Plan Canada
Encyclopedia
Plan Canada operates as the Canadian
arm of Plan International, a not-for-profit
global movement that promotes social justice for youth and their families in more than 65 developing countries
and several continents. Plan Canada attempts to break the cycle of poverty by helping children and adults living in developing countries use their ideas, talents and energies to shape their future.Before choosing a work site, Plan Canada analyzes the community’s poverty statistics; infant mortality rates
(countries with more than 25 deaths per 1,000 live births are given priority); Gross National Product (GNP) (GNP per capital should be less than $1,700USD); and other factors that are key elements of determining Plan Canada’s long-term regional success. With help from trained volunteers and donations from benefactors, Plan Canada assists community participants in a number of areas, including: building schools, educating teachers, digging wells, opening health clinics, providing vocational training, using technology to improve crop yields, giving people access to small business loans, and providing disaster-related humanitarian assistance. On average, Plan Canada works with communities for 10–12 years before phasing out operations in that area. Supported by donors, Plan Canada assists children and families in becoming active participants in their communities’ development. Worldwide, approximately nine million individuals have become involved in Plan and Plan Canada’s child-centered initiatives.
"This is José. I am his father. When Santander falls I shall be shot. Whoever finds my son, I beg of him to take care of him for my sake."
A British journalist, John Langdon-Davies, met the orphaned boy with this note and was inspired to found ‘Foster Parents Plan for Children in Spain’ to help children whose lives were disrupted by the war.
Langdon-Davies’ organization expanded to help children from all over Europe who were displaced by the war, listening to their dreams and aspirations while equipping them with the skills and knowledge to improve their lives and make a better future. This approach is still very much at the core of Plan's work today with 3.5 million families and their children in over 25,000 communities in developing countries around the world
Here’s a brief timeline of Plan’s evolution:
1930s - Plan was founded as "Foster Parents Plan for Children in Spain."
1940s - During World War II, the organization became known as "Foster Parents Plan for War Children" and worked in England, helping displaced children from all over Europe. After the war, Plan extended aid to children in France, Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands, Germany, Greece and briefly in Poland, Czechoslovakia and China.
1950s - As Europe recovered, Plan gradually moved out of these countries and opened new programs in less developed countries. It became "Foster Parents Plan Inc." to reflect the goal of bringing lasting change to the lives of children in need, whatever their circumstances.
1960s - Foster Parents Plan of Canada was incorporated in 1968. Plan expanded its work to countries in South America and Asia. In 1962, U.S. First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy was honorary chairwoman during Plan's Silver Jubilee.
1970s - In 1974, the global name became Plan International as programs now spanned South America, Asia and Africa.
1980s - Belgium, Germany, Japan and the UK joined Canada, the US, Australia and the Netherlands as donor countries. Plan was recognised by the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations.
1990s - Plan offices opened in France, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Sweden and the Republic of Korea.
2000s - The name Plan International evolved to simply be "Plan" and a unified global identity was created to help make the organization more easily recognized around the world. In 2006, Foster Parents Plan in Canada also changed its name to Plan and our logo was updated to reflect this name change.
Plan and Plan Canada have no political or religious affiliation.
organizations, and work with local and national governments. Plan Canada focuses the main thrust of its energies on the children in poorer developing countries’ communities, namely those of Asia
, the Caribbean
, Africa
, Central America
and South America
.
Private and corporate donors have a number of options available to them when giving to Plan Canada. Many choose to sponsor children by making contributions; in exchange for their contributions, benefactors are given the opportunity to exchange letters and photographs with their sponsored child(ren). Other donors choose to fund projects, assist during and after crises and/or bequest monies to Plan Canada.
Plan Canada donations are pooled centrally. Funds are then allocated based on in-country developed strategic plans, with a focus on supporting children-related operations and ventures. Typically, 20% of funds raised go to support Plan Canada’s operations, public education and fundraising as per Plan’s 80:20 rule of allocation.
