Category: uncategorized

World Vision Canada has no sponsored communities in the Gaza area. Charity Intelligence does not see Canadian donations involved in Israeli security’s recent allegations of World Vision funds diverted to Hamas.
https://www.charityintelligence.ca/images/World-Vision-Canada-Gaza-Donor-Brief.pdf” rel=”alternate To read Charity Intelligence’s donor brief on World Vision Canada’s programs in Palestinian Territories (163 kb)
Background: The international press extensively reported on allegations that World Vision donations for Gaza projects financed Hamas. Israeli security arrested Mohammed El Halabi on June 15, 2016 and charged him on August 4, 2016 for diverting “tens of millions” to Hamas terrorist group. According to reports of these charges, World Vision’s Gaza projects receive US$11.7 million a year of which 60% (US$7 million) was diverted to Hamas. Israel’s Shin Bet internal security service alleges Halabi diverted World Vision donations to families of Hamas militants with injured children, Hamas militants falsely registered as World Vision staff and were paid salaries, project costs in Gaza were inflated with the extra money going to fund Hamas, and fictitious names were used with $1.5 million in donations given out to Hamas members. Shin Bet alleges Halabi transferred to Hamas materials such as steel, digging equipment and pipes that were meant for World Vision’s farming projects. One military base costing $800,000 was built in 2015 entirely from British donations.
Given that World Vision International’s entire spending in Gaza over the last 10 years is US$22.2 million, it is difficult to reconcile these allegations. Furthermore Halabi has only been Gaza manager since October 2014. Before then, as with all World Vision project staff, individual spending authority is maxed at US$15,000. World Vision International’s Gaza operations were recently extensively and independently audited in 2015 with the highest praise for its humanitarian work in Gaza.
This is not the first time Israel has accused humanitarian charities working in the West Bank and Gaza of collaborating with terrorists. Israel has made similar allegations about Red Cross/Red Crescent, the UN’s Relief and Work Agency for Palestinian Refugees (the Canadian government stopped funding in 2010), Doctors Without Borders, Islamic Relief and now World Vision. These charities vehemently deny these allegations and maintain their actions are neutral.
Chris Gunness, spokesman for UNRWA
Without fair legal process, it is sad to see the knee jerk reaction of countries and donors stopping funds. World Vision Germany and the Australian government have suspended aid to World Vision’s projects in the Palestinian territories.
The political conflict of the Middle East raises the classic Humanitarian Dilemma. The UNRWA for Palestinian Refugees with humanitarian charities provide a basic social safety net to, some say, keep the suffering at an acceptable level. While helping those caught in a war zone, does international aid subsidize the costs and tactics of conflict? Humanitarian charities struggle with the dilemma; it’s an impossible balance between work that is complicit with Israel’s occupation and meeting the humanitarian needs of Palestinians trapped in this endless war.
World Vision Canada funds 6 Palestinian communities all in the West Bank and none in Gaza. World Vision Canada’s 6 West Bank sponsorships communities are in Nablus (3), Hebron (2), and West Jenin – see map. These Palestinian development projects are all on-going with no new sponsorship opportunities posted at this time on World Vision Canada’s website. World Vision Canada typically spends 15 years in each community.

