statements:

Option A — When not registered as a charity

Friends of Nunavummiut is not currently a registered Canadian charity or other qualified donee. Donations are not eligible for an official charitable tax receipt.

Option B — When registered as a charity

Friends of Nunavummiut is a registered Canadian charity.
Registered charity number: [Insert CRA registration number]

Do not publish Option B unless registration has been officially confirmed.

3. Types of Donations We May Accept

Subject to review and operational capacity, we may accept:

Financial contributions

One-time monetary donations
Recurring monthly donations
Corporate contributions
Sponsorship payments
Grants from eligible organizations
Memorial or tribute donations
Campaign-specific contributions
Event-related donations

In-kind contributions

Suitable food products
Restaurant-prepared meals
Packaging materials
Freezing or freeze-drying equipment
Storage equipment
Transportation or shipping services
Airline cargo capacity
Warehouse space
Technology or professional services
Office or operational supplies
Approved promotional or communication services

Acceptance of an in-kind contribution depends on safety, quality, usefulness, storage, transportation, regulatory and operational considerations.

4. Ways to Donate

Donations may be accepted through approved methods displayed on the website, such as:

Secure online payment
Bank transfer
Electronic transfer
Cheque
Corporate sponsorship agreement
Approved third-party fundraising platform
In-kind donation arrangement
Other methods confirmed in writing

The organization should never request that donors send payment-card information through an ordinary email or unsecured contact form.

Before accepting donations online, the website should clearly identify:

The legal recipient
The payment processor
The currency
Applicable processing fees
Whether tax receipts are available
The intended use of the contribution
A contact method for payment concerns

5. Donation Currency and Processing

Unless otherwise stated, donations made through the website will be processed in Canadian dollars.

A donor’s financial institution or payment provider may charge:

Currency-conversion fees
International transaction fees
Banking fees
Payment-processing fees

These charges are controlled by the donor’s bank or service provider and are not necessarily received by Friends of Nunavummiut.

Where the donation platform gives donors the option to cover processing costs, this choice must be voluntary and clearly explained.

6. Donation Receipts and Acknowledgements

General acknowledgements

We may provide an email confirmation, payment record or letter of appreciation for donations received.

A general acknowledgement is not necessarily an official charitable donation receipt and must not be used to claim a tax credit unless it meets all applicable CRA requirements.

Official donation receipts

Official charitable receipts will be issued only when:

Friends of Nunavummiut is legally authorized to issue them;
the contribution legally qualifies as a gift;
the true donor is identified;
all required information is available; and
applicable receipting requirements have been satisfied.

CRA guidance states that an official receipt may only be issued to the true individual or organization that made the gift, and the donor’s name and address must appear on the receipt.

Registered charities are not legally required to issue an official receipt for every donation and may establish reasonable receipting practices or minimum thresholds.

7. Gifts That May Not Qualify for an Official Tax Receipt

Even where the organization becomes eligible to issue receipts, a receipt may not be available for every contribution.

Examples may include:

Donated time or volunteer services
Free professional services
Free use of premises or equipment
Contributions where the donor receives an equivalent benefit
Sponsorship payments primarily made for advertising or commercial benefit
Donations made without enough information to identify the true donor
Contributions that do not legally qualify as gifts
Donations made directly to an individual rather than to the organization
Certain gifts of property that cannot be appropriately valued

A donation receipt can only be issued for a legally qualifying gift involving a voluntary transfer of property. Donated services generally do not involve a transfer of property and therefore do not qualify as receiptable gifts.

8. Unrestricted Donations

An unrestricted donation may be used where it is most needed to support the organization’s mission and reasonable operations.

This may include:

Community nutrition initiatives
Meal collection and preparation
Freeze-drying
Packaging
Storage
Transportation
Community distribution
Volunteer coordination
Food-safety procedures
Technology
Communications
Program planning
Administration
Monitoring and evaluation

Unrestricted funding allows the organization to respond to changing community needs, transportation challenges and operational priorities.

9. Restricted Donations

Donors may request that a contribution support a particular approved purpose, such as:

Meal donations
Food packaging
Transportation to Nunavut
Freeze-drying equipment
A particular community initiative
Nutrition education
Volunteer activities
The proposed flight initiative
Another approved campaign

A restriction is accepted only when confirmed by Friends of Nunavummiut in writing.

