Your Adventure Begins!
Finances & Receipting
Flights/Travel
Resources

Congratulations on taking your first steps towards a possible new adventure with God in Mercy Ships. The Mercy Ships Canada staff members are ready to help you with the preparation, receipting and travel details that are uniquely Canadian.

While the Human Resources department at the Mercy Ships International Operations Center (IOC) in Texas processes all applications and has the final say about acceptance and timing, one of our roles as a national Mercy Ships office is to facilitate Canadians like you who dare to step out of the ordinary. Once you receive notice of acceptance, we urge you to contact us so we can help with the following:

• Fundraising & receipting questions
• Setting up your on-line Donor Page
• Travel and flight information
• Assistance with preparing presentations for churches, friends, etc.
• Materials and resources to help promote your work with Mercy Ships

If you have any questions while you wait to hear from our HR department, don’t hesitate to call or send an email.

Please contact:
Katrina Welle
Administrative Assistant, Mercy Ships Canada
Toll-free 1-866-900-7447
msca[at]mercyships.ca

Canadians need to be aware that while serving with an International charity, they must comply with Canadian charity law.

If you are planning to raise funds towards the Mercy Ships project you have been accepted for, a project number associated with these funds will be set up in our data base and tax receipts will be issued through Mercy Ships Canada.

PLEASE NOTE: In order to remain in good standing with Canada Revenue Agency and to keep receiving funds for the project you are involved with, every Canadian MUST submit a Monthly Activity Report to Mercy Ships Canada. This report is a simple questionnaire that will be emailed to you once you are actively participating in your program. An email reminder will be sent from the Mercy Ships Canada office at the end of each month. This report is ABSOLUTELY REQUIRED in order to continue receiving funds.

Canadian Donations:

Please note that Canadian law states that funds cannot be designated to individuals or families – donors can suggest in a separate note how they would like their funds to be distributed. Mercy Ships will honour to the best of their ability these requests but reserve all rights to use the monies in projects approved by the board.

Mercy Ships Canada is able to accept donations for project funds through our online giving programs, by cheque, money order, Visa, MasterCard, American Express or monthly Direct Debit.

Cheques must be made payable to Mercy Ships, with a separate note suggesting where funds are to go, indicating the project number if possible. No personal name should appear anywhere on the cheque.

Our mailing address:
Mercy Ships Canada
Unit 5 - 3318 Oak St.
Victoria, BC  V8X 1R1

Toll-free telephone: 1-866-900-7447

Donations may also be made online by clicking here for our donation page. Mercy Ships Canada issues annual tax receipts to Canadian donors at year-end. We are unable to issue a Canadian tax receipt for a gift from international donors. (International donors should send their gifts through their respective national offices).

International Donations:

The Mercy Ships national offices can accept donations according to the ways and means of each country. Please look online (www.mercyships.org) for country-specific information about donating through international Mercy Ships offices, including the International Operations Center in Garden Valley, Texas.

Reporting Income & Expenses:

A Canadian T4 will not be prepared at year-end as Canadian Mercy Ships crew are self-employed missionaries assigned to approved projects within Mercy Ships. For your tax reporting purposes, you will receive a letter from the IOC providing a summary of the amount designated for your project through the Mercy Ships Canada office (if the total exceeds $500). Please note that you are responsible for reporting these funds to the Canada Revenue Agency. As a self-employed missionary, some of your project expenses are tax deductible. Please consult your tax advisor or accountant for specifics.

You have reached an exciting stage in your journey to board the Africa Mercy! Please do not book your ticket until you have received your official acceptance from your Placement Facilitator at the IOC.

To help you get the best rates, terms and overall benefits for your flights, Mercy Ships Canada has made an agreement with Menno Travel as our official travel agent for Canadians. Menno Travel offers exclusively negotiated humanitarian airfares with refundable tickets, reduced charges on changed tickets, extended purchase windows, greater baggage allowance, and familiarity with the best routings to “strange” places. Menno Travel’s parent company, Raptim, works with Mercy Ships in the US.

Menno Travel: www.mennotvl.com
32112 South Fraser Way, Abbotsford, BC, V2T 1W4
Toll Free: 1-800-667-5559
Fax: 604- 853-4931

Menno Travel’s Consultant for Mercy Ships:
Glenda Weglo – glenda@mennotvl.com

Step One: Contact Menno Travel to make your travel arrangements.
Step Two: Contact Katrina Welle at the Mercy Ships Canada office (1-866-900-7447) or msca[at]mercyships.ca to give details and discuss donation payment options. Donation is cost of flight plus $50 admin fee, and if paying by credit card, an additional 5% merchant fee. Donation must be made by you or one individual on your behalf. Whoever makes the donation will receive the tax receipt.*
Step Three: Send appropriate donation to Mercy Ships Canada (online, phone or mail)
Step Four: Once the donation is received, Mercy Ships Canada pays the Menno Travel invoice.

*If travel plans change once the donation has been made to Mercy Ships, these funds cannot be refunded.

Hidden Travel Costs:

Remember to consider the following “hidden costs” when budgeting for your mission trip.
- Flight delay or layover expenses
- Service tips (baggage handlers, cabs, etc.)
- Immunizations; Medical/Travel insurance
- Passport/passport photos/visas
- Prayer Cards
- Spending money

Please feel free to contact us if you have any further questions.

Katrina Welle
Administrative Assistant, Mercy Ships Canada
1-866-900-7447 or email msca[at]mercyships.ca

Following is a list of materials you can request from Mercy Ships Canada. These can assist you in your fund-raising efforts and boosting awareness for Mercy Ships. If you would like large quantities of items, please consider a donation to Mercy Ships to cover shipping expenses.

Brochures

• General Mercy Ships (overview of Mercy Ships)
• Gift Catalogue

 CD/DVDs

• Bringing Hope & Healing Anthology DVD with several videos, overviews, interviews, etc.
• My Mercy Box - DVD of Norwegian TV series filmed onboard the AFM (English) - great for schools, kids' programs, etc.

Other Mercy Ships Items:

• Coin Boxes
• Annual Reports
• Calendars
• Speaker Network Kits & Training Packs
• Don Stephens' book "Ships of Mercy"
• Please call our office (1-866-900-7447) for display units and other items that may be available for your fundraising efforts and/or promotion of Mercy Ships.