FAQ

What does CODE stand for?
How long has CODE existed?
Is my donation to CODE eligible for a Canadian charitable tax receipt?
How much of my donation goes overseas?
How will my donation be used?
In which countries does CODE work?
Does CODE run offices overseas?
How does CODE monitor the use of the money?
How stable is CODE?
Who are CODE's funders?
Why does CODE choose literacy when there are so many needs overseas?
How does CODE support literacy and education?

What does CODE stand for?

Formerly known as the Canadian Organization for Development through Education, the organization took the official name of CODE because that's how everyone knew the group.

How long has CODE existed?

CODE began in 1959 in a church basement in Toronto where volunteers packed books in tea chests to ship overseas to the Caribbean, Africa and Asia to enhance their education system. Literacy and education has been at the heart of all programming since that time.

Is my donation to CODE eligible for a Canadian charitable tax receipt?

Yes. When donating to CODE electronically, the Canadian tax receipt is issued automatically. If you send your donation through the mail it will take about five working days to process.

CODE's Registered Charity number is 11883 4878 RR0001

How much of my donation goes overseas?

Close to 93 cents of every dollar is spent overseas. Of the overall budget including in-kind donations of books, CODE spends about 2% on administration and about 4% on fundraising. Most fundraising costs are covered by a grant from CODE Foundation.

How will my donation be used?

CODE touches over a million children a year through our programs. We provide the following:

Providing reading materials such as donated North American books, and locally published materials in indigenous and national languages
Providing library furniture like tables, chairs, shelves, and catalogue boxes
Training teachers in library management skills and the teaching of reading
Promoting the fun of reading through reading weeks.

In which countries does CODE work?

CODE works in partnership with local organizations in the Caribbean and Africa - Guyana, Senegal, Mali, Ghana, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Malawi, Tanzania and Liberia.

Does CODE run offices overseas?

No. CODE works with like-minded, locally based associations that we call partners. They are better placed to evaluate current needs, and have contacts with their own ministries of education. CODE helps to strengthen their outreach.

How does CODE monitor the use of the money?

CODE staff are in constant communications with the partner organizations, are visited at least once per year and we receive quarterly financial statements from them. CODE financial statements are audited every year.

How stable is CODE?

CODE is very stable because of our unique business model. CODE Inc., Canada's foremost logistics and procurement agency, which is wholly-owned by CODE, specializes in acquiring and delivering the items needed for voter registration and elections particularly for emerging democracies. Profits from the company are donated to the CODE Foundation which invests the money in perpetuity. Interest is paid to CODE which covers most fundraising expenses.

CODE owns a heritage building and rents out the top floor to another charitable organization. Rent pays for upkeep of the building.

Who are CODE's funders?

CODE's main funder is the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) Partnership Branch, who provides 75% of the program needs on the condition that CODE raises the remaining 25% from the public. Fundraised dollars are at the very genesis of government support.

CODE seeks funds from a variety of service clubs, foundations, professional groups and corporations. Tried and true fundraising programs such as direct mail, telemarketing, monthly pledges and planned giving programs provide the rest

Once the books get to the schools and communities we ensure that they are used.

Why does CODE choose literacy when there are so many needs overseas?

World Bank proclaims that literacy at the primary school level is the most cost-efficient investment in the fight against poverty. It leads to better health and nutrition, later marriages and lower birth rates. For each year a child attends school, his or her potential income as an adult rises by 10 to 20%.

Eventually the next generation has a much better chance of surviving and making an even better life.