Salvation Army Fundraising Code of Ethics

The Salvation Army highly values its relationship with donors and recognizes that without their support, it would not be able to continue to serve more than 2.7 million people every year.

Through a wide range of services, The Salvation Army assists those who need help the most. As it gives hope to the marginalized in communities from coast to coast, The Salvation Army believes that transparency and accountability is essential to its success.

The Salvation Army has been recognized with the highest level of excellence in ethical fundraising and financial accountability that Canadians can trust. The Salvation Army is now one of just over 200 charities in Canada that has earned Imagine Canada’s national Standards Program accreditation. Imagine Canada believes that charities and non-profits have a responsibility to be innovative, transparent, accountable, ethical and well-governed.

Imagine Canada logo - Strong Charities. Strong communities. Imagine Canada.To achieve the accreditation in November 2015, The Salvation Army had to meet 73 stringent standards set out in the peer-reviewed standards program. This accredited status demonstrates compliance with a strict set of standards created to show adherence in five key areas of operation: Board Governance, Financial Accountability and Transparency, Fundraising, Staff Management, and Volunteer Involvement. The accreditation gives Canadian donors continued confidence and assurance in supporting The Salvation Army. The accreditation also helps The Salvation Army alleviate risk by ensuring staff and volunteers meet their legal, financial and fiduciary duties.

“Having the Trustmark accreditation from Imagine Canada’s Standards Program tells people that The Salvation Army has good governance systems and that we’ve worked hard to earn donors’ trust by acting ethically and transparently,” said Paul Goodyear, Territorial Financial Secretary for The Salvation Army.

“It’s no small feat for an organization to earn Standards Program accreditation. It’s a rigorous, peer-reviewed process that is meant to build public trust and confidence in the charitable sector,” said Bruce MacDonald, President and CEO of Imagine Canada. Visit imaginecanada.ca to learn more about Imagine Canada’s national Standards Program accreditation.

Complaints or Questions
The Salvation Army complies with the Imagine Canada Ethical Fundraising and Financial Accountability Code – a set of standards for charitable organizations to manage and report their financial affairs responsibly and to comply with generally accepted practices for soliciting and managing donor dollars.

The Salvation Army will respond promptly to questions or complaints about any matter that is addressed in the Ethical Code.

Questions and complaints can be made to the Territorial Secretary for Communications for The Salvation Army in Canada by email at communications@salvationarmy.ca or by mail:

Privileged & Confidential
The Salvation Army in Canada
Attention: Territorial Secretary for Communications
2 Overlea Blvd.
Toronto, Ontario M4H 1P4

The Territorial Secretary for Communications will provide a report annually to The Governing Council of The Salvation Army in Canada (the primary legal entity that The Salvation Army operates through in Canada) outlining the number and types of complaints received and how they were addressed.