Q. Is the Arthritis Society a registered charity?

A. Yes. The Arthritis Society's charitable number is 10807 1671 RR0003. When you donate to the Arthritis Society you will receive a tax receipt. The Arthritis Society is also accredited by Imagine Canada, which means we are one of only a small number of national health charities that has been accredited for our commitment to transparency and accountability.

Q. What does the money raised by donors support?

A. Funds from our generous donors and sponsors have given the Arthritis Society the power to raise the profile of this devastating disease and to advance knowledge of the disease and explore solutions by funding best in class researchers. These funds also allow the Arthritis Society to challenge the status quo by undertaking advocacy into public policy, and to ensure our information and support programs address patient needs that are current and evidence-based.

Q. I have an event/fundraiser idea but require assistance executing it. Can the Arthritis Society help?

A. The Arthritis Society has many tools and resources available to assist in organizing fundraising events. Once you have decided that you wish to host an event or fundraiser in support of the Arthritis Society, we ask that you register your event or fundraising initiative online. If you do not want to register online, please contact us with the details of your fundraiser at moveyourway@arthritis.ca. We will review your event and get back to you within 10 business days. Once your fundraising event is approved, we will provide you with all the tools and resources you may require to assist you in putting your event together.

Q. What will/won’t the Arthritis Society help with for my event?

A. The Arthritis Society can provide the following:

  • An online platform for your personal fundraising or events page that allows you to:
    • send emails to friends and family
    • accept online credit card donations from friends and family
    • recruit event attendees or team members
    • set your fundraising goal
    • track your progress
    • share your story
  • A variety of tools and resources to help you recruit, fundraise, and plan your event
  • Use of the Arthritis Society Move Your Way fundraiser logo (the Arthritis Society must approve all public facing materials that host our logo and brand)
  • Tax receipts for your donors online and offline donations, in accordance with our tax receipting guidelines

The Arthritis Society may be able to have a staff member attend your event, based on availability and resources.

The Arthritis Society is unable to provide the following:

  • Funding or reimbursement for event expenses
  • Necessary permits, licenses and insurance for an event
  • Donor or sponsor lists
  • Promotion or advertising of your event. 
  • Guaranteed attendance of staff. While we would love to be able to send a representative to your fundraising event, it is important to understand that the volume of requests often exceeds our available resources
  • Recruitment for volunteers at your event
  • Guaranteed attendees/ticket sales for your event
  • Application for gaming licenses i.e. Bingo, raffles, liquor or insurance
  • Prizes, auction items or awards
  • Tax receipts for cash or in-kind goods that were not directly received by the Arthritis Society office
Q. Can I use the Arthritis Society database to contact donors to promote my event?

A. As per the Privacy Act, the Arthritis Society cannot mail event information or contact our donors about a Move Your Way event or fundraiser.

Q. Will you provide insurance for my event?

A. The Arthritis Society is not able to provide insurance for any Move Your Way events. Event organizers are responsible for obtaining the correct insurance for their events. The Arthritis Society cannot be held liable for any part of a Move Your Way event or fundraiser.

Q. Can you provide some funds to cover my event expenses?

A. The Arthritis Society is not able to contribute funds, financially support your event or reimburse expenses from donated funds. Event organizers are responsible for paying any expenses before making their donation or their donors’ donation to the Arthritis Society.

Q. How much should I expect to give back to the Arthritis Society?

A. At the Arthritis Society, we try to ensure that the 20/80 rule is utilized. Costs should not be larger than 20 percent of your funds raised. It is our goal that all supporting events will uphold this as a guideline when raising funds in support of the Arthritis Society.

Q. Can you apply for a license or permit (lottery, etc.) on our behalf?

A. The Arthritis Society cannot apply for any licenses on your behalf. Provincial gaming and lottery links are listed below for your convenience.

Provincial Gaming Links:

Q. Can we use your logo and branding on our event materials?

A. When you register your Move Your Way event, you can access the Move Your Way event tools and resources, which includes event logos and customizable templates. Any additional materials containing the Arthritis Society branding or logo must be submitted to us for approval prior to distribution.

Q. Can someone from the Arthritis Society attend my event?

A. While we would love to be able to send a representative to your fundraising event, it is important to understand that the volume of requests often exceeds our available resources and staff members are generally unable to attend a Move Your Way event.

Q. Can the Arthritis Society help recruit volunteers and attendees for my event?

A. Due to the large number of fundraisers and limited resources at the Arthritis Society, we are unable to assist with recruitment of volunteers for your event or guarantee attendees/ticket sales for your event.

Q. Can I accept credit card donations?

A. Yes, the Arthritis Society can help facilitate the processing of credit card donations both online and offline. If you have registered your event or fundraiser online, your friends and family can donate to your page online using a credit card. Please note, if you collect cash or cheques from donors and make a payment on your credit card instead, ensure you enter the Donor Information as that of the donor, including email address, in order for the receipt to be issued in the donor's name. If you do not have the donor's email address please use [your first and last name]@noreply.com in this field, in order to have the receipt mailed to the donor.

Q. Where do I send my offline donations?

A. If you have an event set up online you can make a lump sum payment from the event on your credit card. If you would like to hand deliver cash donations, they can be dropped off at your local Arthritis Society office.

Please Note: It is not safe to mail cash. Please send a cheque payable to the Arthritis Society instead. If you are looking for tax receipts for your donors, please make sure that you include a copy of the donation form filled out in full, with legible writing, in order for the Arthritis Society to process tax receipts.

Q. Can tax receipts be issued for my event?

A.For an event where the attendees are paying money to receive a benefit, such as a dinner party or concert, we cannot provide a tax receipt for any portion of the attendees payment.

For a fundraiser, such as a birthday or running a marathon, where you are collecting donations from your peers, any donation made online will automatically be issued a tax receipt. Offline donations (cheques or cash you receive) can also be receipted, once the Arthritis Society receives the donation(s) and completed offline donation form.

Q. Can I host multiple events at once?

A.Your account can only create or join one “Move Your Way” fundraising event at a time. If you’d like to create or join multiple “Move Your Way” events at once, please log out of your current account, and register again using a different username and password than the one used previously. You may reuse the same email address. If your previous “Move Your Way” event has ended, you can leave the event and join a new one. If you have questions, please contact us at 1.800.321.1433 or moveyourway@arthritis.ca.

Q. May I use my username and password from previous years to register for Move Your Way?

A. Yes, your username and password from last year can still be used. Having trouble logging in? Please contact us at 1.800.321.1433 or moveyourway@arthritis.ca.