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| website = {{URL|https://www.we.org}}
}}'''WE Charity''', formerly known as '''Free The Children''', is an international [[development charity]] and [[youth empowerment]] movement founded in 1995 by [[human rights]] advocates Marc and [[Craig Kielburger]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=10481|title=Charity Navigator - Rating for WE Charity|website=Charity Navigator|language=en|access-date=2019-06-19}}</ref> The organization implements development programs in Asia, Africa and Latin America, focusing on education, water, health, food and economic opportunity.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.charityintelligence.ca/charity-details/82-we-charity|title=WE Charity|website=www.charityintelligence.ca|access-date=2019-06-19}}</ref> It also runs domestic programming for young people in Canada, the U.S. and U.K., promoting [[Service-learning|service learning]] and active citizenship.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/free-the-children-at-20-an-unlikely-canadian-success-story|title=Free The Children at 20: An unlikely Canadian success story {{!}} Ottawa Citizen|last=April 25|first=rew Duffy Updated:|last2=2015|date=2015-04-25|language=en|access-date=2019-06-19}}</ref>
}}'''WE Charity''', formerly known as '''Free The Children''', is an international [[development charity]] and [[youth empowerment]] movement founded in 1995 by [[human rights]] advocates [[Marc Kielburger|Marc]] and [[Craig Kielburger]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=10481|title=Charity Navigator - Rating for WE Charity|website=Charity Navigator|language=en|access-date=2019-06-19}}</ref> The organization implements development programs in Asia, Africa and Latin America, focusing on education, water, health, food and economic opportunity.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.charityintelligence.ca/charity-details/82-we-charity|title=WE Charity|website=www.charityintelligence.ca|access-date=2019-06-19}}</ref> It also runs domestic programming for young people in Canada, the U.S. and U.K., promoting [[Service-learning|service learning]] and active citizenship.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/free-the-children-at-20-an-unlikely-canadian-success-story|title=Free The Children at 20: An unlikely Canadian success story {{!}} Ottawa Citizen|last=April 25|first=rew Duffy Updated:|last2=2015|date=2015-04-25|language=en|access-date=2019-06-19}}</ref>


This includes [[We Day|WE Day]], a series of large-scale motivational events held in 17 cities throughout the school year.
This includes [[We Day|WE Day]], a series of large-scale motivational events held in 17 cities throughout the school year.

Revision as of 10:51, 4 November 2019

WE Charity
Formation1995
TypeInternational charity and educational partner
HeadquartersToronto, Ontario, Canada
Location
  • Work in less developed nations
Founder
Craig Kielburger, Marc Kielburger
Websitewww.we.org

WE Charity, formerly known as Free The Children, is an international development charity and youth empowerment movement founded in 1995 by human rights advocates Marc and Craig Kielburger.[1] The organization implements development programs in Asia, Africa and Latin America, focusing on education, water, health, food and economic opportunity.[2] It also runs domestic programming for young people in Canada, the U.S. and U.K., promoting service learning and active citizenship.[3]

This includes WE Day, a series of large-scale motivational events held in 17 cities throughout the school year.

WE Charity promotes a philosophy of socially conscious living, embodied in the phrase "ME to WE" – the title of a 2004 book by Craig and Marc Kielburger.[4] That brand theme "we" is reflected in the organization's programs such as its WE Day events, launched in 2007,[5] leading up to a updated branding of "WE Charity" in early 2015.

The organization has received high ratings from independent third-party charitable sector evaluators including Charity Navigator[1], Charity Intelligence[2], GuideStar[6], and MoneySense Magazine’s 100 Top-Rated Charities in Canada.[7] In 2017, Good Housekeeping Magazine chose WE Charity as the first recipient of a new ‘Humanitarian Seal.’[8]

History

Craig Kielburger, age 12, on his first trip to South America
Mary Ward Catholic Secondary School, where Kielburger attended school and the charity's early base of operations.