Plan Canada adheres to the standards of the Imagine Canada Ethical Fundraising and Financial Accountability Code and supports the Association of Fundraising Professionals’ Donor Bill of Rights.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
arm of Plan International, a not-for-profit
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
global movement that promotes social justice for youth and their families in more than 65 developing countries
Developing country
A developing country, also known as a less-developed country, is a nation with a low level of material well-being. Since no single definition of the term developing country is recognized internationally, the levels of development may vary widely within so-called developing countries...
and several continents. Plan Canada attempts to break the cycle of poverty by helping children and adults living in developing countries use their ideas, talents and energies to shape their future.Before choosing a work site, Plan Canada analyzes the community’s poverty statistics; infant mortality rates
Infant mortality
Infant mortality is defined as the number of infant deaths per 1000 live births. Traditionally, the most common cause worldwide was dehydration from diarrhea. However, the spreading information about Oral Re-hydration Solution to mothers around the world has decreased the rate of children dying...
(countries with more than 25 deaths per 1,000 live births are given priority); Gross National Product (GNP) (GNP per capital should be less than $1,700USD); and other factors that are key elements of determining Plan Canada’s long-term regional success. With help from trained volunteers and donations from benefactors, Plan Canada assists community participants in a number of areas, including: building schools, educating teachers, digging wells, opening health clinics, providing vocational training, using technology to improve crop yields, giving people access to small business loans, and providing disaster-related humanitarian assistance. On average, Plan Canada works with communities for 10–12 years before phasing out operations in that area. Supported by donors, Plan Canada assists children and families in becoming active participants in their communities’ development. Worldwide, approximately nine million individuals have become involved in Plan and Plan Canada’s child-centered initiatives.
History and Background
During the Spanish Civil War in 1937, as many as 11,000 refugees a day were passing through the railway station at Santander in Spain. Many were orphaned children. Among them, was a little boy whose father had pencilled this note:"This is José. I am his father. When Santander falls I shall be shot. Whoever finds my son, I beg of him to take care of him for my sake."
A British journalist, John Langdon-Davies, met the orphaned boy with this note and was inspired to found ‘Foster Parents Plan for Children in Spain’ to help children whose lives were disrupted by the war.
Langdon-Davies’ organization expanded to help children from all over Europe who were displaced by the war, listening to their dreams and aspirations while equipping them with the skills and knowledge to improve their lives and make a better future. This approach is still very much at the core of Plan's work today with 3.5 million families and their children in over 25,000 communities in developing countries around the world
Here’s a brief timeline of Plan’s evolution:
1930s - Plan was founded as "Foster Parents Plan for Children in Spain."
1940s - During World War II, the organization became known as "Foster Parents Plan for War Children" and worked in England, helping displaced children from all over Europe. After the war, Plan extended aid to children in France, Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands, Germany, Greece and briefly in Poland, Czechoslovakia and China.
1950s - As Europe recovered, Plan gradually moved out of these countries and opened new programs in less developed countries. It became "Foster Parents Plan Inc." to reflect the goal of bringing lasting change to the lives of children in need, whatever their circumstances.
1960s - Foster Parents Plan of Canada was incorporated in 1968. Plan expanded its work to countries in South America and Asia. In 1962, U.S. First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy was honorary chairwoman during Plan's Silver Jubilee.
1970s - In 1974, the global name became Plan International as programs now spanned South America, Asia and Africa.
1980s - Belgium, Germany, Japan and the UK joined Canada, the US, Australia and the Netherlands as donor countries. Plan was recognised by the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations.
1990s - Plan offices opened in France, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Sweden and the Republic of Korea.
2000s - The name Plan International evolved to simply be "Plan" and a unified global identity was created to help make the organization more easily recognized around the world. In 2006, Foster Parents Plan in Canada also changed its name to Plan and our logo was updated to reflect this name change.
