Patients consultation in the health centre of Ambodrian i’Sahafary, a village only accessible by boat where MSF set-up a moblie clinic. MSF is rehabilitating health structures damaged by the cyclones in Nosy Varika and the surrounding area, as well as supporting the medical activities in this region which had already poor access to healthcare.

Donor support & FAQs 

At Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Canada, we understand the importance of promptly addressing your enquiries. We are committed to responding to all inquiries as quickly as possible, but during periods of high volume, our response times may be longer than usual.

Our operating hours are from 8am to 9pm EST, Monday to Friday. If you need to speak with a donor relations representative, you can reach us through multiple channels, including by phone at 1-800-928-8685, by email at DonorRelations@msf.ca, or by fax at 416-963-8707. You can also write to us at 551 Adelaide Street West, Toronto, ON, M5V 0N8.

For your convenience, we have provided answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about our work and the impact of your donations.

TAX RECEIPTS

For gifts made in 2022: MSF Canada will issue your consolidated tax receipt for all your 2022 one-time and monthly donations by February 15th, 2023.

For gifts being made in 2023:

For all one-time donations
If you donate online, you’ll receive a confirmation by email within one hour of making the gift. Donations made online are processed right away and your tax receipt is attached as a PDF.

If your gift is a one-time donation sent to us by mail, the donations are processed within a few weeks of receiving the gift. We usually allow 1 or 2 weeks for mail to reach us.

For all monthly donations
We will issue your consolidated tax receipt for all monthly donations in February after the previous tax year has closed. Paper tax receipts will be mailed or e-receipts emailed by February 15th 2024.

Stocks and securities
If you make a contribution in the form of stocks and securities, your gift will come to us without your contact information. To make sure we can thank you and document your donation, please send an email with your name, address and the details of your stock gift to securities@msf.ca.

Donor FAQs

When do I get my tax receipt?

For one time donations
If you donate online, you’ll receive a confirmation by email within one hour of making the gift. Donations made online are processed right away and your tax receipt is attached as a PDF.

If your gift is a one-time donation sent to us by mail, the donations are processed within a few weeks of receiving the gift. We usually allow 1 or 2 weeks for mail to reach us.

For all monthly donations
We will issue your consolidated tax receipt for all monthly donations in February after the previous tax year has closed. Paper tax receipts will be mailed and e-receipts emailed latest February 15th.

Stocks and securities
If you make a contribution in the form of stocks and securities, your gift will come to us without your contact information. To make sure we can thank you and document your donation, please send an email with your name, address and the details of your stock gift to securities@msf.ca.

I can’t find my electronic receipt.

In an effort to be more efficient, MSF Canada will issue your consolidated tax receipt for all your one-time and monthly donations in February after the previous tax year has closed. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact our donor relations team by phone at 1-800-928-8685 or by email at donorrelations@msf.ca, including your full name and address. If you have moved, please provide both your old address and your new address.

How can I make a gift in memory or in honour of someone else?

You can give a tribute donation in memory of someone, or to commemorate a holiday, birthday, wedding or other special occasion. To make a gift in honour or in memory, please access this donation page.

Sending an e-card: Enter the recipient email address (up to 3 different emails addresses separated with a comma or a new line). If you want to receive a copy of the e-card, enter your own email address. Select the type of e-card you would like to be sent. You can then enter a subject line for your e-card. Finally enter a personal message. Please note that the message has a limitation of 255 characters or writing letters. You can then preview your e-card. You will need to allow pop up on your browser in order to preview the e-card.

Sending a print card: Select your print card and then enter the name and address of the recipient. You can enter a personal message. Please note that the message has a limitation of 255 characters or writing letters.

In order to finalize your gift, you will need to enter your contact information as well as your credit card information.

You’ll receive both a confirmation and an official printed acknowledgement/tax receipt by email within one hour of making the gift.

Other ways to donate

If you would like to give via your workplace, to give Aeroplan Miles, etc., please visit our All ways to give page.

How can I leave MSF in my will?

If you are looking to leave a gift in your will to MSF, please visit our Legacy Giving page.

How do I change my monthly donation?

