Donations to Charities and Non-Profit Organizations
At EthicalHost we
believe in the importance of corporate social and environmental
responsibility. One of the key ways we try to be a good corporate
citizen is by donating 10% of our pre-tax profit back to the
community.
We recognize there are so many important areas that warrant
donations but we have chosen to focus on the following three areas
which we care about deeply: 1) Economic/Social Justice in Canada, 2)
Environment and Biodiversity, 3) World Poverty and Human Rights. We have limited it
to three areas of focus to ensure that our 10% donation does not get
divided too thinly. We compiled a list of three organizations
per category based on our own knowledge of the important work they
do and from the suggestions of our clients.
Please see below for more information about
our selection process for corporate
donations and recent
changes we incorporated. Corporate transparency is
important to us at EthicalHost.
In addition to donating 10% of pre-tax profits, we further
our commitment to corporate social and environmental responsibility
by telecommuting, using public transit, supporting local and cooperative
businesses, minimizing paper use and using 100% post-consumer
products wherever possible. We also offset our company’s energy usage
with carbon offsets as well as purchasing
green power direct from
bullfrog power for our office.
 2011
Voting Results are in!
View the full results here. The recipients and choices for this
years survey are listed below. 2 very close votes this year and one
run away winner in Child Haven.
Economic/Social Justice
in Canada
Covenant House has received our donation for the 2011 tax year.
Fred Victor Center:
www.fredvictor.org
Fred Victor is a social services organization that fosters
long-lasting and positive change in the lives of homeless and low
income people living all across Toronto. We offer a wide range of programs that help each person find the
support they need. Whether it is advocacy for renters or finding
shelter, job training or counselling, food access or health
information, Fred Victor dedicates itself to innovatively serving
people who are experiencing homelessness and poverty.
Habitat for Humanity:
www.habitat.ca
Mission: To mobilize volunteers and community partners in building
affordable housing and promoting homeownership as a means to
breaking the cycle of poverty. Our Vision is a world where everyone
has a safe and decent place to live.
Covenant House:
www.covenanthouse.ca
As Canada’s largest youth shelter, Covenant House Toronto opens
doors of opportunity and hope to homeless youth. More than just a
place to stay, we provide 24/7 crisis care and have the widest range
of services under one roof, including education, counselling, health
care and employment assistance. Covenant House has helped thousands
of young people move from a life on the street to a life with a
future.
Environment and Biodiversity
FLAP has received our donation for the 2011 tax year.
FLAP (Fatal Light Awareness Program):
www.flap.org
FLAP works to safeguard migratory birds in the urban environment
through education, research, rescue and rehabilitation. As
stated on their website, collisions with human-built structures is
steadily becoming the leading cause of bird mortality across North
America.
West Coast Environmental Law (WCEL):
www.wcel.org
West Coast Environmental Law is dedicated to safeguarding the
environment through law. Since 1974 our staff lawyers have
successfully worked with communities, non-governmental
organizations, the private sector and all levels of governments,
including First Nations governments, to develop proactive legal
solutions to protect and sustain the environment.
Sea Shepard:
www.seashepherd.org
Established in 1977, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society (SSCS) is an
international non-profit, marine wildlife conservation organization.
Our mission is to end the destruction of habitat and slaughter of
wildlife in the world's oceans in order to conserve and protect
ecosystems and species.
Sea Shepherd uses direct-action tactics to investigate, document,
and take action when necessary to expose and confront illegal
activities on the high seas.
World Poverty and Human Rights
Child Haven has received our donation for the 2011 tax year.
SEVA:
www.seva.ca
Seva provides funding and expertise to partners in 7 developing
countries and regions: Nepal, Tibet, India, Tanzania and eastern
Africa, Guatemala, Cambodia and Egypt - to deliver community and
clinical eye care programs that reach the most vulnerable
populations – women and children, the very poor and those living in
rural areas.
Child Haven International:
www.childhaven.ca
Child Haven International is a registered charity founded in 1985.
We assist children and women in 4 countries, who are in need of
food, education, health care, shelter and clothing, emotional and
moral support. Child Haven has five homes in India, one in
Nepal, one in Tibet and one in Bangladesh. Our homes accept children
who are disabled, parentless, or from socially disadvantaged
situations - and who are destitute, i.e. do not receive even one
good meal a day.
Against Malaria Foundation:
www.againstmalaria.com
Mission: The relief of suffering from malaria by the provision of
funds for the prevention and/or treatment of malaria and the
advancement of education in the subjects of a) the problems and
suffering caused by malaria and b) what can be done to alleviate
them. More specifically, 100% of the money we raise buys
long-lasting insecticidal mosquito nets (LLINs). Via distribution
partnerships, these nets end up over heads and beds and we
demonstrate that has happened.
Past Results
Selection Process
Organizations that are chosen for each donation category are
taken primarily from suggestions sent to us by our Customers. When
more than one customer recommends the same organization, more weight
is given to that suggestion. We then compile a list of those
organizations, try and fit them into one of our categories as best
as we can, and then we do a little research to try and choose ones
with the lowest administrative overhead to put on the list for
voting.
Each year the winning organization is removed from the list and
replaced with a new one for the following years vote.
We welcome suggestions for charities/non-profits that can be
added in upcoming years but ask that they meet the following
criteria:
--Have a charitable registration number.
--Have a website where they outline their mandate.
--Fit into one of our three categories: Economic/Social Justice in
Canada, Environment and Biodiversity, World Poverty & Human Rights.
We will monitor and evaluate our corporate donation selection
process, and welcome any suggestions you may have for improvement.
We will continue to be transparent about the process and any changes
we incorporate. Any organization that consistently receives a small
percentage of the vote each year may also be replaced with other
groups at our discretion.
Recent Change in Selection Process
When EthicalHost was founded we had hoped to let our
clients designate organizations of their choice for our corporate
donations, and our longer term clients may remember reading this.
Unfortunately we ran into difficulties with this method. We believe
in the importance of corporate transparency and want to explain the
reasons for our change in the donation process. In 2007 we compiled
a list of our clients' favourite organizations -- the list was
extensive and quite varied in focus. We were concerned that
the bulk of our donation would get used up in the administrative
costs of the charities if we sent a small amount to each. We
are trying a new process because Ethical Web Services wants to
ensure that the maximum donation possible gets to the front-line.
Please feel free to contact us if you have any further questions
about this change.
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