Skip to main content

Imagine Canada Celebrates Newest Group of Charities to Earn "Symbol of Trust"

Imagine Canada Celebrates Newest Group of Charities to Earn "Symbol of Trust"

News

The Standards Program continues to reflect diversity within broader sector, welcoming Canada’s largest Muslim charity to achieve accreditation.

Imagine Canada, the umbrella for Canada’s charities and nonprofits, today welcomed the most recent group of 9 organizations to join the growing number of charities and nonprofits accredited under its national Standards Program, including Islamic Relief, Canada’s largest Muslim charity and relief organization.

We congratulate each organization for this accomplishment. With their achievement they join a community of more than 240 nonprofit organizations that are dedicated to operational excellence, featured in the July print and digital issue of Maclean’s magazine. We also applaud the 34 organizations that have completed their reaccreditation process.

“It’s no small feat for an organization to earn Standards Program accreditation. It’s a rigorous, peer-reviewed process that is meant to build Canadians’ trust and confidence in the charitable sector,” says Bruce MacDonald, president and CEO of Imagine Canada. “The organizations accredited to date reflect a broad spectrum in size, scope and geography. Each one takes governance, accountability, and transparency very seriously. We’re proud to have them on board.”

Newly Accredited Organizations

  • Accommodation, Information and Support, Inc.
  • Canadian Mental Health Association – Ontario Division
  • Christian Horizons
  • Collective Community Services
  • Islamic Relief Canada
  • Mercy Ships Canada
  • Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation
  • Scleroderma Canada
  • VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation

Reaccredited Organizations

  • Aspen Family and Community Network Society
  • Aurora Cultural Centre
  • BC Cancer Foundation
  • Calgary Foundation
  • Capacity Canada
  • CARE Canada 
  • Cuso International
  • Edmonton Community Foundation
  • Edmonton Food Bank
  • Feed Nova Scotia
  • Food Bank of Waterloo Region
  • Hamilton Health Sciences Foundation
  • Help Lesotho
  • Hospice Palliative Care Ontario
  • Hospice Wellington
  • John Howard Society of Canada
  • John Howard Society of Waterloo-Wellington
  • National Service Dogs
  • Parkinson Canada
  • Peace Arch Hospital and Community Health Foundation
  • Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund
  • Rick Hansen Foundation
  • Ronald McDonald House Charities Toronto
  • Royal Ontario Museum Governors
  • Sage Seniors Association
  • SEMAFO Foundation
  • Special Olympics Ontario
  • St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital Foundation
  • The Elizabeth Fry Society of Greater Vancouver
  • The WorkPlace Group
  • Threads of Life – Association for Workplace Tragedy Family Support
  • UNICEF Canada
  • United Way Halton & Hamilton
  • Whistler Community Services Society

See the full list of accredited organizations.

About the Standards Program

The Standards Program awards accreditation to charities and nonprofits that have demonstrated they have met the required standards in five fundamental areas: board governance; financial accountability and transparency; fundraising; staff management; and volunteer involvement. The goals of the Program are to increase organizational excellence and transparency in these areas and to strengthen public trust in individual organizations and the sector as a whole.

Terms of Accreditation and Compliance

Accredited organizations are required to complete full reaccreditation on a five-year basis. Compliance during the accreditation period is monitored through an annual process that requires organizations to submit evidence demonstrating selected standards are being met. Compliance is also monitored through investigation of complaints.

The Standards Program is made possible with financial contributions from founding and presenting sponsor Canada Life; and funding from the Lawson Foundation.

Sponsor banner

For more information, contact:

Julie Lebel

Manager, Communications

416-597-2293, ext. 319

jlebel@imaginecanada.ca

Standards Program
Strengthen your organization and showcase excellence through our accreditation program.
standards program