Canadians still support hometown hero's cause
The 2009 Terry Fox Run takes place in communities across Canada on Sunday, Sept. 13.
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Updated: September 01, 2009 3:59 PM
Despite a tough economic year, Canadians stayed on track with their donations to the Terry Fox Foundation for cancer research.
But international contributions to the charity named for the hometown hero dropped nearly in half, according to recently released audited statements.
The papers show the family-run foundation collected $21.8 million from Canadians for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2009 – up slightly from $21.6 million the previous year.
International giving dropped, however, from $2.2 million in 2008 to $1.4 million. Also down over the year were merchandise sales and bequests.
Still, the Chilliwack-based foundation shaved $200,000 from its expenses, mostly in fundraising costs derived from the annual Terry Fox Run and other events (according to the papers, fundraising employees were paid $1.2 million last year versus $1.4 million in 2008).
Overall, the foundation reported $102.9 million in assets, up from $87.3 million in 2008.
The past year saw a number of changes to the foundation's structure and distribution methods. Last April, it adopted new disclosure rules for outside agencies to evaluate the foundation's objectives, policies and processes for capital management.
Also, the National Cancer Institute of Canada merged with the Canadian Cancer Society, which resulted in $10.1 million returning to the foundation to fund future cancer research programs.
The papers also indicate the foundation has committed $30.6 million in grants and awards over the next five years through the cancer society.
• The 29th annual Terry Fox Run will be held in Surrey and Delta on Sept. 13. To date, more than $400 million has been raised worldwide for cancer research in Fox's name through the annual Terry Fox Run. For more information, including run locations, visit www.terryfox.org
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