Frequently Asked Questions

Fundraising

If I make a contribution, will World Accord share or trade or sell my name and address to anyone else?

NO! World Accord protects your personal information and will not share your personal information with anyone else.

Why do we not see World Accord on television?

Television advertising is very expensive and World Accord has chosen instead to invest most of your donations in development projects and programs that improve the well-being of people in poorer nations.

However, starting in 2006 you may see several short promotions for World Accord on Canadian television. As part of their regulatory requirements, television stations will broadcast (usually late at night) these Public Service Announcements (PSAs) at no charge to World Accord.

Jeff Taylor and Mark Krupka of Leaky Boot Productions (along with several World Accord volunteers who appear in the ads) generously donated their time and expertise to create and produce these videos for us. World Accord paid only the marginal cost of their out-of-pocket expenses.

Where does World Accord get its funding?

Historically, our funding has come from:

Individual donations are essential funds to cover our basic overhead costs.
Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) has several independent branches that fund different World Accord projects.
Community of Christ provides funding through two sources: (a) the World Hunger Fund provides funding for hunger-related projects; and (b) Tangible Love provides funding for specific projects.
Wild Rose Foundation, an Alberta-based foundation, funds projects supported by Albertans (who are strong supporters of World Accord!)
Construction Expeditions (teams of people from Canada who go to a site to help with building projects) and Discovery Expeditions (trips where donors can see projects first-hand) provide funding through a percentage of the costs allocated to administration.
Fund-raising done by service clubs and World Accord (e.g. Fastathon, Golf Marathon).

Development Education

What is a Discovery Expedition?

World Accord organizes trips for groups of donors and volunteers that takes them into program and project areas to see for themselves the impact their giving has on the lives of people. After meeting the local people, hearing their stories, and celebrating their successes with them, the donors and volunteers return to Canada with the knowledge and passion to be much more effective advocates for the poor and for World Accord.

Who pays the cost to go on a Discovery Expedition?

Each person pays their own costs. A small part of the budget for the Discovery Expedition is for contingencies: only that portion is considered a charitable gift and can thus be receipted to the donor

If I go on a Discovery Expedition do I get a tax receipt for the cost?

A small part of the budget for each Discovery Expedition is retained by World Accord for contingencies – only that portion is considered a charitable gift and a receipt will be issued to the participant for only that amount.

What is a Construction Expedition?

This is a trip for volunteers, organized and managed by volunteers, to visit a project and help with the construction of a building – a community building, a school, a home – as part of a community construction project.

Who pays for these Construction Expeditions?

The participants pay for their air fare, their in-country costs (transportation, food, loding) and the cost of the building materials they will work with. Often participants will run community or congregational fund raising events to earn some or all of the funds required. Participants are repaid with smiles and laughter from the children, the bone-weary satisfaction of physical labour, the priceless joy of making a real difference in someone else's life.

Why are Construction Expeditions only to Central America?

Air travel costs to Central America are less than half what they are to Asia or Africa.

Why are Construction Expeditions called “Development Education” and not a Project?

Each construction project is one that the community has requested and in which they also make a substantial investment of labour or materials. From the World Accord perspective, the value is not in having more labourers – local labourers could be hired for a fraction of the cost of the airfares and the in-country costs for two weeks. Rather, the experience of living and working side-by-side with the local people builds respect and understanding for our neighbours who happen to be poor, and expands each participant's ability to be an effective and passionate advocate for the poor and World Accord's development programs.

Policy

Why does World Accord refer to their work as ”Development“?

Development is a unique part of Foreign Aid. The goal of development is to have lasting impact, to avoid creating dependence and to nurture local leadership. Development is more than just a form of aid – it promotes an intentional outcome of transformation and change that will last beyond the term of program funding.

What does World Accord mean by ”Partnership“?

To World Accord, "partnership" means that we work with local "in country" groups to implement projects that they have chosen as their priorities. Our partnerships are agreements to work together as equals in a sharing and learning process characterized by respect and patience.

What are the advantages of working through Partners?

Working in partnerships enables World Accord to generate the greatest benefits in the most cost-effective way. Encouraging and supporting local leaders as they learn through experience builds the confidence and skills to address more challenging issues within the community.

Instead of sending Canadians (being paid at Canadian salary levels) into each country to implement projects, working through local partnerships allows World Accord to get much more value from your financial donations. Local people need the work and offer many assets: they can eat the food and drink the water, they speak the language, they know the community and they know the culture.

If new skills are needed then World Accord will find someone who will train local people, however, for most program work we can employ several local development professionals for the same net cost as one Canadian program officer.

What is the difference between a “project” and a “program”?

A development project is for a specific length of time and may not require World Accord to have a lasting partnership or funding relationship with the local group. On the other hand, a program may have several components (projects), or may be replicated in several communities over an extended period of time, which requires World Accord to have an ongoing relationship with the local partner group.

Why doesn't World Accord have a “sponsorship” program?

While individual sponsorship programs are a popular way for Canadians to feel a strong link with those they are helping in the developing world, World Accord has made a considered decision not to enter into this type of program, at least for now.

The primary reason is that sponsorship programs are expensive to run. The additional administration and management costs of a sponsorship program would consume a larger portion of the gifts from our donors, leaving less to go into the field where it is so badly needed.

But there is also a philosophical reason. One of the most basic principles of our work in the field is that we strive to empower communities – to help the people expand and develop their capacity to work together and help each other. It is through their willingness to work in their community and its programs that individuals receive the benefits that our donors make possible, not simply by being chosen for a sponsorship.

The donor and program participant are interdependent – each participant is ever thankful that the donor's generosity creates options and opportunities they might never attain otherwise; each donor is ever thankful that his or her gift is gratefully accepted and then is transformed through commitment and hard work into a life-changing blessing for both of them.