FAQ 

Community events are created to raise both awareness and funding for a certain cause. Your support helps the Montreal General Hospital maintain and improve patient care, community services and provides funding for research in medical excellence. Every year members of our community, past patients, and family and friends come together to participate in fundraising events ranging from golf tournaments, cross-fit competitions, galas, comedy shows and even rock concerts!

 

Q: I would like to use your platform to raise money for the Montreal General Hospital Foundation. How does that work?

A: It’s fairly simple, all you have to do is:

1) Create your event: determine the type of event, date, place and fundraising goal

2) Fill out the form on our website

3) Wait for the MGHF approval (Please give us 2-3 days)

4) Once approved, start promoting your event

5) Raise money, achieve your goal! 

 

Q: I don’t have a lot of experience organizing fundraising events. Where should I start?

A: Here are 5 steps to get you started:

1. Decide what kind of event you are going to host:

If you are unsure of an event idea, get some friends together and organize a planning committee to get the creative juices flowing! Working in a team is a great way to come up with ideas because you are able to use everyone’s individual strengths.

2. Schedule the Event:

Minor inconveniences can occur; because of this it is always a good idea to overestimate the time you will need to plan your event. Choosing the venue is just as important as choosing your event date. A good venue is one that will be easily accessible to your guests, and it is always a plus if parking is hassle free.

3. Establish goals:

All events should have a realistic financial goal. Generating a budget is an important step that should be included in the early stages of planning.. Expenses should be kept to a minimum when planning a fundraising event. As per the Canada Revenue Agency, expenses should not exceed 50% of total revenue, to ensure that all profits will go directly to the cause. Please note that you are responsible for the cost of putting on your event.

4. Registering your event on our Team Raiser Platform:

Once you have an idea of the type of event you would like to organize we ask that you visit www.action.codelife.ca and fill out all the information. We will review your proposal and your event should be approved and ready to share within 72 hours. Please note, in order to have your event recognized as a fundraiser for the Montreal General Hospital Foundation, your event must be approved.

Please note that the MGHF will not endorse events that have the intent to initiate or engage participants in illegal activity or in activities that might put their lives at risk. The MGHF will not be associated with any event that discriminates based on age, gender, sexual orientation, religion, race or any other differences.  

5. Promotion:

Once your event has been approved, spread the word directly to friends, colleagues and family members who can assist you in promoting your event. A great tool for this is social media. You can start a Facebook event page, find a hashtag for Instagram so everyone who attends your event can see pictures, or even contact your local T.V. and radio stations to try and get some media coverage.

Please note, any use of the Montreal General Hospital Foundation name/logo must be approved by the MGHF Events Coordinator before use.

 

Q: Can we issue tax receipts for donors and participants?

A : The Montreal General Hospital Foundation is a registered charity and must comply with all rules and regulations set out by the Canada Revenue Agency by law. It is imperative that you understand the rules about tax receipting before your event and it is equally as important to not promise your supporters a receipt amount before confirming with the Foundation. In order to make sure that we are in compliance with the CRA, we will take care of this task to ensure the proper variables and calculations have been considered.

Individuals who meet the following criteria are eligible for tax receipts:

• We only provide tax receipts to the actual donor
• The full name and address including postal code, telephone number and email must be submitted with the donation.
• When a ticket is purchased for an event (gala, show, sporting event etc.) only a portion of the amount paid can be issued for a tax receipt if benefit(s) are received. Calculations will be determined by your MGHF representative.
• Please note we cannot issue tax receipts for raffle tickets as there is a value in receiving a chance to win a prize in return for the money given.
• If the event organizer is providing a cheque from ticket sales of multiple individuals, the cheque issuer is to provide a written declaration with a list of donor names, addresses and amounts donated.

Corporations can support your event in the following ways:

• Donations and pledges: Contributions from a business are considered a deductible as a business promotional expense. No tax receipt is required; the MGH Foundation can supply a gift confirmation letter for the fair market value of the donation.

• Sponsorships: By being a sponsor, the corporation is receiving benefits in the form of recognition and advertising. Since they are receiving something in return for this support we are unable to issue tax receipts. We are able to issue a gift confirmation letter that can be used to write off their contribution as an expense.

• Donation of Inventory or Gift-In-Kind: The Montreal General Hospital Foundation can provide the donor with a gift-in-kind receipt that states the fair market value of the property donated for your event. This way, the donor does not lose the tax benefit associated with the transfer of goods. Please note that certain scenarios must be validated before confirming the receipt amount.