Plan and Plan Canada have no political or religious affiliation.
Mission and Funding
Plan Canada’s long-term goal is to empower children, their families and the members of their communities to improve living conditions, establish grassrootsGrassroots
A grassroots movement is one driven by the politics of a community. The term implies that the creation of the movement and the group supporting it are natural and spontaneous, highlighting the differences between this and a movement that is orchestrated by traditional power structures...
organizations, and work with local and national governments. Plan Canada focuses the main thrust of its energies on the children in poorer developing countries’ communities, namely those of Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
, Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
and South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
.
Private and corporate donors have a number of options available to them when giving to Plan Canada. Many choose to sponsor children by making contributions; in exchange for their contributions, benefactors are given the opportunity to exchange letters and photographs with their sponsored child(ren). Other donors choose to fund projects, assist during and after crises and/or bequest monies to Plan Canada.
Plan Canada donations are pooled centrally. Funds are then allocated based on in-country developed strategic plans, with a focus on supporting children-related operations and ventures. Typically, 20% of funds raised go to support Plan Canada’s operations, public education and fundraising as per Plan’s 80:20 rule of allocation.
Plan Canada adheres to the standards of the Imagine Canada Ethical Fundraising and Financial Accountability Code and supports the Association of Fundraising Professionals’ Donor Bill of Rights.
Recent Projects
Plan and Plan Canada have been a part of numerous international projects and initiatives, including:- January 2011 - Plan Canada's Because I Am A Girl Campaign wins a Gold Cassie in the not-for-profit category. (http://www.cassies.ca/)
- January 2010 - With over 30 year's experience on the ground, Plan Canada is one of the first NGOs to react to the Haiti earthquake2010 Haiti earthquakeThe 2010 Haiti earthquake was a catastrophic magnitude 7.0 Mw earthquake, with an epicentre near the town of Léogâne, approximately west of Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital. The earthquake occurred at 16:53 local time on Tuesday, 12 January 2010.By 24 January, at least 52 aftershocks...
(http://plancanada.ca/haiti). Plan is one of 9 NGOs benefiting from a one hour national telethon called Canada for Haiti which raises $13.5M from the Canadian public. - September 2009 - Plan announced a $100M Campaign to support girls rights and a website to engage youth to advocate for girls (http://becauseIamagirl.ca)
- May 2009–Plan announced its intent to distribute 300,000 IDPs of aid to Sri LankaSri LankaSri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
. - April 2009–Plan received $900,000 CDN from Slumdog MillionaireSlumdog MillionaireSlumdog Millionaire is a 2008 British epic romantic drama adventure film directed by Danny Boyle, written by Simon Beaufoy, and co-directed in India by Loveleen Tandan. It is an adaptation of the novel Q & A by Indian author and diplomat Vikas Swarup...
filmmakers to improve the lives of children and their families in Mumbai’s poorer communities. - April 2009–Plan Canada partnered with clothing company Olsen Europe to establish a new line of clothing, the Friendship Collection.
- January 2009–Plan Canada’s partnership with The Girls’ Rights Program resulted in a Girls’ Rights Tour. The Girls’ Rights Tour emphasizes self-esteem and awareness of women’s issues.
- January 2009–Plan’s short film, Flood Children of Holdibari, won first place in the World Bank’s Social Dimensions of Climate Change section of their international film festival.
- December 2008–Plan Canada shipped medical supplies to ZimbabweZimbabweZimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
to combat the choleraCholeraCholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...
outbreak there. - July 2008–Plan Canada launched its Global Food Crisis Report and announced a $750 million funding initiative.
- November 2007–Plan Canada traveled to HaitiHaitiHaiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
with R&B singer George NozukaGeorge NozukaGeorge Koichi Nozuka better known by his stage name George is a Canadian singer. He is signed to HC Entertainment Group record label as their main act.-Career:...
to film a documentary on restaveks, child slaves, in Haiti.