FAQs
How Does Canadian Foodgrains Bank Work?
Canadian Foodgrains Bank, in conjunction with its members and their partners around the world, works to end global hunger by:
- supporting international programs to meet immediate food needs, reduce malnutrition, and achieve sustainable food security;
- influencing improvements in national and international policies that contribute to ending global hunger;
- increasing and deepening the engagement of Canadians in efforts to end global hunger.
Canadian Foodgrains Bank is rooted in the belief that humankind is created in the image of God and that it is God’s desire that no person should go hungry. The availability of food and access to that food is fundamental to life itself. Food is required to sustain life, to provide the strength for work, and to share in the fellowship of one’s family and community.
Hunger related programs supported by the Foodgrains Bank include:
Food assistance – providing food to people in need;
Food security– assisting households and communities to produce food for themselves or earn the income they need to purchase this food;
Nutrition – supporting special initiatives to improve the
nutritional well-being of people;
Public Engagement – increasing and deepening the involvement of Canadians in efforts to end hunger; and
Policy Influence – advocating for changes in public policy at national and international levels that will enable households and communities to better feed themselves.
Canadian Foodgrains Bank is a federally incorporated, nonprofit corporation registered as a charitable agency. Since 1983,the Canadian Foodgrains Bank membership has provided over 1,100,000 tonnes of food assistance to people who are hungry in Africa, Asia, the Americas and Eastern Europe. The Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) provides $25 million a year in financial support.
Last year Canadians responded to glonal hunger by donating $11.8 million dollars in cash and cashed out grain to the Foodgrains Bank.
Charitable tax receipts are issued for donations of cash or farm produce over $10 in value.
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Where Does the Grain Go?
Since its inception the Foodgrains Bank has distributed over 1.1 million tonnes of food to 78 different countries. Food is distributed based on need, regardless of religious or political affiliation. The Foodgrains Bank no longer ships Canadian grain overseas, instead grain donations are sold on the Canadian market and food is bought closer to the area of need.
Food is used in one of three ways:
- To provide immediate nutrition for people in emergency situations i.e. severe drought;
- To feed people as they rebuild and replant until a new crop is harvested i.e. after flooding;
- To provide food as wages in food-for-work programs where people and their communities work on longer-term projects such as irrigation and improving farmland so that, in the future, people will be able to feed themselves.
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Does the Grain Get There?
Since the untying of food aid in 2008, the Foodgrains Bank no longer ships Canadian grain overseas. Rather, food is bought closer to the people who need it. Our church members work with trusted agencies overseas to make sure that food is obtained ethically and that food gets to where it is intended to go. We are proud of our record.
In spite of some very challenging logistics in foreign ground transportation and distribution, we know that more than 95% of food actually gets to where it is needed.
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What are your Administrative Costs?
We are committed to being clear and transparent about our finances. So, rather than simply reporting how much of our budget goes to administration - which can be defined a number of ways - we have also outlined other areas of our work as well. Below is a chart showing how our money is spent:
| Food Assistance Program |
60 percent |
| Food Security Program |
26 percent |
| Nutrition Program |
5 percent |
| Program Management |
3 percent |
| Public Policy and Education Programs |
1 percent |
| Administration |
3 percent |
| Fundraising and Communications |
2 percent |
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Do Volunteers Ever Meet the People We Are Helping?
A Christian response to hunger is not about statistics, it's about people. Every year, the Foodgrains Bank organizes food study tours to allow Canadians the chance to meet the recipients and farmers who are using Canadian food to rebuild their lives. We also arrange for people to come to Canada from overseas to tell us about the challenges they face and the positive difference the assistance makes.
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Does the Foodgrains Bank Provide Volunteer Opportunities?
Canadian Foodgrains Bank relies on a large group of volunteers to help gather grain and donations across the country. Local people may work with farmers, community growing projects, or other fund-raising activities. Volunteers may also speak to church congregations or a variety of interested groups.
For more information, contact the regional coordinator in your area or call our Head Office directly at 1-800-665-0377.
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Who Does the Canadian Foodgrains Bank Work With?