• Donation of Services: Tax receipts cannot be issued for services provided from a corporation. This includes personal, professional and legal services.

 

Q: When and how do I give the money that was donated in cash and not through action.codelife.ca?

A: We ask that the proceeds be remitted within 10 days of your event so that they can be used by the respective departments immediately. This also allows us to issue the appropriate tax receipts (if applicable) to your donors in a timely manner. Please note that official charitable receipts dated for the year of your event can only be issued if all money and information is received by December 31st of that year.

By mail

Payments by mail can only be done with cheques. Please note that cheques sent with one signatory must be able to provide a written declaration which includes the names and addresses of donors as well as the amounts donated.

The Montreal General Hospital Foundation
1650 Cedar Avenue
Room E6-129
Montreal QC H3G 1A4

 

In person

Schedule an appointment with the Events Coordinator to submit the donations in person and also take the opportunity for a photo with the Foundations’ “big cheque” as well as the MGH Foundation staff to share with the supporters of your event!

 

About the Montreal General Hospital Foundation

Q: What is CODE LiFE?

A: It is the name of the Montreal General Hospital Foundation’s major fundraising campaign. It is our pledge to support vital care and our expression of respect for the precious nature of life. Through CODE LiFE, we seek to protect, heal, extend, and save lives in all the medical institutions with which we are affiliated. We also seek to foster the advancement of knowledge through academic programs, and to promote and support all forms of caregiving. We chose the phrase CODE LiFE because it draws on the familiar language used on hospital PA systems to alert staff to emergency situations. Therefore, it signals the timely and skilled nature of the Foundation’s support.

 

Q: Why Vital Support for Vital Care?

A: Vital Support for Vital Care is what we stand for. It is the symbiotic relationship between our donors’ desire to make a real difference, and the informed and unbiased selection of priority healthcare projects to support. The Foundation seeks to protect, heal, extend, and save life within our network of medical institutions, to support research within our network of academic institutions, and to foster sensitivity to the preciousness and fragility of life in all forms of caregiving.

 

Q: What is the scope of the MGHF’s support?

A: The MGHF expanded the scope of its support to the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) and more broadly, the McGill academic health network, all the while ensuring that donors’ contributions are wisely invested. Our Foundation supports research programs, acquires cutting-edge equipment, invests in professional training and helps medical teams with priority needs.

 

Q: How did we earn our donors’ trust?

A: Since 1973, the Montreal General Hospital Foundation (MGHF) has played a key role within the Montreal General Hospital (MGH) as a proud sponsor of significant medical R&D and technology development and acquisition. The MGHF now manages the third largest healthcare fund in Quebec, with $140 million in assets. In accordance with the wishes of donors, the funds raised by the MGHF go toward supporting patient care, research programs, acquiring cutting-edge equipment, and helping medical teams with their priority needs. Its leadership and strong relationships with the healthcare community have made the MGHF a sound advisor for donors as to where funds are most needed and can have the greatest impact.

 

Q: What are the medical programs supported by our Foundation?
Our Foundation’s main focus is Adult Care including Trauma, Thoracic Surgery, Mental Health and other Medicine programs. Driven by the goals of innovation and skill development, the MGHF takes pride in providing annual support for different projects within the MGH and the MUHC, such as:

These vital initiatives, supported by the generosity of our donors, all push the limits of modern medicine in their own way for the ultimate benefit of patients.

For more information on the programs supported, consult our Annual Report.

 

Q: Aren’t our tax dollars supposed to take care of all this?

A: We are lucky to live in a country that believes in healthcare for all. Provincial governments strive, but often struggle, to deliver access to legislated standards of care. Our Foundation’s approach of strategically placed donor support can raise standards of excellence and pave the way for future innovation. Many talented medical researchers are also supported with our donors’ generous gifts and the results are new cures, better treatments, and enhanced recovery times. Public funding is not always sufficient to be able to replace old equipment with cutting-edge technology. For all these reasons, the financial support provided by our Foundation is VITAL.

 

Q: How do I benefit from the Foundation’s work?

A: LIFE is fragile. It can take unexpected turns. Sometimes, life can be disrupted, either by an accident or a disease, and that’s when health care becomes so VITAL. We are all vulnerable, so it’s reassuring to know that our medical teams are constantly at work on improving treatments and recovery time, developing minimally invasive surgery practices, and generally raising the standards of patient care. This would not be possible without the support of donors like you. Generations of donors have made it their moral responsibility, and a point of pride, to support the ceaseless efforts to improve healthcare and ensure that it is available when we need it.