Our History

“Gift in Kind” donations are as old as the charitable sector itself. However, the concept of a centralized national program in Canada to facilitate and simplify such transactions on behalf of both donors and charities dates from summer 1992. The founding group, including John Page, Alfred Rasmussen, and Darryl Peck, noticed the increasing demands placed upon charities to find more efficient ways to spend funds: thus, the need to find donated material. The idea of a Canadian “gift in kind” program was shared with existing charities, several major corporations and Revenue Canada. The feedback confirmed both the need and a desire to see such a program established.

A Board of Directors was constituted and In Kind Canada was incorporated on November 25, 1993. Charitable status was applied for in May of 1994 and granted in October that same year.

In the fall of 1995, the McConnell Family Foundation of Montreal, together with the Lawson Foundation of London, provided the seed funding for the development of a pilot “in kind” program to serve the charitable sector. Since that time three other foundations, George Metcalfe, J. P. Bickel and the Richard and Jean Ivey Fund, have also contributed funding.

The “official” launch of the program took place on January 1, 1996.

Since the program’s launch In Kind Canada has continued to attract corporate sponsorship. Those who have supported the program over the past years include Bell Canada, Ontario Hydro, Manulife Financial, Bank of Nova Scotia, George Weston Limited, Capital Vision ,Regal Capital Securities, The Uptown Gallery, River Heights Publishing, Heritage Canada, Ontario Provincial Government, Daedalian Systems Group, Facilitate I.T. Inc, and e-Deal Auctions.

Since January 1, 2009, In Kind Canada has been developing a new model to allow us to achieve our mandate with the lowest possible administrative costs so that the maximum amount of monies go directly towards growing the number and extent of in kind gifts available to our members. Stay tuned for further developments as we work to make In Kind Canada an invaluable resource for member charities and non-profits.