Commonly Asked Questions

Alongside United Way Centraide and HealthPartners, more than 6,800 charities are supported each year through the GCWCC. United Way Centraide Canada as the Campaign Manager relies on a federated network of 58 United Way Centraides (UWC) across Canada to assist in administering the campaign, including the distribution of funds to other registered charities.

A cost recovery fee may be applied on donations to other registered charities. This will vary depending on how the donation has been made but will cover the direct costs to process the payment. For example, the cost to process a one-time credit card donation is different from the cost to process an annual payroll deduction donation. As each UWC operates as its own legal entity, each has their own policy on cost recovery fees when sending funds to the other registered charities. This may be a percentage or a flat rate, it may be up to a certain amount, or it may be per transaction.

Due to these factors, it’s difficult to provide an accurate national average of what percentage of a donation goes to cost recovery fees. However, if you would like to know about your donation specifically, we encourage you to reach out to your local United Way Centraide, and they will be able to provide that information.

The GCWCC is the federal public service’s workplace charitable campaign. It’s part of our values as public servants and another way we give back to help improve the lives of Canadians.

It is the largest and most generous workplace campaign in Canada and takes place each year between September and December. In 2023, employees and retirees donated $28.9 million through the Campaign.

Through the GCWCC, federal public servants and retirees as well as current and former members of the Canadian Armed Forces and the RCMP can support the named recipients — HealthPartners and United Way Centraide — or any other registered Canadian charities.

In 2023, the GCWCC helped more than 6,900 charities to deliver impact and help people in communities across the country. The generosity of campaign donors helped deliver critical care and services — when and where they were needed most — to make a difference in the lives of vulnerable Canadians.

Thanks to your donations:

• Children and youth have the support that they need to excel in school, and reach their full potential.
• People are overcoming barriers in our communities by gaining access to the resources and opportunities that they need for a brighter future.
• Neighborhoods and communities are becoming more vibrant where everyone feels a sense of belonging and connection.
• Researchers are on the cutting edge of fighting disease and discovering treatments and cures for over 400 chronic illnesses.
• Quality of life is being enhanced for families living with chronic diseases by providing wigs for cancer patients, counseling for families, equipment loans, and support programs for caregivers.
• Disease prevention strategies are reducing barriers.
• Educational tools are being developed for disease management, prevention, treatment, and caregiving, and also for raising awareness campaigns to break stigma and encourage early diagnosis.

Supporting charities is a personal choice, so you can donate to the causes you care about most.

According to Canada Revenue Agency, there are over 86,000 registered charities to choose from.

ePledge is an online tool that provides you with a fast, easy and secure way to donate. Note that ePledge and Phoenix are not linked.

ePledge allows you to give a one-time or monthly credit card donation, or a one time PayPal donation, or divide your donation across the year through payroll deduction.

The fundraising costs (cost recovery rate) of the GCWCC are recovered from the Named Recipients, HealthPartners and United Way Centraide Canada.

In previous years, the GCWCC’s fundraising costs averaged 16%, below the Canada Revenue Agency’s acceptable level of 35%.

As registered Canadian charities, all United Way Centraides file T3010 reports with CRA annually, detailing all their fundraising, related operating costs, executive compensation, and other costs. The latest data can be found on CRA’s website.

GCWCC champions, leaders, volunteers and executives do not receive financial incentives for achieving GCWCC targets.

You will receive an invitation via mail to participate in the GCWCC every year after you retire. The invitation includes a GCWCC gift form. If you would like to receive your invitation by email, send an email to gcwcc_retirees-mail@unitedwayeo.ca.

If you currently support the GCWCC through payroll deduction, you can continue to give after you retire via pension deductions, credit card or cheque.

There are three simple ways to make your donation:

• Online: Click here to make an online donation using ePledge.
• By e-mail: gcwcc_retirees-mail@unitedwayeo.ca or by using the paper pledge form. Click here for the GCWCC gift form.
• By phone: Dial 1-877-379-6070.

You can mail your completed form to:
GCWCC Retirees
363 Coventry Road
Ottawa ON  K1K 2C5

Local United Way Centraides are directed to distribute cash, cheque or credit card donations to Other United Ways (Box 2) and HealthPartners (Box 3) within 45 days of the end of the campaign (January 31).

Designation donation payments to Other Canadian Registered Charities are distributed based on the local United Way’s designation payout schedule. Some United Way Centraides distribute funds twice a year, some do it quarterly. In both instances, one-time cash, cheque or credit card donations are delivered to charities in the first payment, whereas payroll deduction gifts are divided equally into all distribution payments as funds are received by government pay offices. Donation designation payments are subjects to minimum transfer thresholds.

For more information regarding designated donations in your region, contact your local United Way Centraide.

*Within 45 days of campaign close

There has been no reported Phoenix pay issues related to the GCWCC. Phoenix has been deducting charitable contributions through the payroll system without any problems since its implementation in February 2016.

Specific measures were taken to ensure that Phoenix could successfully process the correct amount of charitable donations from payroll donations.

Campaign ambassadors are aware of the various methods of payment available to donors including cash, cheque, credit card, PayPal and payroll deduction.

The banking platform does not support Pre-Authorized Debit transactions.

You may change your method of payment and your pledge within one month of the start of the deductions. Contact the GCWCC processor for information. Remember, donations through payroll deduction appear automatically on your T4 or Relevé 1 (Québec) and allows you to donate to many charities with just one contribution.

Donations can be stopped at any time. Contact the GCWCC processor for more information.

If an employee has decided to make payroll deductions donation, and the employee in question must be absent from work on unpaid leave (long term disability, parental leave, etc.). Payroll deductions will be halted and will not be restarted upon return to work.