WE Charity (formerly Free The Children) was founded in 1995 by Craig Kielburger when he was 12 years old. Craig was reading through the Toronto Star newspaper before school one day when he came across an article about the murder of a 12-year-old Pakistani boy named Iqbal Masih, a former child factory worker who had spoken out against child labour.[9]

Soon after, Kielburger established Free The Children with a group of his 12-year-old classmates. The organization was formed to raise awareness in North America about child labour and to encourage other children to get involved in the issue.[10]

One of the group's first actions was to collect 3,000 signatures on a petition to the prime minister of India, calling for the release of imprisoned child labour activist Kailash Satyarthi,[11] who went on to win the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize.[12] The petition was sent in a shoe box wrapped in brown paper. On his eventual release, Satyarthi said, "It was one of the most powerful actions taken on my behalf, and for me, definitely the most memorable."[11]

Shortly afterward, Kielburger spoke at the convention of the Ontario Federation of Labour, where union representatives pledged $150,000 for a rehabilitation centre in India. The Bal Ashram centre was built by Satyarthi.[13]

In December 1995, Kielburger embarked on an eight-week tour of South Asia to meet child labourers and hear their stories first-hand. It was on that trip that Kielburger had a meeting with then-Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, in which Kielburger convinced Chrétien to take a public stand against child slavery.[14]

In 1999, at the age of 16, Kielburger wrote Free the Children, a book detailing his trip to South Asia four years earlier and the founding of his charity.[15] The book was re-released in 2007 with Me to We Books.[16]

Free The Children initially fundraised for organizations that raided factories and freed children from forced labour situations. When it became clear that the rescued children were being resold by their impoverished families, the organization changed its approach. Free The Children started building schools in Nicaragua, Kenya, Ecuador and India.[17] The organization later evolved an international development model with projects related to education, water, health care, food security and income generation.[18]

In 2007, at age 25, Craig Kielburger was inducted into the Order of Canada.[19] the second-youngest Canadian ever to receive the honour. His brother Marc Kielburger was inducted into the Order of Canada in 2010.[20]

In 2008, EY and the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship, a sister organization of the World Economic Forum, presented the Social Entrepreneur Of The Year award in Canada to the Kielburgers for their work with Free The Children.[21]

In 2016, Free The Children rebranded as WE Charity.[22] The charity runs domestic programs for young people in Canada, the US and the UK, and international development programs in Africa, Asia and Latin America.[2]

In September 2017, WE Charity moved to a new headquarters in downtown Toronto, Canada. Named the “WE Global Learning Centre”, it provides office space for staff and features technology-enabled facilities for use by public groups such as educators, school groups, and youth wishing to start non-profits or social enterprises.[23] The official opening of the WE Global Learning Centre on September 27, 2017 was attended by international figures including former UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, and actor and activist Mia Farrow.[24] The Centre features a theatre, broadcast studio, and an open concept design. WE Charity is also looking to integrate its new headquarters into the Toronto Corktown community by offering programming and outreach projects to residents.[25]

In December 2018 WE Charity proposed a 41,000-square-foot WE Social Entrepreneurship Centre to be constructed next to its Global Learning Centre. The new centre will allow the organization to expand its support of early-stage enterprises led by young people aged 18–35.[26]

International programs

WE Charity implements development projects through its "WE Villages" program, formerly known as "Adopt a Village". The organization is active in rural China, Kenya,Tanzania, Sierra Leone, Haiti, India, Ethiopia and Ecuador. The WE Villages program is based on five ‘pillars’ of programming that work together to break the cycle of poverty: education, clean water and sanitation, health, opportunity, and food.[27] These projects are designed to address the root causes of poverty and remove the barriers to children's education.[28]

In July 2019, the organization opened its first WE College in Narok County, Kenya. It offered a range of courses to girls of Maasai Mara community.[29] Notable attendees of the opening ceremony included former Canadian First Lady Margaret Trudeau, Former Prime Minister of Canada Kim Campbell and The First Lady Margaret Kenyatta.[29]

Domestic programs

WE Charity works with thousands of schools and groups in Canada, the United States, and the U.K. through a program called WE Schools.[30]

Students take part in activities such as food and clothing drives for the homeless[31], anti-bullying campaigns,[31] and fundraisers to build water projects,[32] and schools[33] in countries where WE Charity works, including Kenya, India, and Ecuador. They also raise money for other organizations and causes, such as children’s hospitals, the Terry Fox Run9, and women’s shelters.[34]

