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effect:hope (The Leprosy Mission Canada)

effect:hope, formerly The Leprosy Mission Canada, is a registered Christian non-profit organization in Markham, Canada. This organization is the Canadian branch of The Leprosy Mission, an international charity with 31 charters worldwide. effect:hope focuses on eliminating leprosy and other neglected tropical diseases, such as Lymphatic filariasis, in order to "activate and equip communities and individuals to live healthy, full lives". The organization raises its funds in Canada and directs the donations to support development projects overseas.

History

The Leprosy Mission Canada started in Guelph, Ontario in 1892. Mr. and Mrs. Watt welcomed Wellesley Bailey, the founder of The Mission to Lepers in India, into their home. The identities of Mr. and Mrs. Watt and their involvement with Bailey were not clear, sources only cite that they were among the first supporters of the mission led by Wellesley Bailey in North America. With the encounter between Bailey and the Watts, a Canadian chapter started. The Canadian chapter was named "The Mission to Lepers", but it underwent a name change in 1962 because the organization wanted to eliminate the stigma surrounding leprosy and "lepers" had negative connotations.

In 2014, the organization re-branded and changed its name to effect:hope to "reflect [their] belief that success starts with hope".

International Work

effect:hope has partners in 11 countries, including India, Myanmar (Burma), and Nepal. The organization also supports two programs based in Canada and the U.S. On the organization's website, it lists four areas of focus: service delivery, advocacy, strengthening health systems, and research. The goal of the organization is "zero people affected by leprosy", with "people" referring to both patients and their caretakers.

Service Delivery

This area of focus involves treatment of individuals with leprosy and other neglected tropical diseases, such as physiotherapy, establishment of community support groups, and counselling. Service delivery is a common objective within their international projects.

Strengthening Health Systems

effect:hope works with international partners and governments to improve the accessibility of health systems in countries such as Liberia and Côte d'Ivoire. The organization writes that its goal is to ensure that individuals are able to receive quick leprosy diagnosis and health care.

Research

The organization raises money for research programs in Canada, United States, and India. Some areas of focus include diagnosis investigation and vaccine development. effect:hope is one of four charter members of The Leprosy Research Initiative, which was founded to establish a joint fund for leprosy research and related diseases such as neglected tropical diseases and tuberculosis. On October 23, 2015, effect:hope and Leprosy.ie (The Leprosy Mission Ireland) launched a research funding initiative named R2STOP at the annual Coalition for Operational Research on NTDs. The initiative funds research on leprosy transmission between humans, non-human reservoirs of Mycobacterium leprae, host-pathogen interactions, and transmission networks. R2STOP will award $10,000 to $100,000 to successful research proposals each year for at least three years.

Advocacy

Leprosy patients have faced stigma for having the disease for many years. effect:hope on their website states that they "[lobby] for the mainstreaming of leprosy and disability issues in key policy and program development" in project countries. In 2012, effect:hope and other organizations such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and USAID endorsed the London Declaration on Neglected Tropical Diseases. The declaration was built upon the goal set by the World Health Organization to reduce the prevalence of leprosy cases to less than one case per million people by 2020.

Fundraising

In 2014, effect:hope raised $6.1 million Canadian dollars in contributions and $1.8 million in legacies. Its ending revenue including institutional funding and investments totalled approximately $8.6 million Canadian dollars, of which $5.3 million were spent in field programs as reported to the Canada Revenue Agency.

Main Fundraising Activities

effect:hope has several fundraising channels for individuals to make donations via telephone or through its website. Donors can also opt mail their donation cheques to the office. effect:hope also asks their donors to leave a legacy, where they can include the organization in their will, either in a specific dollar amount or in percentage of assets. In 2014, effect:hope raised approximately $1.8 million Canadian dollars through legacies.

The organization has donation packages of either $99 for "early diagnosis and cure", or $396 to "cure one person of leprosy". Donors have the option of choosing which project country they would like to designate their donations towards. They can also choose to make their gifts monthly.

effect:hope also has donation packages listed in a catalogue style every year, titled the "Gifts of Care". The catalogue lists services and supplies such as eye surgery, hospital room supplies, and physiotherapy. These catalogue items have more detailed descriptions of the organization's overseas work.

World Leprosy Day

effect:hope organizes activities for Canadian churches for World Leprosy Day every year. Churches can participate by giving presentations on leprosy to raise awareness and also fundraise for effect:hope, where the money will go towards leprosy-related causes. effect:hope reported that 729 churches across Canada participated in 2015 and they raised $34,000.

Stamp Program

effect:hope runs a community stamp program as another source of funding for its work overseas. The organization asks donors to collect their stamps and send them into the office. The organization sells them to stamp dealers as a source of revenue. In 2013, the stamp program raised money to cure 30 people of leprosy.

Donate-a-Car

The organization has partnered up with Donate a Car Canada for a nationwide vehicle donation program. Individuals can donate their used cars to Donate a Car Canada, who accepts vehicles on the behalf of effect:hope. Donate a Car Canada will arrange the vehicle pick-up, inspection, and the sale processes on the behalf of the donor.

Aeroplan Beyond Miles

Aeroplan Beyond Miles is an initiative by Aeroplan of Aimia Canada Inc, where individuals can donate their Aeroplan miles to a charity of their choice. effect:hope says that the organization wishes to reduce the cost of travelling for in between Canada and its project countries through this program.

Institutional Funding

In July 2015, the Canadian government committed $3.5 billion towards the Muskoka Initative, which is dedicated towards improving maternal, newborn, and child health in developing countries. Of the $3.5 billion, effect:hope received $4.4 million for a new project called "Every Child Thrives" launching in 2016 to target de-worming and vitamin A deficiency in children in Kenya and Côte d'Ivoire.

Partners

As a part of The Leprosy Mission, effect:hope works with chapters globally such as American Leprosy Missions and The Leprosy Mission Trust India for many of its international programs. effect:hope also partners with other organizations outside of The Leprosy Mission, such as MAP International, another Christian charity. In 2014, effect:hope raised $40,000 to assist MAP International's work in fighting Ebola. The organization will also be working with MAP International and Vitamin Angels for the "Every Child Thrives" project in 2016, supported by the Canadian government's Muskoka Initative.

Charity Rating

effect:hope registered as a charity with the Canada Revenue Agency in 1967. In 2014, effect:hope was audited by Grant Thornton, a Canadian firm offering auditing, tax, and advisory services. The organization has a statement of financial highlights, and the complete statement is available upon request, as mentioned on its website.

The organization reported in 2014 that the fundraising expenditures were below 25% of all generated revenue, which is classified by the Canada Revenue Agency as "generally acceptable". Charity Intelligence Canada lists effect:hope as having a charity grade of B+ according to the website's guidelines based on social reporting, transparency of financial statements, fundraising costs, administrative costs, and program costs.