MADD Canada
MADD Canada is the Canadian arm of Mothers Against Drunk Driving. Its stated purpose is to stop impaired driving and to support victims. MADD Canada operates public awareness and education programs which focus on preventing impaired driving. Local activities are carried out by chapters in approximately 100 communities across Canada.
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| Founded | 1989 |
|---|---|
| Founder | John Bates |
| Headquarters | Oakville, Ontario, Canada |
Area served | Canada |
Key people | Andrew Murie (CEO) |
| Products | Public Service Announcements |
| Website | madd.ca |
The organization also supports a number of federal and provincial initiatives aimed at reducing incidents of impaired driving, including changes to Criminal Code provisions against drunk driving, and a zero blood alcohol content limit for drivers under 21.[1]
Programs
MADD Canada's victim services programs support victims, train victim services volunteers, and deliver death notification training for medical, police, firefighter and victim services personnel.
The organization's youth services programs include a multimedia assembly presentation which tours Canadian high schools and is seen by approximately 750,000 students annually. The organisation also provides a classroom education tool called Breaking Point.
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MADD Canada runs several annual public awareness campaigns and fundraisers, including the "Strides for Change" walk-a-thon, and a door-to-door program, "Faces of MADD Canada", which operates in 13 local communities. "Project Red Ribbon" distributes red ribbons to Canadian motorists to signify the importance of not driving while impaired. Campaign 911 urges the public to call 911 if they see drivers they think may be impaired. MADD Canada also produces television and radio public service announcements across the country.
MADD Canada programs are supported through corporate and public donations. The organization also raises funds by selling breath mints, sold especially at pubs in the Toronto area.
Fundraising scandal
In December 2006, an article in the Toronto Star alleged that about 19 cents of every dollar the organization raised went to victim services and combatting drunk driving. MADD Canada responded that the true figure was around 84 cents per dollar, arguing that the discrepancy was over whether fundraising activities were simultaneously educating the public about drunk driving, and therefore should not be considered fundraising costs. A letter from the Canada Revenue Agency, Charities Directorate dated March 3, 2003, stated that MADD made incorrect allocations of expenditures and confused fundraising with charity, and warned MADD that to retain its charitable status it must not count as charity "amounts paid for purely fund-raising expenses such as door-to-door, direct mail, and telemarketing fees". MADD Canada's Chief Executive Officer, Andrew Murie, stated that its practice of counting payments to professional fundraisers as charitable work was one of "the acceptable principles of allocation of expenses" and that the regulator gave him permission to do so.[2]
Following the investigation, and after clarification from the Canadian Revenue Agency, MADD Canada changed its fundraising practice.[3]
See also
- Drunk driving (Canada)
References
- "Youth and Impaired Driving in Canada: Opportunities for Progress". Archived from the original on 2007-03-10. Retrieved 2006-07-25.
- Donovan, Kevin. MADD suspends fundraising: Charity in turmoil as chapters demand outside auditor examine books. Toronto-Star, December 13, 2006;
Donovan, Kevin. MADD rejects 'disgruntled' critics: Charity's CEO dismisses volunteers' complaints that so little of donations go to programs. Toronto-Star, December 10, 2006 - Donovan, Kevin. MADD charity mends its ways Toronto Star, October 3, 2007.