August 8, 2016
Writen by Kate Bahen, Charity Intelligence
Sources:
World Vision Canada, “Where we work: Jerusalem/West Bank/Gaza” http://www.worldvision.ca/ourwork/wherewework/Pages/Jerusalem-West-Bank-Gaza.aspx http://www.worldvision.ca/ourwork/wherewework/Pages/Jerusalem-West-Bank-Gaza.aspx
World Vision – Jerusalem, West Bank, Gaza “Statement on World Vision’s staff Arrest”, August 4, 2016 http://www.wvi.org/jerusalem-west-bank-gaza/pressrelease/statement-world-visions-staff-arrest http://www.wvi.org/jerusalem-west-bank-gaza/pressrelease/statement-world-visions-staff-arrest
Al Athar Global Consulting “DEC Gaza Program: Gaza Relief Response and Early Recovery 2014 (Phase 1 and 2): Final Evaluation Report” January 2016 http://cdn.worldvision.org.uk/files/7214/6401/4821/DEC_Gaza_evaluation_.pdf http://cdn.worldvision.org.uk/files/7214/6401/4821/DEC_Gaza_evaluation_.pdf
Shawn McCarthy, “Ottawa eyes fresh funding for UN group with alleged ties to Hamas”, The Globe and Mail, February 14, 2016. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-eyes-fresh-funding-for-un-group-with-alleged-ties-to-hamas/article28757982/ http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-eyes-fresh-funding-for-un-group-with-alleged-ties-to-hamas/article28757982/
Jason Cone, The Humanitarian’s Dilemma, Foreign Policy July 15, 2015 http://foreignpolicy.com/2015/07/15/the-humanitarians-dilemma-palestine-gaza-doctors-without-borders/ http://foreignpolicy.com/2015/07/15/the-humanitarians-dilemma-palestine-gaza-doctors-without-borders/
Tia Goldenberg and Daniella Cheslow, “Israel accuses Gaza manager of World Vision of funding Hamas” The Washington Post, August 4, 2016 also by Associated Press writer Wafa Shurafa in Gaza City, Associated Press. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/israel-world-vision-manager-in-gaza-funneled-money-to-hamas/2016/08/04/168b824a-5a31-11e6-8b48-0cb344221131_story.html https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/israel-world-vision-manager-in-gaza-funneled-money-to-hamas/2016/08/04/168b824a-5a31-11e6-8b48-0cb344221131_story.html
Ruth Eglash and Hazem Balousha, “Gaza’s head of World Vision hired by Hamas to infiltrate the charity, funnelled $9.5 million a year to Hamas, Israel’s domestic security agency says.”, The Washington Post reported in National Post, August 5, 2016. http://news.nationalpost.com/news/world/israel-middle-east/gazas-head-of-world-vision-hired-by-hamas-to-infiltrate-the-charity-funnelled-9-5-million-a-year-to-hamas http://news.nationalpost.com/news/world/israel-middle-east/gazas-head-of-world-vision-hired-by-hamas-to-infiltrate-the-charity-funnelled-9-5-million-a-year-to-hamas
Nick Schifrin and Merrit Kennedy, “Israel Accuses World Vision Employee of Embezzling Millions for Hamas”, National Public Radio, August 5, 2016. http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/08/05/488809438/israel-accuses-world-vision-employee-of-embezzling-millions-for-hamas http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/08/05/488809438/israel-accuses-world-vision-employee-of-embezzling-millions-for-hamas
World Vision Gaza, World Vision Management Response to the DEC Gaza Evaluation, April 8, 2016 http://cdn.worldvision.org.uk/files/1514/6401/4643/World_Vision_Management_Response_to_the_DEC_Gaza_Evaluation.pdf http://cdn.worldvision.org.uk/files/1514/6401/4643/World_Vision_Management_Response_to_the_DEC_Gaza_Evaluation.pdf

Archived – CRA continues its administrative procedures for gifting tax shelter schemes
January 10, 2014 –
For the 2013 tax year, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) will not assess taxes owed or provide a refund to taxpayers who claim a tax credit under a gifting tax shelter scheme until the CRA has audited the tax shelter. However, if a taxpayer makes a claim under a gifting tax shelter scheme, the taxpayer can have his or her tax return assessed before the related tax shelter has been audited if they agree to remove the claim from their return. This procedure remains unchanged from the 2012 tax year.
The CRA continues to alert taxpayers that if they receive a charitable donation receipt for an amount higher than the value of property donated, the receipt is not valid and can’t be used to claim a tax credit. The CRA is auditing all such gifting tax shelter schemes, and to date, none has been found to comply with Canadian tax law.
The new legislation, introduced in Economic Action Plan 2013, affects taxpayers who have been denied, in whole or in part, a tax credit for donations made under a gifting tax shelter and who have filed an objection to this decision with the CRA or appealed it to the Tax Court of Canada. The new legislation allows the CRA to collect 50% of the amount in dispute or to withhold 50% of the refund of an amount in dispute, when these amounts are related to a gifting tax shelter.
The CRA strongly encourages taxpayers to get advice from an independent tax professional before engaging in a tax shelter. To make sure the advice is independent, a tax professional should not be linked in any way to the tax shelter or the promoter of the tax shelter.

