YFC Canada
Registered Charity #11904 5268 RR0001
© 2024 Montreal Youth Unlimited
DONATION QUESTIONS
What does it mean to partner with, or support a staff member?
All staff are required to raise the funds necessary to cover their ministry expenses, including salary. This is a significant challenge. To partner with (support) a staff member means to come alongside them by giving financially to help cover these costs or by praying regularly for them. In doing so, you are participating in a very tangible way in that staff persons work with youth. Separate ministry funds are established for all staff. All funds designated to an individual staff person are held for them in their ministry fund. No portion of these funds is used to cover general expenses. For more clarity on this, please do not hesitate to contact Allan Heron.
Who sets the salary for staff members?
A Board-approved salary matrix based on experience, years of service and responsibility is used to determine salary level. All salaries are approved by the Executive Director.
What if there is a shortfall for a staff members salary?
Staff only receive their full salary if adequate funds have been received in their designated ministry fund. A shortfall would require the staff person to raise the shortfall or reduce their number of hours of employment.
What if there is a surplus raised for a staff member?
Staff are encouraged to maintain an account surplus equivalent to at least one month’s salary. This provides staff with enough time to contact their ministry partners should they experience a shortfall in donations during a given month. Any surplus remains designated in its entirety to the staff position, but monthly remuneration never exceeds the predetermined salary level set by the Board and Executive Director.
Will my donation be fully designated to a particular staffing position?
All funds received for a specific staff member are held for that staff person in their designated ministry fund. No portion is used to cover general expenses.
Are there any exceptions?
In the event that a staff member leaves the ministry of Youth Unlimited with a surplus in the staffing position account, the surplus is transferred to a staff subsidy account to be used to assist staff experiencing hardship as the result of a shortfall.
What does it mean to give toward the general fund?
Donations that go to the General Fund are used to cover organizational costs such as heating, equipment and training. Funds to this account are not designated to a specific program but are used where most needed in the organization.
How do the tax receipts work?
All eligible donations receive a cumulative tax receipt for income tax purposes in February of each year. The value of the benefit received is deducted where applicable.
What type of donation is not able to receive a tax receipt?
MYU can not issue a tax receipt for income tax purposes for such things as services rendered or where there is a benefit received by the “donor”. The Canada Revenue Agency guidelines are strictly adhered to and are the determining factor on donation eligibility.
I am giving from the USA, how do I go about donating?
If you are living in the United States, you can still receive a tax receipt by donating to us through our International Office. Cheques must be payable to Youth for Christ and sent to:
Youth For Christ International Ministries
P.O. Box 4555
Englewood, CO
80155-4555
303-843-9000
Please be sure to clearly indicate that your donation is for Montreal YFC and please specify whether it is for a specific staff member, for a specific program, or for the general fund.
Information for Restricted Contributions
Spending of funds is confined to programs and projects approved by the organization. Should a donor choose to restrict a contribution for use in a particular program or project, we will honour that restriction, with the understanding that, when the need for such a program or project has been met, or cannot be completed for any reason as determined by the organization, the remaining restricted contributions will be used where most needed.
PROGRAM QUESTIONS
What does faith-based mean?
Whole person holistic care at MYU
“Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” — WHO
Spiritual Health as part of Holistic Care
Montreal Youth Unlimited provides holistic care and services to all youth, without discrimination; while modelling the example of Jesus; abounding in compassion, empathy, grace and hope. As our services are custom-tailored; youth may tap into one or all of our holistic supports (physical, mental, emotional, social as well as spiritual).
While some individuals may not have a personal interest in spirituality, others may; as such, opportunities for faith exploration are available as desired, and at free-will. As supported by wellness professionals, MYU believes that full personal wholeness includes health in all areas of holistic supports offered.
Physical
Mental
Intellectual
Emotional
Social
Spiritual
As part of the YFC family, Montreal Youth Unlimited joins in the collective mission to “empower the youth of Quebec to attain their full-life potential by responding to their relational, intellectual, physical, and emotional needs, and by encouraging them to pursue a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ.” Within this larger family, most MYU programs focus primarily on the psychosocial and physical needs of youth specifically, particularly as they pertain to poverty, marginalized communities and at-risk individuals. At the same time, we believe that spirituality is an essential element of personhood, and we include spiritual beliefs as part of our model of full-care offered.
Many people of diverse backgrounds have spiritual beliefs, and regardless of the classification as “spiritual”, people have values and moral standards which inform their actions. We believe these elements as extremely valuable to whole-person care, because through exploring their values and worldviews, clients can determine what is important to them, which will have an impact on their current circumstances and their future reactions.
The way that MYU encourages youth to “pursue a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ” is by offering optional opportunities to explore faith from a Christian worldview. Our goals regarding the development of spiritual health for our clients are two-fold. Number one, we encourage an exploration of themselves as part of something bigger than their own experience, and as integral to the whole. Number two, we provide opportunities to explore the Christian faith, knowing that this might be a step in spiritual exploration, or it might be the beginning of a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
We are not Christians. Can my child still participate in your programs?
Absolutely! All our programs and services are offered freely to all, and without discrimination. We provide age-appropriate, respectful content, without strings attached nor pressure to conform to our way of thought. Many parents desire to expose their children to the “morals and values” of Christianity, such as love, patience, generosity, peace, etc. It is important to us that every youth we serve feels valued, respected and cared for, regardless of their beliefs.
Have more questions? Please contact us! We would be happy to discuss this further.
*Also see question titled “What does faith-based mean?”
How do we know that our kids are safe in your programs?
This is such an important question, and we are glad you asked it!
We take youth safety seriously and have a number of measures in place to provide the most secure environment possible.
Screening for all staff and volunteers:
Reference checks, police background checks are done in addition to a thorough onboarding process.
Training for all staff and volunteers:
All staff and volunteers are provided with extensive safety and risk management training as well as specialized training related to issues such as drug use, mental health, and so much more.
Accountability:
A minimum of two adults (who are not in a relationship together) may be alone with youth (ex: in a building, car, etc).
Appropriate age groups:
Under normal circumstances, programs are grouped into appropriate age segments, so youth are able to interact only with individuals within their same general bracket.
Safe facilities:
Our facilities are regularly maintained to ensure safety.