The organization may decline a restriction that is:

Inconsistent with its mission
Too narrow to administer responsibly
Unlawful or discriminatory
Operationally impractical
Unsafe
Impossible to fulfil
Likely to create excessive administrative costs
Intended to benefit a specific private individual without an approved program basis

Donors should not place conditions in a payment message and assume those conditions have been accepted.

10. When a Restricted Program Changes

A program may be delayed, changed, completed, cancelled or become impractical because of:

Insufficient funding
Community priorities
Transportation limitations
Food-safety concerns
Changes in partnerships
Regulatory requirements
Weather
Equipment availability
Operational challenges
Events outside the organization’s control

Where a designated purpose can no longer be carried out, Friends of Nunavummiut may contact the donor and seek permission to:

Apply the donation to a similar purpose;
use it for the area of greatest need;
transfer it to another suitable approved initiative; or
consider another legally available solution.

The donation page should include clear wording authorizing reasonable redirection where a campaign becomes impossible or fully funded.

Suggested donation-form wording

Where a selected project is fully funded, completed, cancelled or cannot reasonably proceed, Friends of Nunavummiut may use the donation for a similar program or where support is most urgently needed, subject to applicable law and any written agreement with the donor.

11. No Donations Directed to Specific Individuals

Donations made through Friends of Nunavummiut generally cannot be earmarked for a named individual or family unless the contribution is part of an approved program administered under established eligibility and distribution procedures.

This rule supports:

Fairness
Privacy
Community-led decision-making
Financial accountability
Consistent eligibility assessment
Prevention of fraud and favouritism

The organization may consider donor preferences for a community, project or type of assistance but retains responsibility for deciding how resources are distributed.

12. Food and In-Kind Donation Requirements

Food and other physical contributions must be approved before delivery.

Potential donors should not send or deliver food without prior written confirmation.

Food donations may be refused when they are:

Expired
Opened or damaged
Improperly labelled
Improperly stored
Unsafe or contaminated
Missing ingredient information
Missing allergen information
Unsuitable for freezing or freeze-drying
Not traceable to a reliable source
Prohibited by food-safety requirements
Impractical to transport or distribute

Food partners may be required to provide:

Ingredient lists
Allergen declarations
Preparation dates
Storage records
Temperature records
Batch or traceability information
Licence and inspection details
Packaging information
Recall contact information

Acceptance of food does not remove the donor’s responsibility for complying with applicable food-safety laws.

13. Valuation of In-Kind Donations

Donors are responsible for obtaining their own independent tax, accounting or valuation advice.

Friends of Nunavummiut will not assign an inflated or unsupported value to donated property.

Where an official receipt may legally be issued for property, the organization may require:

Proof of ownership
Purchase documentation
A description of the property
Evidence of condition
An independent appraisal
Fair-market-value documentation
Confirmation that the property is free from liens or claims

The organization may decline a gift when the cost of valuation, storage, transfer or disposal would outweigh its benefit.

14. Donations of Equipment or Property

Before accepting equipment or other property, Friends of Nunavummiut may assess:

Condition
Safety
Compatibility
Maintenance needs
Installation requirements
Storage costs
Transportation costs
Insurance
Ownership
Regulatory requirements
Expected useful life
Disposal costs

The organization may sell, transfer, recycle or dispose of unrestricted donated property when it is not suitable for direct program use, provided this is lawful and consistent with the donor agreement.

A donor who wishes to restrict the sale or disposal of property must obtain written acceptance before transferring it.

15. Corporate Donations and Sponsorships

Corporate donations may be acknowledged through:

Website recognition
Social-media acknowledgement
Event recognition
Reports
Approved logo placement
Partnership announcements

Recognition does not automatically create an endorsement, partnership, agency relationship or exclusive arrangement.

When a business receives significant advertising, promotion or another commercial benefit in return for payment, the payment may be treated as sponsorship rather than a charitable gift. Any tax treatment should be determined by the donor with professional advice.

The terms of major sponsorships should be recorded in a separate written agreement.

16. Anonymous Donations

Donors may request public anonymity.

Where requested, Friends of Nunavummiut will make reasonable efforts not to publish the donor’s name.

However, the organization may still need to collect and retain identifying information for:

Payment processing
Fraud prevention
Financial records
Legal compliance
Official receipting
Audit requirements
Regulatory reporting

Anonymity from the public does not necessarily mean anonymity from the organization, its financial institution, service providers or lawful authorities.

17. Recurring Donations

Where recurring donations are available, donors must be clearly informed of:

The amount
The frequency
The payment method
The start date
How to cancel or change the donation
Whether processing fees apply

A recurring donor may request cancellation at any time before the next payment is processed.

