What is the difference between a sponsorship and
a donation?
Although sometimes the terms are used interchangeably,
at RBC Financial Group, we have a clear sense of the difference
between a donation and a sponsorship.
- A sponsorship is a contract negotiated
for marketing purposes that includes rights and benefits.
This partnership can be done with charitable or non-charitable
organizations.
- A donation is strictly defined as
funds given to a charitable organization as a gift, with
no expectation of benefit.
How do I apply for a donation from RBC Financial
Group?
Due to the nature of the supporting documents required
for a grant application, all requests must be submitted via
mail. We strongly encourage you to review the Application
Qualifications prior to submitting your
proposal.
What does RBC look for in any request for funding?
RBC is committed to supporting endeavours that make a difference
in the communities we do business. Given our interest in
positively impacting local needs, we focus on a limited number
of critical community needs within our defined giving
segments.
How do we check on the status of our request?
All requests for funding are reviewed and responded to
within 90 days. Decisions regarding requests are on-going
and dependent upon the volume and timing of the national
and regional contributions team.
Is there a deadline for submitting requests?
Requests for donations are reviewed throughout the year.
Organizations can expect to receive a response with 90 days.
Are there areas that RBC does not fund?
As defined in RBC’s giving guidelines, we do not
fund:
- Duplication of direct or indirect donations to the same
organization (i.e. organizations funded by the United Way/Centraide,
as RBC generously supports United Way/Centraide)
- Political or fraternal organizations, Service Clubs,
third parties raising funds for charity.
- Individual pursuits.
- Private elementary or secondary schools (fee based).
- Religious organizations, unless they are engaged in
a significant project benefiting the entire community.
- Endowment or memorial campaigns.
- Conferences, events or golf tournaments.
- Advertising or promotional campaigns.
- Travel related events, including student trips or tours.
- The creation or repair of statues, monuments, art work
or beautification projects.
Are individual causes eligible for donations?
The RBC giving guidelines restrict funding only to organizations
with federal charitable status with the Canadian Revenue
Agency.
RBC Financial Group does offer a number of scholarships
for various
individual academic pursuits.
Are audited financial statements really necessary?
Yes, they are required to be submitted with all donation
requests. Due to the large numbers of requests for donations
RBC receives, we cannot meet all expectations. As part of
the review process, audited financial statements give RBC
a good indication of the financial health of your organization.
We are a United Way member agency, are we eligible?
We generally avoid duplication of direct and indirect donations
to the same organizations. RBC commits annually over $3 million
to United Way/Centraide across Canada.
Does RBC have geographic restrictions?
RBC Financial Group provides funding to organizations where
there is a business presence.
- In Canada RBC provides funds to local, regional and
national organizations.
- In the United States RBC provides funding through our
U.S. subsidiaries:
- RBC
Centura and RBC Dain Rauscher
How much is a reasonable request?
The dollar amount of a donation depends on the funding
need for the specific project. Generally RBC uses the following
funding guidelines:
- For general donation requests RBC normally funds no
more than 0.5% of your operating budget.
- For capital campaign requests RBC normally funds 0.5%
of your private sector campaign target. This means your
campaign goal less government support.
- For project specific related requests RBC determines
funding based on strategic alignment. RBC will consider
funding up to 20% of a project or program budget.
For further information please review RBC’s
Application Qualifications.
Does RBC provide capacity building grants?
RBC Financial Group prefers to funds programs or projects
with direct community impact. However, as all programs have
an administrative component; RBC has an expectation that
up to 25% of a grant will be directed towards administration
and staffing.
How would our charity receive funding through the
RBC Employee Volunteer Grants Program?
This is an employee driven program; all requests must be
submitted by the eligible employee or pensioner through an
internal process.
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