Poppy Trust Funds
Who Owns The Funds
Poppy funds are public funds, held in trust by the Legion
until spent as designed. They must be kept in separate trust accounts. And they must be spent, not accumulated
for a rainy day. Normally, at least 90 per cent of the funds collected each year should be spent before the next
campaign.
What The Funds Do
The funds provide financial assistance to needy Canadian
ex-service personnel, and merchant navy personnel possessing or eligible for campaign stars or decorations, and
their dependents. Also eligible are ex-service personnel of other Commonwealth and Allied countries, now resident
in Canada. Authorized uses also include:
- the cost of operating a service bureau or its equivalent;
- bursaries to children and grandchildren of ex-service
personnel;
- prizes for promotional contests directly connected with
the campaign;
- campaign costs, including the purchase of poppies, wreaths,
promotional aids, canvassing supplies, reasonable expenses of poppy chairmen and committee members, advertising
expenses and telephone, telegraph, postage and stationery.
Other Uses For The Funds
- community medical appliances and medical research;
- drop-in centres for the elderly, meals on wheels, transportation
and related services for veterans, their dependants and the aged;
- donations for relief of disasters declared by the federal
or provincial governments;
- under certain conditions, housing for ex-service personnel,
the elderly and disabled;
- within limits, assistance to ex-service personnel and
dependants of Commonwealth countries residing outside Canada, e.g donations to the Legion's BECL
Fund
What The Funds Can't Do
- cost of branch administration
- purchase, erection, extension or renovation of branch
premises;
- rental of property or purchase of equipment or furnishings
for branch use;
- public-service projects such as recreational facilities;
- furnishings and non-medical equipment for hospital wards/rooms;
- subscriptions to newspapers or periodicals, even for
hospitals;
- purchase of wreaths for funerals;
- transportation cost of funerals for relatives;
- any form of entertainment;
- bus tours for elderly verterans, or recreational pursuits;
- scholarships;
- maintenance of cemeteries;
- loans.