- Canadian Grain Industry
one of the unique aspects of Canadian Foodgrains Bank is its collaboration with the Canadian Wheat Board, the Ontario Wheat Board and other grain industry organizations. These groups work with Canadian Foodgrains Bank to simplify the collection of grain and other agricultural commodities from farmers across Canada. Annual grain donations generally range between 15,000 and 20,000 metric tonnes.
- International Partners
member agencies of Canadian Foodgrains Bank carry out food programming in developing countries by working with partner organizations that are directly involved with local communities. All food assistance is provided solely on the basis of need without regard for creed, race, colour, or political affiliation. The amount of food provided by Canadian Foodgrains Bank members in any given year varies, but typically falls in the range of 35,000 to 60,000 metric tonnes annually.
- Government
the food assistance program of Canadian Foodgrains Bank is generously supported by the Government of Canada through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). Our funding agreement with CIDA allows $25 million in matching funds to be used for programming, greatly enhancing our donors' assistance.
- World Food Programme (WFP)
on more than one occasion, Canadian Foodgrains Bank has collaborated with WFP, the food aid organization of the United Nations. In countries such as India, Angola, Kenya and Afghanistan, WFP has swapped or lent commodities to Canadian Foodgrains Bank to achieve program timing, location or commodity objectives. WFP is also contracted to facilitate transportation in some areas.
- Canadian Universities & Schools
Canadian Foodgrains Bank collaborates with universities and schools to inform young people about the causes and possible solutions to world hunger. This is done through World Food Day events and other awareness-building activities.
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What Were Last Year's Donation Results?
We continue to see strong support from across Canada. Cash and grain donations come from individual donors as well as from community growing projects, and active congregations.
In the past fiscal year, $11.8 million in grain and cash donations was donated directly to the Foodgrains Bank. An additional $4 million dollars came to the Foodgrains Bank through member agencies.
Donations from community growing projects were over $6 millions dollars.
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Do you accept proceeds from Livestock Auctions?
Yes we do. Livestock producers in places such as Ponoka and Abbotsford have been supporting Canadian Foodgrains Bank through dairy and beef auction sales for the past few years.
Truckers will often donate their freight to bring the animals to the sale. Local auctioneers donate their time and facilities. They include the livestock, donated to the Foodgrains Bank, as part of their regular sales so that all proceeds can forwarded.
Sales have raised between $30,000 and $115,000 per occasion.
For more information on how to organize a livestock sale, please contact your regional coordinator.
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How much money did you receive through Grain Donations last year?
Grain donations make up a large portion of our overall donations. In 2012/12 $5,573,194 worth of grains was donated across Canada:
Grain Donations by Province
20011/12 Fiscal Year
- in dollars - |
British Columbia
|
$12,826 |
| Alberta |
$1,728,519
|
| Saskatchewan |
$1,017,774
|
| Manitoba |
$1,190,438
|
| Ontario |
$1,560,636
|
| Quebec |
$1,166 |
Atlantic
|
$61,835
|
TOTAL (in dollars)
|
$5,573,194
|
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How many Community Growing Projects are there?
There are over 250 projects across Canada. These projects contribute approximately half of the donations received by the Foodgrains Bank.
Each
growing project has a group of between 10 - 100 volunteers as well as a number of local businesses. A community growing project usually involves a group of people (farmers, fuel dealers, equipment dealers, local small businesses, grain elevator staff, church congregations) gathering together to farm a common plot of land. Once harvested, the production is donated to Canadian Foodgrains Bank for use in food aid and development projects carried out by its church members. This unique approach to raising grain and cash donations for Canadian Foodgrains Bank brings people together in a community effort.
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What are you doing to educate people?
Our public engagement team is actively working to increase and deepen the involvement of Canadians in efforts to end hunger.
Our Fast for Change program brings together thousands of Canadians every World Food Day (October 16th) to reflect on hunger and pray for a just world. Resources are available at no charge to help groups participate in Fast for change. Small groups are invited to follow along the prayer and reflection booklet and a youth event kit is available. Visit www.fastforchange.ca to register and learn more.
Food study tours allow small groups of Canadians to travel to international projects each year. The tours are focused on learning about hunger issues and include a home stay with a partner family.
The People to People program brings southern partners to Canada to share their experience. These visitors are available for speaking engagements and tour extensively across Canada.
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