Charity Intelligence Canada reports that during the 2016-2017 school year, youth involved in the WE Schools program supported 7,221 organizations, collected 2,555,483 pounds of food, raised $24.2m, and volunteered for 8,837,826 hours. In a survey of teachers involved in WE Schools programming, 92% reported that students feel a stronger connection to their local community as a result of the program, and 89% reported that students are more likely to stand up for others who are discriminated against. [35]

WE Day is the organization’s celebration of students who have participated in volunteer activities through the WE Schools program. Both WE Day and WE Schools programming are funded by corporate sponsors.[36]

In 2017, WE Charity partnered with RBC to create a program called WE Are Social Entrepreneurs. The program involves events and workshops where students learn about social enterprise and pitch business ideas related to a social cause. Successful students earn a spot at “Incubation Week,” an extended training program on social entrepreneurship.[37] In August 2019, the federal government announced that it is giving $3 million to WE Social Entrepreneurs initiative, aiming to created 200 “youth-led enterprises” that address social issues at a community level.[38] [39]

WE Day

Main article: We Day
WE Charity founders Marc and Craig Kielburger at WE Day 2008.

WE Charity holds an annual series of stadium-sized youth empowerment events called "WE Day", bringing together tens of thousands of students and educators as part of the yearlong WE Schools service learning program. WE Day has featured notable speakers, such as Al Gore, Elie Wiesel, Martin Luther King III,[40] Kofi Anan,[41] Prince Harry and Meghan Markle[42] and performers, such as Demi Lovato, Selena Gomez, Lilly Singh[43], Jennifer Hudson, Liam Payne, Iskra Lawrence, Naomi Campbell[44]and Nelly Furtado.[45] Tickets are not purchased, but are instead earned by students through service in a local or a global cause. The first WE Day was staged in Toronto in October 2007. The program has since expanded into 17 cities, including London, Chicago, Seattle, and Los Angeles.[46]

WE Charity works with schools and families in Canada, the United States, and the U.K. Its overarching program is called WE Schools, a year-long service-learning program. The program includes a team of Youth Programming Coordinators who mentor school and community youth groups; curriculum resources for elementary, middle, and high school classrooms; online resources; service campaigns; action kits; professional development sessions for teachers and motivational speaking tours and workshops.[47]

A third party evaluation conducted by social impact measurement firm Mission Measurement found that youth participants in WE Charity programs are more interested and successful in school, more likely to vote, better working in teams, better role models to peers and siblings, better prepared for college and careers, and more confident in their ability to graduate from high school.[48]

Charity Intelligence Canada reports that during the 2016-2017 school year, youth involved in the WE Schools program supported 7,221 organizations, collected 2,555,483 pounds of food, raised $24.2m, and volunteered for 8,837,826 hours. A survey on Canadian and American teachers in the program showed that 92% of teachers report that their students feel a stronger connection to their local community and 89% report that their students are more likely to stand up for others who are discriminated against.[49]

Indigenous programs

WE Charity runs programs to educate Canadians on Indigenous history and culture. organization partners with the Martin Aboriginal Education Initiative to deliver the "WE Stand Together" campaign, promoted as strengthening ties between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in Canada by emphasizing Canadian Indigenous history in classrooms.[50]

Participating schools are provided with curricular resources to explore issues affecting Indigenous communities, including education, housing, medical care, the cost of food in northern communities, and preserving traditional knowledge.[51] WE Charity also invites Indigenous leaders to speak at WE Day events, including public figures like Olympian Waneek Horn-Miller, Justice Murray Sinclair, and actor Tom Jackson.[52]

Governance and financials

WE Charity is governed by separate Boards of Directors in Canada, the US and UK. The Canadian Board Chairwoman is Michelle Douglas, a Canadian human rights activist.[53] Board members are drawn from government, academia, business, media and charitable sectors.[54] Founders Craig and Marc Kielburger do not sit on the Board of Directors.

