Frequently Asked Questions

It is a network of Canadian NGOs determined to unite their efforts in cases of humanitarian crises. At present, the Humanitarian Coalition has five members: CARE Canada, Oxfam Canada, Oxfam-Québec, Plan Canada and Save the Children Canada. The Humanitarian Coalition is a fundraising and coordination body which supports its members’ humanitarian efforts and does not directly operate any programmes overseas.

The members of the Humanitarian Coalition unite because they recognize the need for strong, decisive action, as well as early mobilization, to help the most vulnerable. By combining resources from each member agency, the Humanitarian Coalition takes the guesswork out of giving for Canadians, and reduces the wasteful duplication of fundraising costs. When lives are at stake, the Humanitarian Coalition’s appeals have one call centre, one phone number and one joint website. This makes for a much more timely response. It saves more lives.

No, only member agencies with operational capacity already in place in or near a disaster zone will receive funds from your donations.  This is to ensure that donations reach those in need as quickly as possible. Member agencies implementing humanitarian programs are familiar with local communities, customs and suppliers are the ones who can respond the most quickly and appropriately.

Following lessons learned from the response to the Asian Tsunami in 2004, the Humanitarian Coalition was formed in September 2005, when four founding agencies – CARE Canada, Oxfam Canada, Oxfam-Québec, and Save
the Children Canada – agreed to contribute financial and staffing resources to create a joint Canadian appeal mechanism. Plan Canada became the fifth member when it joined the Humanitarian Coalition in June 2011.

The Emergency Response Fund (ERF) is like a sentinel that is always there, looking out for the most vulnerable. When disasters strike, it enables us to respond quickly and save more lives. The ERF allows our member agencies to intervene in difficult places when time is short and logistical challenges abound.

All donations made between our appeals for specific emergencies will automatically be designated to our ERF. 

As soon as the Humanitarian Coalition member agencies are satisfied that they can meet the immediate needs of people affected by a humanitarian crisis, fundraising will stop. In almost all cases, the needs of people affected by disasters far surpass our ability to fundraise. Any funds not used for immediate disaster relief will go toward medium-term recovery and reconstruction projects.

Our mission is to reduce the wasteful duplication of costs between member agencies in times of humanitarian appeals by offering one phone centre, one website, and combining our communications and fundraising efforts.

The Humanitarian Coalition has adopted a funding model whereby a minimum of 88% of appeal funds is allocated to
programs. This percentage is to be applied to the combination of Humanitarian Coalition and member agency funds and costs. The balance may be applied to core operating costs. For all of our appeals so far, more than 88% of received funds were directed to programs.

No. Funds donated to the Humanitarian Coalition are pooled together and distributed following a pre-approved fund distribution formula. Should you wish to donate specifically to one of our member agencies, you may do so by contacting them directly.

All funds sent to the Humanitarian Coalition are pooled for responses to the basic needs of those persons affected by a humanitarian disaster. The funds will serve to buy food and blankets, provide shelters and clean water to those most vulnerable during and after a crisis.

The funds are distributed to the member agencies of the Humanitarian Coalition with a capacity to act rapidly in a disaster area, following a pre-approved  allocation formula. A small percentage of the funds donated go to maintain the administrative capacity of the Humanitarian Coalition.

If you wish to make a change to your monthly donations, including changing your credit card number or expiration date, changing the amount of your donation, the withdrawal date of your donation or your contact information, or if you wish to cancel your monthly donations, please send us an email at info@humanitariancoalition.ca with your specific request.

Important: To change your credit card number, it is strongly recommended that you do so over the phone for security reasons. We can be reached toll-free at 1-855-461-2154.

No. Financial contributions are more efficient and effective. Your donations allow us to purchase much needed supplies closer to those areas affected, thereby reducing heavy transportation costs, supporting the local economy as it gets back on its feet and ensuring that the goods we provide are appropriate to the needs of local recipients.

For more information on child sponsorship programs, please visit Humanitarian Coalition members’ websites or contact them directly. The Humanitarian Coalition does not directly manage any child sponsorship programs.

When you send your donation online it is both cheaper and faster to process. You will receive your receipt sooner and we save the cost of printing and mailing it to you. By donating online, you are saving the Humanitarian Coalition as much as $2 per donation!

As you can appreciate, our call volumes can be very high when a disaster is unfolding and we are sometimes overwhelmed by the generosity of Canadians. We thank you for your patience and efforts to reach us. Please keep trying or make a donation online.

The Humanitarian Coalition strives to be a model of transparency. Regular activity reports will be posted on our website for your information. Updates are also sent to donors by e-mail several times a year as new developments occur, or as fundraising milestones are reached.

Yes. But please make sure to include the right contact information for the person who will need a receipt. If you are donating by mail, click here to print a donation form to send with the donation.

No. Please be aware that cash donations are not accepted by the Humanitarian Coalition. Cash should never be sent by mail nor brought to our offices. If you are an event organizer and wish to submit your event proceeds, please use your personal credit card to submit online, write a personal cheque, request a bank draft or create a money order for the amount raised.

No. Donations are only accepted in Canadian dollars.

There is no amount too small or too large, but in order to generate a tax receipt your contribution must be equivalent to or greater than $10.

For more detailed information, visit the Canadian Revenue Aagency (CRA) website.

In order for each donor to receive a separate receipt, they will need to provide their names, addresses and donation details for each donation. Click here to print a donor form to send in with your donations.

If you donated online, you should have received your receipt immediately at the e-mail address which you provided while making your donation. It is possible that your spam filter may have blocked this receipt and we encourage you to check you spam mail folder to be sure it has not been redirected there.  It is also possible that there may have been an error in your contact information. To update your contact information or request a new receipt, please contact info@humanitariancoalition.ca.

Online donations are processed automatically and an electronic receipt should be delivered to your e-mail account within hours following your donation. For mailed-in and phone donations, receipts are issued every month.  If for any reason you do not receive your receipt within the above timelines, please contact info@humanitariancoalition.ca

Yes, you will receive a charitable donation receipt for all donations greater or equivalent to $10.

The Humanitarian Coalition was created to significantly reduce the cost of appeals and maximize the effectiveness of funds for relief efforts. We operate with a small staff, but are making every effort to respond to donors in a timely
manner. We are typically able to call back or email in two to three business days. Your patience is much appreciated.

For additional questions or information, please do not hesitate to contact us.

For changes to your address or contact information, send an email to info@thehumanitariancoalition.ca with your name and your old and new address/contact information. We will confirm when we have updated your information in our records. For changes to your credit card number, please give us a call toll-free at 1-855-461-2154. It is recommended that you do not send credit card information through email.

For any other changes to your file, please send us an email or call us and we will be happy to assis you.

Your language of choice is automatically set by the language in which you make your donation. For example, if you make a donation from the English version of the Humanitarian Coalition website, you will receive correspondence in English. Of course, we recognise that errors are possible and if you wish to change your language of correspondence, please send a request to info@humanitariancoalition.ca.