FAQs
Common FAQs
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Where is the Foundation located?
The Foundation office is located in St. Boniface Hospital, at C1026 - 409 Taché Avenue. If you’re inside the Hospital, we’re behind the Munroe Pharmacy. Come see us!
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I have a St. Boniface Hospital story to share. Want to hear it?
We thrive on the incredible, emotional stories former St. Boniface Hospital patients and their families choose to share with us. If you are a grateful patient with an amazing story of survival, kindness or compassion, our donors would love to hear it.
We have a Communications team that might share your story with a broader audience, with your permission and cooperation of course.
Contact us today and tell us your story.
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Can I work with the Foundation?
We’re always looking to work with good people who are at the forefront of fundraising, to promote excellence in health care and research to create a healthier society. Sometimes, but not always, we’re hiring. See available opportunities here.
If you are interested in hosting what we call a “third-party fundraising event” (social, sporting event or tournament, bake sale, performance, etc.,) for the Foundation, let us know! Contact us and we’ll work with you.
Your Privacy
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Will you ever sell my information to other organizations?
Never. We strictly protect the confidentiality of all personal information shared with us by our employees, volunteers, donors, potential supporters, and other stakeholders. We do not sell, trade or lease personal information. Please read our Privacy Policy for more on this.
Fundraising and Financial Management
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How much money does the Foundation raise annually?
In 2020, you showed us that we are truly “in this together”, with 4,863 active donors supporting the Foundation. Our revenue in 2020 was more than $14 million in total. For details, read the Foundation’s 2020 Annual Report here.
Our revenue sources include fundraising, investment, and hospital lotteries (see below for more on lotteries). Thanks to you, the Foundation has raised more than $253 million since our inception in 1971.
As always, we closely monitor the use of your gifts. We ensure funds entrusted to us are put to work in groundbreaking medical research and delivering caring, compassionate patient care in St. Boniface Hospital.
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What is the impact of my gift?
When you donate, you have a profound impact on the tens of thousands of patients and their families who depend on St. Boniface Hospital each year. We want you to know how and where your donation contributes to health, hope and healing.
Connect with us on social media! We’re always posting news and photos about improvements to patient care and new research projects that your gifts have made possible. Find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
Believe is published twice annually and is a bilingual publication of St. Boniface Hospital Foundation. It is intended to inform patients, donors, hospital staff and the public about improvements to patient care, innovations in research, and fundraising initiatives. Read past issues here.
We also publish our Annual Report to share successes and updates on fundraising initiatives. Read past reports here.
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Can I direct my gift to a specific area in research or patient care?
Yes. You may support any of our fundraising priorities, or a program, unit or piece of equipment that is needed by the Hospital. Learn more about different areas you can support - contact us and we’ll help you find one that’s right for you.
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How does the Foundation invest and manage its endowment funds?
All endowed funds at St. Boniface Hospital Foundation are invested in common with other endowed funds. Funds are professionally managed, with oversight by the Finance Committee of our Board of Directors and guided by a detailed Investment Policy. The attached investment principles guide the management of funds held by the Foundation.
Hospital Lotteries
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Does the lottery program contribute to fundraising for medical research and patient care?
Yes, the lottery program is one of two fundamental revenue streams that contribute to St. Boniface Hospital Foundation:
1. Charitable giving
- Fundraising (donations)
- Income earned from endowed gifts
2. LotteriesLotteries are run as a business. Lottery ticket buyers do not receive a charitable tax receipt. Net proceeds (profits) of a lottery support excellence in health care and research at St. Boniface Hospital.
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Are donations ever used to pay for and/or market the lottery program?
Absolutely not. St. Boniface Hospital Foundation lotteries are completely self-funded. Not a penny of donated dollars is used to fund the lottery program. The cost of the ticket pays for the prizes, promotion, and administration of the lottery.
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Does 100% of my ticket purchase go to St. Boniface Hospital programs?
100% of the net proceeds (profits) of the lottery go to support excellence in health care and research at St. Boniface Hospital. It is just like a golf tournament or a fundraising dinner: when all the expenses are paid, the remaining amount is distributed through the Foundation.
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Should foundations be running businesses?
Donations alone are not enough to fund the Foundation’s programs and operations. Business and social enterprise are novel ways to increase revenues so that the Foundation can carry out its mission, while ensuring donor dollars go where they are intended.
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How can I be sure the lotteries are well-run and fair?
At St. Boniface Hospital Foundation, integrity, transparency, and good governance are at the core of our mission; these values guide us in everything we do.
Our lotteries are licensed, reviewed, and regulated by the Liquor, Gaming & Cannabis Authority of Manitoba; financial controls are provided by a professional accounting firm and they are approved annually by the Foundation’s volunteer Board of Directors.
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What is the value of the lottery to Manitoba?
Lottery proceeds are instrumental in funding the areas of greatest need at St. Boniface Hospital, Research, and the Foundation.
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Does the lottery program contribute to gaming/gambling addiction?
Charity lotteries are considered low risk for gambling addictions, according to studies conducted in Canada and abroad.
The conclusions point to the fact that charity lotteries do not have the features consistent with common addictive traits (low-cost, high game/player interactivity, and instant or quick feedback). The relative high cost of lottery ticket packages and the fact that buyers must wait several months between ticket purchase and final draw make it a lower form of risk than other gaming activities.
To learn more, please go to:
Centre for Public Sector Research, Sweden: https://gupea.ub.gu.se/bitstream/2077/26165/1/gupea_2077_26165_1.pdf
2007 Adult Gambling Prevalence Study (Nova Soctia): http://novascotia.ca/dhw/addictions/documents/Adult-Gambling-Prevalence-Study-2007.pdf