WE Charity also derives revenues through a partnership with social enterprise ME to WE. ME to WE sells ethical products including jewelry and chocolate, and international travel experiences in countries where WE Charity works. In 2017, 85% of the proceeds of ME to WE were donated to support WE Charity. The balance is reinvested in the social enterprise.[55] According to WE Charity’s website, its administration costs are 10% of total revenues and 90% of donations support its programming.[56]

Celebrity ambassadors

Corporate partners

WE Charity's website lists the following companies as founding partners:[58]

References

  1. ^ a b "Charity Navigator - Rating for WE Charity". Charity Navigator. Retrieved 2019-06-19.
  2. ^ a b c "WE Charity". www.charityintelligence.ca. Retrieved 2019-06-19.
  3. ^ April 25, rew Duffy Updated:; 2015 (2015-04-25). "Free The Children at 20: An unlikely Canadian success story | Ottawa Citizen". Retrieved 2019-06-19. {{cite web}}: |last2= has numeric name (help)CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  4. ^ Kielburger, Craig & Marc (2004). Me to We: Turning Self-Help On Its Head. Toronto: John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 0470835109. [verification needed]
  5. ^ Irish, Paul. "Rallying to spark change," Toronto Star. Oct. 16, 2008 https://www.thestar.com/SpecialSections/article/517384 [verification needed]
  6. ^ "https://www.guidestar.org/profile/16-1533544". www.guidestar.org. Retrieved 2019-06-19. {{cite web}}: External link in |title= (help)
  7. ^ "Canada's top-rated charities 2019: Top 100". www.moneysense.ca. Retrieved 2019-06-19.
  8. ^ "The Good Housekeeping Humanitarian Seal". Good Housekeeping. 2017-08-04. Retrieved 2019-06-19.
  9. ^ "Order of Canada recipients | The Star". thestar.com. Retrieved 2019-06-19.
  10. ^ http://dbase.freethechildren.com/news/1998/New_Design_Article_Fall_1998.pdf
  11. ^ a b Rysavy, Tracy. "Free the Children: the Story of Craig Kielburger". yesmagazine.org.
  12. ^ "The Nobel Peace Prize 2014 - Press Release". nobelprize.org.
  13. ^ Kovacs, Jacqueline. "Free the Children celebrates its 20th birthday - Canadian Living". canadianliving.com.
  14. ^ "Free The Children at 20: An unlikely Canadian success story". ottawacitizen.com. 25 April 2015.
  15. ^ "Free the Children: A Young Man Fights Against Child Labor and Proves That Children Can Change the World: Amazon.ca: Craig Kielburger, Kevin Major: Books". Amazon.ca. Retrieved 2010-12-03.
  16. ^ "Me to We". Me to We. Archived from the original on 2012-09-08. Retrieved 2010-12-03.
  17. ^ April 25, rew Duffy Updated:; 2015 (2015-04-25). "Free The Children at 20: An unlikely Canadian success story | Ottawa Citizen". Retrieved 2019-06-19. {{cite web}}: |last2= has numeric name (help)CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  18. ^ "Significant developments in Free The Children's history". Retrieved 2019-06-19.
  19. ^ "Order of Canada recipients | The Star". thestar.com. Retrieved 2019-01-14.
  20. ^ "Craig and Marc Kielburger in pictures". Retrieved 2019-01-14.
  21. ^ "Social Entrepreneur Of The Year 2008 Winner Canada".
  22. ^ "Free the Children Becomes WE Charity - Charity Intelligence Canada". www.charityintelligence.ca. Retrieved 2019-06-19.
  23. ^ "Global Learning Centre takes We organization to new heights". The Globe and Mail. 2017-09-25. Retrieved 2019-01-21.
  24. ^ Canada, HELLO!. "WE opens its doors to their Global Learning Centre in Toronto | HELLO! Canada". ca.hellomagazine.com. Retrieved 2019-01-21.
  25. ^ "This might be Toronto's nicest new office space". www.blogto.com. Retrieved 2019-01-21.
  26. ^ "Free The Children: An Organization that Drives Significant Impact on Youth". Mission Measurement. 2015-07-28. Retrieved 2019-06-19.
