To help us choose from the hundreds of requests we receive each year, we have developed guidelines to govern our corporate giving program. Several principles form the basis of these guidelines:

With no exceptions, LifeLabs corporate giving is focused on health care services
We only provide funding for projects with measurable results, not for general operating support
We prefer programs that provide a direct service to individuals and communities in need
We prefer to support programs that benefit the communities where our employees live and work
We only support organizations that are fiscally sound and have strong management and accountability practices

Eligibility:

Funding grants, sponsorships and other forms of corporate giving are only made to organizations that are one of the following:

A registered charity with a Canada Customs and Revenue Agency number
A registered provincial non-profit society
A publicly-funded educational institution
A publicly-funded health care institution

And that do not fall under our list of restricted organizations and causes.

Focus: Health Care

Like most companies, we receive many more requests than we can fund. Because our resources are limited, we must make choices about how to allocate them. A fundamental choice we have made is to focus our efforts on areas where we believe we can make a meaningful difference.

We concentrate our giving in three key focus areas within health care:

Health Promotion – promoting healthy lifestyles in order to prevent illness from occurring
Health Care Delivery (Treatment & Management of Disease) – helping those requiring acute care or living with a chronic or life-threatening illness receive the care they need to improve their health as well as their quality of life
Health Education & Advancement – providing support for programs aimed at training and developing health care workers or advancing our knowledge of disease and the discovery of effective treatments

As a result, we may decline support for other worthwhile organizations and programs whose activities do not fall within our focus areas. Such a response does not reflect the value of the organization or its services. Only those proposals that fall clearly within our corporate giving mandate and follow the funding proposal process outlined below will be considered for funding.

Funding Proposal Requirements:

Each proposal must contain the following elements:

The name, address, phone number, fax number and web address of your organization;
The name and e-mail address of a contact person familiar with the proposal details;
An overview of your organization, including an audited financial statement for the previous year;
The title of the project or program for which you are seeking support;
A summary (one-page max.) of your project or program needs, including: What it is; Why it is needed; Who it serves; and How it fits into one or all of the focus areas of our corporate giving program;
A proposed timeline
An estimated budget
A Charitable Registration Number
Non-Profit Registration Number or
Other evidence of meeting our eligibility criteria

Restrictions:

To further clarify our review process, we have instituted the following limitations within our Corporate Giving program. LifeLabs will not consider funding for the following:

Individuals
General operating costs
For-profit organizations
Arts and cultural organizations
Sports teams, both professional and amateur
Travel costs, including student trips and tours
Educational programs not related to health or science
Projects or services outside of regions where we have operations
Organizations not registered as non-profit or charitable organizations
Political organizations (such requests are referred to our Government Relations dept. for consideration)
Organizations that restrict their services to members of a religious or ethnic group
Organizations that discriminate on the basis of colour, sex, religion, nationality, age, disability or sexual orientation
Organizations with a limited constituency, such as service clubs, fraternal organizations or labour organizations
Organizations that might in any way pose a conflict with our vision, values, goals, programs, products and services or employees

Major Proposals:

Proposals seeking $5,000 or more should also include:

Statement on organization’s history, purpose and goals, size of membership and constituency, geographic service area, use of volunteers, general accomplishments to date
Description of how proposal addresses needs not met by other nonprofit organizations
Explanation of why applicant organization is qualified to get the job done
Clear definition of audience served and estimated numbers to be served
Clear statement of expected results and a communications and evaluation plan
Background statement on Executive Director and key staff involved in proposed program
A list of officers and board members and their affiliations
A copy of organization’s operating budget
A copy of organization’s most recent annual report

Submitting Your Request:

Please direct all correspondence in writing for National, Ontario, Québec or BC support to:

Communications and Public Relations Dept.
LIFELABS
100 International Blvd.
Toronto, Ontario
Canada M9W 6J6