To update your banking or credit card information, please contact us by phone at 1-800-928-8685. For security reasons, we ask that donors do not send credit card numbers over email.

To modify the amount of your gift, to put your donation on hold or to cancel it, or to update your contact information, please contact us by phone at the number above or by email at donorrelations@msf.ca.

How can I limit the amount of mail I receive?

We understand that some people would prefer limited mailings—whether it be quarterly, once a year, or none at all. Just let us know what your preference is by sending an email including your name and address to donorrelations@msf.ca or calling us at 1-800-928-8685.

Please note that it is possible that you may receive one final piece of mail from us, as our mailings are prepared quite a bit advance.

Will you share my contact information with any other organizations?

No, we do not share our mailing list with other organizations that solicit donations or sell any products. MSF stopped the practice of trading names with other charities in 2020, and it is now our policy not to share or trade any donor information with other organizations. To read more about the measures we take to protect your data, please read our Privacy Notice.

Prior to 2020, in order to enhance our solicitation strategies and reduce our fundraising costs, Doctors Without Borders exchanged portions of our mailing list with select non-profit organizations.

When we loaned out selections of our mailing list, the recipient organization had a limited amount of time in which to send their mailing to the individuals on that list (usually about 3 months). Once that time had elapsed, they were no longer permitted to use these shared names. The organizations were also not permitted to mail the individuals on that list more than once, or to save the traded information in their own databases.

If you have any questions please contact our Donor Services team at donorrelations@msf.ca, call us at 1-800-928-8685 or write to our mailing address at Doctors Without Borders, 551 Adelaide St. W, Toronto, ON, M5V 0N8.

While MSF no longer shares donor contact information, if you feel that you are in general getting too much unsolicited mail, and you would like to better ensure that your name not be traded by any organization, you may wish to contact the Canadian Marketing Association. They keep a master “Do Not Contact” list that most non-profit organizations consult before sending out any unsolicited mail.

How much of my donation goes to MSF’s field work?

At all times, MSF directs at least 80% of its revenue to fund its program activities. A minimum of 80 cents from every dollar is spent supporting field operations, which provide medical assistance to populations in distress around the world, and on bearing witness activities in Canada and overseas.

For more information, go to our Donor Accountability. In 2021, 80% of MSF Canada’s expenditures went directly to programs, 15% to fundraising activities and 5% to management and administration.

Can I donate supplies as an in-kind donation?

We don’t accept in-kind gifts such as medical equipment, drugs, food or other materials for our operations.

Here’s why: a huge part of what makes Doctors Without Borders so effective at saving lives is our ability to respond rapidly. After decades of experience, we’ve developed specialized, pre-packaged kits that are ready to go at a moment’s notice. These tried-and-true materials can get into the hands of our teams much more efficiently than if we had to manage screening, sorting, and packing different types of supplies.

Some more viable options could be to check with your local community centres, shelters, hospices, hospitals or senior’s homes, as they can often make use of extra supplies. Alternatively, “Not Just Tourists” is a non-profit organization that does facilitate smaller donations overseas.

Does the person who came to my door work for MSF?

You can easily identify Doctors Without Borders fundraisers by their photo ID badge and Doctors Without Borders vest or shirt. They will often have a laminated brochure, or a binder with our logo and information.

Please visit our web page about canvassing and telefundraising to learn more.

How do I volunteer with MSF Canada?

You can visit our volunteer page for more information about current job openings.

Also, if you would like to donate a bit of your time, you can participate in our Missing Maps events.

Why did you decide to fundraise F2F during the COVID-19 Pandemic?

In March of 2020 the COVID-19 pandemic became an unprecedented global emergency which continues to greatly impact the medical services we provide across the 70+ countries MSF staff work in. We see how the rapid spread of the disease can overwhelm healthcare systems, disrupt economies, and alter livelihoods and lifestyles in many parts of the world. The demand for our emergency medical services is at an all-time high. An unforeseen consequence of the pandemic was its large impact on MSF’s ability to raise critically needed funding through traditional face-to-face fundraising methods. Although the pandemic made it very challenging to fundraise in-person, the need for those funds grew substantially.