  27. ^ WESchools. "WE Villages: Food Pillar Primary Lesson Package". TES Resources. Retrieved 2019-06-19.
  28. ^ "Free The Children, Canadá | School Chain Showcase - The Fraser Institute". Schoolchains.org. 2009-02-05. Retrieved 2010-12-03.
  29. ^ a b "First Lady champions education opportunities for vulnerable girls and women". capitalfm.co.ke. July 17, 2019. Retrieved July 29, 2019.
  30. ^ Birnbaum, Elisa (2019-01-04). "WE Schools fosters a new generation of leaders by helping kids get more engaged". National Post. Retrieved 2019-06-19.(sponsored)
  31. ^ a b Sasvari, Tom (2018-11-09). "MSS We Scare Hunger campaign a success". Manitoulin Expositor. Retrieved 2019-06-19.
  32. ^ Wagner, Cole (2018-04-26). "Merritt Secondary School students encouraging locals to walk for water". Merritt Herald. Retrieved 2019-06-19.
  33. ^ Buchner, Jill. "2016 Me to We winner: Xavier West". Canadian Living. Retrieved 2019-06-19.
  34. ^ "SNHS donation". siouxbulletin.com. 2019-01-22. Retrieved 2019-06-19.
  35. ^ Friend, David (2018-11-13). "'Superwoman' star Lilly Singh joins creators taking a break from YouTube". CP24. Retrieved 2019-01-21. [verification needed]
  36. ^ "Free The Children: An Organization that Drives Significant Impact on Youth". Mission Measurement. 2015-07-28. Retrieved 2019-06-19.
  37. ^ Birnbaum, Elisa (2018-10-24). "WE Are Social Entrepreneurs Supports Student Changemakers". National Post. Retrieved 2019-06-19.(sponsored)
  38. ^ "Feds provide $3 million boost to charity for social entrepreneurs". National Post. 2019-08-21. Retrieved 2019-08-25.
  39. ^ "Feds Give WE Charity $3 Million For Youth Entrepreneurship Initiative". HuffPost Canada. 2019-08-21. Retrieved 2019-08-26.
  40. ^ "We Day 2013 Toronto: Martin Luther King III, Chris Hadfield, Jonas Brothers Celebrate Youth Activism (PHOTOS)". HuffPost Canada. 2013-09-20. Retrieved 2019-01-07.
  41. ^ "Empowering young global citizens at "We Day"". Kofi Annan Foundation. 2014-08-28. Retrieved 2019-01-07.
  42. ^ "Meghan Markle Surprises A WE Day Crowd After Prince Harry's Speech". HuffPost Canada. 2019-03-06. Retrieved 2019-03-20.
  43. ^ Friend, David (2018-11-13). "'Superwoman' star Lilly Singh joins creators taking a break from YouTube". CP24. Retrieved 2019-01-21.
  44. ^ Colvin, Caroline. "Harry "Dragged" Meghan On Stage, But Their Body Language Is Actually Heartwarming". Elite Daily. Retrieved 2019-03-20.
  45. ^ http://www.weday.com/we-day-events/speakers-and-performers/
  46. ^ "Kelowna high school students changing the world one good deed at a time - Okanagan | Globalnews.ca". globalnews.ca. 2018-12-11. Retrieved 2019-01-21.
  47. ^ http://www.freethechildren.com/whatwedo/local/youthengagement
  48. ^ "Free The Children: An Organization that Drives Significant Impact on Youth - Mission Measurement". missionmeasurement.com. 28 July 2015.
  49. ^ "WE Charity". www.charityintelligence.ca. Retrieved 2019-01-21.
  50. ^ "Who will be the next Tecumseh?". Retrieved 2019-06-19.
  51. ^ "Breakfast Television visits the WE Stand Together program". Breakfast Television Montreal. Retrieved 2019-06-19.
  52. ^ "Breakfast Television visits the WE Stand Together program". Breakfast Television Montreal. Retrieved 2019-06-19.
  53. ^ "Michelle Douglas". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved September 1, 2019.
  54. ^ "Our Team". WE Charity. Retrieved 2019-06-19.
  55. ^ "Social enterprise is the solution we need right now". Washington Examiner. 2019-01-10. Retrieved 2019-06-19.
  56. ^ "Me to We: Volunteer Trips, Leadership Academies, Eco-friendly Products". archive.is. 2012-09-08. Retrieved 2019-06-19.
  57. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Celebrity Ambassadors - WE". WE. Retrieved 2018-11-24.
  58. ^ "Corporate Partners". WE Charity. Retrieved 2019-01-07.
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