Quick facts

• The CRA has denied more than $5.9 billion in donation claims and reassessed over 182,000 taxpayers who participated in these gifting tax shelters.
• The CRA has revoked the charitable status of 47 charitable organizations that participated in gifting tax shelters.
• The CRA has assessed $137 million in third-party penalties against the promoters and tax preparers involved.
• The CRA will also be administering new legislation for the 2013 tax year, which affects taxes in dispute related to gifting tax shelters.

Associated Links

• http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/taxshelters/ Tax shelters (Canada Revenue Agency)

Contacts

Julie Carmichael
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister of National Revenue
613-995-2960
Noël Carisse
Media Relations
Canada Revenue Agency
613-952-9184
 

April 26, 2016
Charity Intelligence is not appealing to Canadians to donate to the Ecuador Earthquake. We feel there was relatively limited damage and Ecuador’s government can adequately cope with the devastation. We feel similarly about the earthquake that hit Japan just two days before. There are times when we feel compelled to urge Canadians to donate. Now is not one of them.
Charity Intelligence’s decision may be “ Furthermore, each natural disaster is different and needs to be assessed. Earthquake recovery typically needs surgery, medics, bulldozers to clear In disaster relief, everybody needs help. Relief efforts need to provide for men and women, seniors and children.

 
According to news sources, charities responding to the Ecuador Earthquake are:

• The World Food Program is sending food for 8,000 people in the severely affected area
• UN-HCR is airlifting in shelter and mosquito nets
• Oxfam is on the ground and assessing the situation and developing a response. Oxfam sent a shipment of safe drinking water materials on April 20, 2016
• Save the Children reports focusing efforts on the children in the affected area to continue their education despite the damage. It plans to distribute 1,500 student kits with school materials when the school term begins on May 1. Save the Children’s operations are in the northern coastal province of Esmeraldas that is rural and 98% of the population lives below the poverty line
• World Vision work is in Ecuador’s rural central province of Chimborazo but will be providing relief to Manabi province where the earthquake struck. World Vision will provide first aid, food, hygiene kits, tents, mattresses, child-friendly spaces and emotional support in health Read More

Animal shelters across Alberta rescued 1,177 pets from Fort McMurray – donations are desperately needed.
16 Alberta animal shelters and hundreds of volunteers rescued more than 1,177 animals from Fort McMurray.  All of these pets were sheltered and given health checks. Most, 877 animals (75%), are reunited with their owners, 118 animals are scheduled for reunions and 141 animals being sheltered temporarily since their owners cannot take care of them right now.
These tremendous resultsToo many local charities were involved to mention all of them but include Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, Fort McMurray SPCA, Edmonton Humane Society, Alberta Animal Rescue Crew Society – AARCS, Red Deer & District SPCA, and Calgary Humane Society.
Fort McMurray’s SPCA got special permission to return to Fort Mac on Thursday May 5th to care for the animals in its shelter. For 4 days Fort McMurray SPCA and other charities rescued pets in the community. All pets received veterinary care, food, water, and care. These animal staff worked at times with respirators, without electricity and water. Fort McMurray’s SPCA reports using every available resource to help these pets. Donations are desperately needed.

Canadian Red Cross announces another $25 million in money transfers to Fort McMurray evacuees, on top of previous $50 million.
May 31, 2016: In another unprecedented move, the Canadian Red Cross announced yesterday an additional $25 million transfer to all Fort McMurray area evacuees. The first person in a household will receive $300, each additional family member will receive $50. A family of four will therefore receive $450. This money will be electronically transferred to all evacuees after they have registered at one of several Fort McMurray information centres on re-entry. The staggered re-entry of residents begins June 1, 2016.
To date, Canadians have donated $112 million to the Canadian Red Cross Read More