Every year, through the RAC Foundation Program, Radio Amateurs of Canada provides funds to worthy community programs and Amateurs who seek education in the technologies related to radio.
RAC undertook the RAC Foundation Program in order to increase the relevance of our national organization at a local level, as well as to increase our relevance to youth.
RAC operates the RAC Foundation in cooperation with the Community Foundation of Ottawa (CFO) which administers and invests the donated funds and disburses the earnings from those invested funds to grant applicants, based upon the advice of the RAC Board of Directors.
All grant applications should be submitted to the RAC Foundation for processing and recommendation.
Fund Disbursement
The Canada Revenue Agency provides for the following charitable purposes relevant to Radio Amateurs of Canada, Inc.
Advancement of Education: This includes “providing scholarships, bursaries, and prizes for scholastic achievement”, and “undertaking research in a recognized field of knowledge (the research must be carried out for educational purposes and the results must be made available to the public)”. The former would be reserved for Radio Amateurs. The latter would be reserved for research/development which would benefit all Canadian Radio Amateurs.
Purposes Beneficial to the Community: Organizations which normally qualify as charitable include those “providing public amenities to benefit the community”, “establishing safety rescue operations” and “providing facilities for people with special needs”. The first could cover such activities as grants for radio equipment and/or courses in schools, youth organizations or homes for the elderly or disabled. The second may apply to investment in equipment for Amateur Radio Emergency Service groups that support their local communities and the Canadian Red Cross with public service and disaster communications. The latter could apply to support for equipment, courses or the development of suitable devices or techniques for the handicapped or disabled.
Donor Designation
RAC offers four categories for donor designation and grant applications.
Scholastic grants: Scholarships and bursaries for Radio Amateurs (must be a certified Amateur at time of the grant application) for full-time attendance at an educational institution such as a university or community college
Research grants: Research or development must be related to furtherance of Amateur Radio technology
Community grants: Grants for Amateur Radio equipment or courses relating to schools, community, seniors, youth or disabled homes or centres, for the benefit of that or surrounding community
Emergency grants: Grants for Amateur Radio equipment or courses relating to emergency communications, Search and Rescue communications and related public service communications
Size of Grants
Decisions on grant size will be at the sole discretion of the RAC Directors or their designees. They may choose to disburse several smaller grants or one larger grant in the same amount depending upon their evaluation of the relative merits of the grant applications. To deal with initial limitations of disbursable income, RAC has set a minimum of $250 for a grant. That means if a year-end disbursable amount in a particular grant category totals less than $250, then no grant will be disbursed that year, and, at the discretion of the RAC Board or their designees, the amount will be allowed to grow for another year or transferred to another category. The faster the Foundation assets grow, the sooner this initial startup problem will be overcome.
Grant Applications:
Decisions on grant awards will be made on the merits of grant applications, within the limits of the RAC Foundation earnings on donations in that donation category. Under Canadian tax regulations, Foundations may disburse funds only to institutions which are themselves charitable.
All disbursement cheques must be made payable to the charitable institution which the grant applicant designates on the grant application form. The cheque will be sent from the Community Foundation of Ottawa to Radio Amateurs of Canada, Inc. for presentation to the grant applicant, who will then deliver the cheque to the institution.
Only institutions listed by the Canada Revenue Agency as “Qualified Donees” are considered qualified for support by a Foundation under Canadian tax regulations. Canadian universities, community colleges, hospitals and most seniors’, youth and community centres qualify.
Before deciding on the merits of a grant application, the RAC Board or their designees will check the institution shown on the grant application to confirm that it is listed by the Canada Revenue Agency as a “Qualified Donee”.
Application forms:
Scholastic Grant Application form
Program Grant Application form
The RAC Foundation
c/o Radio Amateurs of Canada
720 Belfast Rd., Suite 217