Cancellation will apply to future payments and does not ordinarily reverse donations already completed.

Cancellation requests may be made through:

The donor’s online account
The payment processor
Email
Another method displayed on the donation page

18. Donation Refunds

Donations are generally final once processed.

CRA guidance explains that, in most cases, a completed charitable gift cannot simply be returned because ownership of the donated property has transferred to the charity.

Nevertheless, a refund request may be considered where:

A duplicate payment occurred
An incorrect amount was entered
A technical error occurred
The payment was unauthorized
The donation resulted from fraud
The organization could not accept the donation lawfully
A specific written gift condition cannot be fulfilled
Another exceptional circumstance justifies review

Refund requests should be submitted within [30 days] of the transaction.

A refund is not guaranteed and will be reviewed individually. Approved refunds will normally be returned through the original payment method.

Where an official donation receipt has been issued, it must be returned or cancelled before a refund can be completed, and applicable reporting requirements must be followed.

19. Chargebacks and Payment Disputes

Donors should contact Friends of Nunavummiut before initiating a chargeback so that payment errors can be investigated.

Fraudulent or abusive chargebacks may result in:

Cancellation of associated benefits or recognition
Suspension of future transactions
Recovery of reasonable costs
Referral to the payment provider or appropriate authority

Nothing in this section limits a donor’s rights under applicable consumer, banking or payment-card rules.

20. Refusal of Donations

Friends of Nunavummiut may refuse, return where legally possible, or discontinue processing a contribution that:

Conflicts with its mission or values
Is unlawful
Creates an unacceptable safety risk
Is connected with fraud or criminal activity
Is subject to unreasonable conditions
Could damage community trust
Could compromise independence
Requires prohibited discrimination
Creates excessive financial liability
Is difficult or costly to administer
Comes from an unidentified or unverifiable source
May expose beneficiaries, staff or volunteers to harm
Includes property that cannot be safely stored or used
Could reasonably harm the organization’s reputation

Acceptance of a donation does not mean endorsement of the donor’s activities, products, opinions or affiliations.

21. Ethical Fundraising

Friends of Nunavummiut intends to communicate honestly and respectfully with donors.

We will seek to avoid:

False or exaggerated impact claims
Misleading statistics
High-pressure fundraising
Exploitation of children or vulnerable communities
Public disclosure of sensitive beneficiary information
Misrepresentation of program status
Misleading statements about tax benefits
Excessive fundraising costs

CRA guidance for registered charities emphasizes legal compliance, appropriate fundraising practices and evaluation of fundraising costs and outcomes.

Fundraising materials should clearly distinguish between:

Current programs
Planned programs
Fundraising goals
Projected impact
Confirmed outcomes

22. Use of Images and Personal Stories

Friends of Nunavummiut may use approved photographs, videos, testimonials or community stories to explain its work.

We will seek appropriate consent before publicly using identifiable personal content, particularly content involving:

Children
Vulnerable people
Health conditions
Financial hardship
Community assistance
Sensitive family circumstances

A donation does not give the donor ownership of beneficiary stories, photographs, names or private information.

Donors may not contact or publicly identify beneficiaries unless separately authorized.

23. Donor Privacy

Donor information will be handled according to the website’s Privacy Policy.

We may collect:

Name
Contact information
Billing details
Donation amount
Donation date
Communication preferences
Campaign selection
Tribute information
Transaction identifiers

We do not sell or rent donor personal information.

Information may be shared with service providers where necessary for:

Payment processing
Accounting
Receipting
Email confirmation
Fraud prevention
Website hosting
Legal or regulatory compliance

Payment-card information should be processed by an approved payment provider and should not be stored directly by Friends of Nunavummiut unless a compliant system is in place.

24. Donor Communications

Donors may receive:

Transaction confirmations
Donation acknowledgements
Receipt information
Program updates
Impact reports
Requests for additional information
Campaign communications

Promotional emails and newsletters will be sent only where permitted and should include a way to unsubscribe.

Unsubscribing from marketing messages will not prevent necessary transactional or administrative communications.

25. Financial Accountability

Friends of Nunavummiut will seek to maintain accurate records of:

Donations received
Donor restrictions
Campaign allocations
In-kind contributions
Refunds
Processing fees
Program expenditures
Fundraising expenses

Donated funds may be combined with other funds for administrative efficiency while remaining appropriately recorded and allocated.

The organization should publish periodic summaries describing:

Funds raised
Major program expenses
Program progress
Operational costs
Significant changes to funded initiatives

Detailed personal donor information will not be published without consent.