After careful consideration and planning, we slowly reactivated our face-to-face canvassing campaigns in cities across the country where restrictions allowed and where public spaces such as restaurants, theatres, and malls had reopened. Our fundraising representatives completed rigorous safety training, practiced social distancing, were required to wear personal protective equipment, and adapted to contactless payment methods to minimize potential risk of exposure to the virus. Although the bulk of the government mandated restrictions have been lifted across Canada, our representatives continue to operate with great care when speaking with members of the public. We thank all individuals who supported and continue support our emergency medical efforts during this challenging time.

How can I tell if a F2F Fundraiser is legitimate?

You can easily identify Doctors Without Borders fundraisers by their photo ID badge, MSF branded lanyard, and Doctors Without Borders vest or shirt. They will often have a laminated brochure or a binder with our logo and information.

Doctors Without Borders canvassers will be working with handheld devices (smartphones or tablets), which allows them to securely process credit card transactions and capture bank information on the spot, reducing administrative costs and our use of paper forms.

Our fundraisers are involved in street and door-to-door canvassing. Sometimes you may meet our teams at a mall as well.

For additional information about our F2F activities, please visit the following page: https://www.doctorswithoutborders.ca/canvassing-and-telefundraising

Where are Doctors Without Borders responding to COVID-19 and what are you doing about it?

Our teams are responding on multiple fronts around the world – in more than 70 countries – places like Brazil, Yemen and India. We’re caring for patients, providing testing, offering health education and mental health support, providing training for vital infection control measures in health facilities, and more.

Since the pandemic began, we’ve prioritized keeping our essential medical services up and running for the hundreds of thousands of patients who rely on us, while preparing for and responding to the spread of the virus itself. Learn more about MSF’s response to COVID-19.

How does Doctors Without Borders choose where to open projects, provide medical care, respond to COVID-19, etc.?

Doctors Without Borders goes where the needs are greatest. We learn about crises that need our attention from MSF teams already working on the ground with the people affected, and from local governments, the international community, humanitarian organizations, and local and national NGOs. We assess each situation based on if there is an emergency need, if there are other NGOs or government involvement that meet that need, and if MSF can respond.

Am I able to designate my donation to a specific emergency?

Unless otherwise specified, contributions to MSF are directed to our general fund, which is what we draw upon to deliver lifesaving healthcare wherever it’s needed around the world. Regular monthly or annual general donations — gifts that aren’t restricted to use in a specific context — are one of the best ways to support our work. Not only do such unrestricted and predictable funds allow us to plan ahead and effectively implement the millions of medical interventions we conduct around the world every year, they also let us respond to unexpected crises and emergencies immediately.

There are some emergencies so severe that we require additional support in order to maintain our response: The COVID-19 crisis is an example of this, as was the Ebola crisis in West Africa in 2014. On these occasions, MSF launched specific fundraising appeals. In such cases, accepting designated funding allows us to scale up the resources necessary for a particularly overwhelming emergency without drawing resources away from other essential MSF programs around the world.

These are determined on a case-by-case basis, in response to needs and capacities. We won’t ask for additional support in a particular emergency until we can determine whether there is a need for our work. If designated support has not been explicitly requested, it is always best to visit our website or contact us directly to find out if we are accepting donations for a specific crisis before making a restricted gift.

HAVE A QUESTION?

If you need to speak with a donor relations representative, please call 1 800 928-8685, email us at DonorRelations@msf.ca, or fax us at 416-963-8707.

MSF staff work along with local hospital staff in the post-operative ward of Hôpital Immaculée Conception in Les Cayes, Haiti. Two months after the earthquake that struck southern Haiti, the number of patients arriving in the emergency room and the number of surgeries remain very high.

Warning about scams and hoaxes

Please be aware there have been cases of individuals posing as MSF staff to scam money from people. We have received reports of third parties attempting to fraudulently obtain money from donors by posing as staff via email, social networking websites, and apps.

Dr. Adiaratou Dakono in the ICU, checking patients medication.

Donation accountability

Access yearly financial and impact reports that outline where and how we use the gifts generously entrusted to us – including details on money spent as well as stories about people’s lives and the impact of our medical humanitarian response.

VIEW PREVIOUS REPORTS AND LATEST INTERNATIONAL REPORT