The Rainbow Society of Alberta - Giving the gift of hope by granting wishes for children in Alberta diagnosed with a severe chronic or life...

The Rainbow Society
        of Alberta
   Giving the gift of hope by granting
     wishes for children in Alberta
diagnosed with a severe chronic or life-
      threatening medical illness.

 Canada Revenue Agency No. 12998 8275 RR0001

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Executive Summary
OUR MANDATE
Giving the gift of hope by granting wishes for children in Alberta diagnosed with a severe chronic
or life-threatening medical illness.
We define chronic to mean a medical condition which severely impacts and restricts the child’s
activities of daily living. The impact and restrictions may result from a variety of factors including,
but not limited to, recurrent hospital stays, use of oxygen and/or ventilator machines, the need to
use a wheelchair for mobility, high doses of medications or the need for a considerable degree of
medical intervention. Children in our wish program must be between the ages of 3 and 18 years,
and any child who has been in remission, or off treatment, for a period exceeding 2 years will not
qualify for our program.
The founders of The Rainbow Society believed that children who suffer a lifetime from a chronic
illness should also be entitled to a wish, in addition to those who are struggling with a
life-threatening condition. It is a sad fact that there are literally hundreds of different types of
illnesses that can affect children. This aspect of our mandate sets us apart from similar
organizations in Canada. We also differ from other wish granting groups in that we only operate in
Alberta and remain a grass-roots organization.
We do not provide funding for medical equipment or travel. Our intent is to provide a once in a
lifetime experience for our wish children and their families.

OUR HISTORY:
The Rainbow Society of Alberta has been making dreams come true for Alberta children since 1986.
Our office is located in Edmonton, and our staff members consist of an Executive Director, a Fund
Development Manager, and a Program Manager / Bookkeeper.
We are governed by a volunteer Board of Directors who typically meet monthly to review current
applications and grant wishes, as well as provide direction for the Society’s business.

WISHES:
•   Must be in the best interest of the child. This is determined through consultation with the family
    and the child’s physician.
•   Include the immediate family, whenever possible.
•   Are not solicited. We work strictly on a referral basis.
•   Referrals cannot be made anonymously since we will not proceed without the prior knowledge
    and approval of the family involved.
•   Referrals can be made by anyone.
•   Wish requests involving weapons, dangerous animals, hunting endangered species, motorized
    vehicle or medical equipment fall outside our mandate and will not be considered.

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

WISHES BY THE NUMBERS
    In 2020 we completed 7 wishes, consisting of:
     3 family trips to Disneyland/Disney World (completed before the outbreak of COVID-19),1
        adapted stroller, 2 travel trailers, plus downhill ski passes, lessons, and equipment rental at
        Nakiska Ski Area.

To date, The Rainbow Society of Alberta has made 1087 dreams come true for children in 170
communities throughout Alberta. A further 10 wishes are approved and awaiting completion in
2021.

VOLUNTEERS:
•   Are considered the foundation of the Society. They help in a variety of ways, either by
    volunteering at various fundraisers or by joining an event planning committee.
•   Are considered Members of The Rainbow Society of Alberta, through their volunteer
    commitments. Membership entitles volunteers to a vote at the Annual General Meeting and
    inclusion on our newsletter mailing list.

DONATIONS:
•   Are tax deductible under the Canada Revenue Act.
•   Can be applied towards the sponsorship of a specific wish.
•   Offered “in memoriam” can be acknowledged if the name and address of family members is
    provided.
•   Can be applied to our annual fund which serves the greatest need.

FUNDRAISING:
Our funds are raised through private donations either from individuals, service groups or companies.
We organize several fundraising events throughout the year and are fortunate to receive donations
from many third-party events. We do not receive operational funding from any level of government,
or from agencies such as The United Way.

Our 2020 audited statements show our administrative costs to be 6% of the total expenses. Our
wish granting program accounts for 80% of all expenses, and the balance is attributed to our own
fundraising initiatives. We have worked hard to achieve these ratios and are very proud of them.

All of the funds raised in Alberta are spent on Alberta children. We protect the identity and privacy
of the families in our program. Their names or pictures are never used in the media unless approved

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

or initiated by them. We respectfully protect our donor base by not selling or sharing our lists with
other groups.

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CONTACT INFORMATION

Contact Information
To help make these and other wishes come true, please contact:

Niki Fehr - Fund Development Manager
#7, 12122 68 Street
Edmonton, Alberta, T6B 0E7
Our office is located within The Jerry Forbes Centre for
Community Spirit

Phone: 780-469-3306
Email: nikif@rainbowsociety.ab.ca

For more informa on about The Rainbow Society of
Alberta, please contact:

Craig Hawkins
Executive Director
#7, 12122 68 Street NW
Edmonton, Alberta, T5B 1R1

Phone: 780-469-3306
Email: craigh@rainbowsociety.ab.ca

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