26. Administrative and Fundraising Costs

Unless a written agreement states otherwise, donations may support reasonable costs required to operate and deliver the initiative.

These may include:

Payment-processing fees
Website costs
Accounting
Insurance
Staff or contractor costs
Volunteer coordination
Storage
Transportation
Food-safety compliance
Monitoring
Communications
Fundraising administration

The website should not claim that “100% of every donation goes directly to beneficiaries” unless that statement is completely accurate and can be supported.

27. Fundraising Campaign Goals

A campaign goal is a fundraising target and not a guarantee that the complete amount will be raised or that every planned activity will proceed exactly as described.

Where a campaign raises:

Less than its target

The organization may:

Scale the program
Extend the fundraising period
Combine funds with another related campaign
Redirect funds to a similar purpose, where authorized

More than its target

Excess funds may be used for:

Expanding the program
Similar food-security activities
Future program costs
Areas of greatest need

These possibilities should be explained on each campaign page.

28. Third-Party Fundraising

A person or organization must obtain written permission before raising funds publicly in the name of Friends of Nunavummiut.

Approved third-party fundraisers must:

Describe the relationship accurately
Avoid claiming to be an official representative unless authorized
State whether expenses will be deducted
Keep proper financial records
Protect donor information
Transfer funds within the agreed period
Avoid making unauthorized tax-receipt promises
Follow applicable fundraising, advertising and privacy rules

Friends of Nunavummiut is not responsible for an unauthorized fundraiser merely because the fundraiser uses its name or refers to its mission.

Suspected unauthorized fundraising should be reported immediately.

29. Memorial and Tribute Donations

Donors may be able to make a contribution:

In memory of a person
In honour of a person
To recognize a special occasion

Where requested, we may notify the person or family identified by the donor.

The notification will normally state that a gift was made but will not disclose the donation amount unless the donor authorizes disclosure.

The donor is responsible for providing accurate notification information.

30. Planned and Legacy Gifts

Friends of Nunavummiut should not accept bequests, securities, life-insurance interests, trusts, cryptocurrency, real property or other complex gifts without appropriate legal, tax and financial review.

Potential donors should obtain independent professional advice before making a planned gift.

The organization reserves the right to decline a complex gift that creates:

Legal uncertainty
Environmental liability
Excessive administration
Unreasonable restrictions
Valuation problems
Financial risk

31. Cryptocurrency and Digital Assets

Cryptocurrency or digital-asset donations will not be accepted unless the website specifically confirms that an approved and secure process has been established.

Where accepted, the organization may convert the asset into Canadian dollars promptly.

The donor remains responsible for obtaining independent advice about tax consequences, valuation and reporting.

32. No Influence Over Beneficiary Selection

A donation does not give a donor the right to:

Select individual beneficiaries
Control community distribution
Access confidential beneficiary information
Direct staff or volunteers
Override food-safety rules
Require discriminatory treatment
Influence community representatives improperly

Program and distribution decisions remain the responsibility of Friends of Nunavummiut and authorized local partners, with consideration for need, fairness, available resources and community guidance.

33. No Ownership or Investment Rights

Unless a separate written investment agreement has been signed, a donation does not provide:

Ownership
Equity
Profit-sharing rights
Voting rights
Control over operations
Repayment rights
A guaranteed financial return

A charitable or voluntary contribution must not be presented as an investment.

Potential investment arrangements must be handled separately from donations and reviewed by qualified legal and financial professionals.

34. Changes to This Donation Policy

Friends of Nunavummiut may update this policy to reflect changes in:

Legal status
Donation methods
Programs
Payment providers
Receipting eligibility
Fundraising practices
Regulatory requirements
Operational procedures

The revised policy will be published with an updated “Last Updated” date.

Changes will not retroactively alter a written gift agreement unless permitted by law and agreed by the relevant parties.

35. Contact Information

Questions, refund requests, donation corrections or concerns may be directed to:

Friends of Nunavummiut

Email: friendsofnunavummiut@protonmail.com
Alternative email: excitedforthefuture@protonmail.com

Phone or text: (867) 877-4011
Phone or text: (825) 526-3622

Mailing address:
[Insert complete mailing address]

Website: FriendsofNunavummiut.ca

Please use the subject line:

Donation Inquiry

For refund requests, include:

Donor’s full name
Donation date
Donation amount
Payment method
Transaction reference
Reason for the request

Do not send complete payment-card or banking details by email.